Affordable flagship smartphones have been the driving force in the Indian smartphone market for a long time. In the last quarter, we have seen a lot of smartphones with high-end specifications available at the price of Rs 40,000.
These smartphones offer almost everything a customer looks for in a flagship device like a high refresh rate, AMOLED display, powerful processor, fast charging support, and more.
The demand for these devices has increased exponentially because of the inclination of the audience toward smartphone gaming and photography. Games like COD Mobile, Battlegrounds Mobile India, and New State Mobile have a large fan base, and users want a seamless performance from the device.
Best phones under Rs 40,000 in India
1. OnePlus 9
2. OnePlus 10R
3. Realme GT Neo 3
4. Realme GT Neo 2
5. OnePlus 9RT
6. iQoo 9 SE
7. Xiaomi 11T Pro
8. Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
9. Nothing Phone (1)
10. iQoo 7 Legend
Apart from that, a high-quality camera is among the most sought-after features. The majority of people love capturing what they see in the best quality. The smartphones under Rs 40,000 ship with decent multi-rear camera setups to make sure the user gets social media-worthy images.
There was a time when the flagship segment was completely dominated by OnePlus and Samsung. However, the scenario has completely changed as of now because the brands like Xiaomi, Realme, and iQoo, offer some of the best specs in a sub Rs 40,000 device. And then there is the new entrant Nothing, which offers a unique offering that is sure to turn heads.
Here we have curated a list of the best flagship smartphones, including offerings from all the mentioned brands. These devices outclass most of the others in both photography and gaming performance.
OnePlus has slashed the price of the OnePlus 9 recently and made it one of the best phones to get under Rs. 40,000.
It comes with a 6.55-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and it is powered by Snapdragon 888.
OnePlus 9 comes with the much-hyped Hasselblad partnership for cameras. As a result of that, the OnePlus 9 has very natural and true-to-life colours.
There is a 48MP primary camera, 50MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP monochrome sensor. The phone is powered by a 4,500mAh battery with 65W WarpCharge65T fast charging.
Read our OnePlus 9 review
OnePlus 10R recently received a price cut on Amazon, making it an even sweeter deal than the OnePlus 9.
Unlike the OnePlus 9 we featured above, the OnePlus 10R doesn’t come with Hasselblad branding. Hence the colours in the camera follow the normal OnePlus colour palette, warm and bright.
There is a 50MP primary camera with OIS, an 8MP secondary ultra-wide camera and a 2MP macro camera. It comes with a 5,000mAh battery and 80W fast charging on the lower variants.
The phone is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 8100-Max SoC. It is comparable to Snapdragon 888 in terms of performance but doesn’t come with the heating issue Snapdragon 888 has suffered from. So OnePlus 10R might actually be a better choice than the OnePlus 9.
Realme GT Neo 3 is basically the same phone as the OnePlus 10R. All the specifications are the same, even the dimensions are too.
It comes with a 6.7-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz.
There is a 50MP Sony IMX766 sensor coupled with OIS as the primary camera. And there is an 8MP secondary ultra-wide and a 2MP macro sensor. On the front, there is a 16MP selfie camera.
Realme GT Neo 3 is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 8100 SoC, which brings in a similar performance to the Snapdragon 888. The phone is backed up by a 5,000mAh battery with 80W fast charging support.
Read our Realme GT Neo 3 review
This one by Realme can be said to be the most generous offering available on our list. The smartphone has a 6.62-inch E4 AMOLED display complemented with a 120Hz refresh rate.
The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G processor, and it is based on the Android 11 operating system. The smartphone’s base variant ships with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage.
When it comes to camera setup, Realme GT Neo 2 includes a 64MP primary shooter, 2MP secondary shooter, and a 2MP tertiary shooter. The front photography department is handled by a 16MP in-display selfie snapper.
It draws power from a 5000mAh battery that can go on for approximately a day even after extensive use. In addition, it also supports 65W SuperDart charging support that claims to charge the device up to 100% in just 36 minutes.
OnePlus refreshed its 9 series with the launch of the OnePlus 9RT launch in India. The device comes equipped with a 6.62-inch Fluid AMOLED display coupled with a 120Hz refresh rate and protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass protection.
Similar to others, it is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and is based on the Android 11 operating system with Oxygen OS 12 on the top. The base variant of the smartphone comes with 8GB RAM along with 128GB internal storage.
It also has an in-display fingerprint scanner, and the users can also use Alexa hands-free by downloading the Alexa app. In terms of optics, the OnePlus 9RT sports a triple rear camera setup consisting of a 50MP primary snapper with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), 16MP ultra wide-angle snapper, and a 2MP macro snapper.
The smartphone sports a 16MP selfie shooter for the sake of selfies and video calls. The device draws power from a 4500mAh battery that supports 65T Warp charging.
iQoo has already disrupted the industry in the past with the launch of the iQoo 7 series. Now, iQoo 9 SE 5G from its latest series offers a Snapdragon 888 processor under the price bracket of Rs 33,990. The smartphone has a 6.62-inch FHD+ AMOLED display along with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1300nits of peak brightness.
iQoo 9 SE’s base variant includes 8GB RAM along with 128GB internal storage. The smartphone operates on the Funtouch OS 12 and is based on the Android 12 operating system. The device packs a 4500mAh battery that supports 66W fast charging support. For security purposes, it has an in-display fingerprint sensor.
The smartphone rocks a triple rear camera setup consisting of a 48MP primary shooter, a 13MP secondary shooter, and a 2MP mono shooter. Additionally, it includes a 16MP front camera for capturing selfies and video calls.
Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G packs a 6.67-inch AMOLED coupled with a 120Hz refresh rate and a touch sampling rate of 480Hz. The smartphone houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and is based on the Android 11 operating system with MIUI 12.5 skin on top.
It draws power from a 5000mAh battery that supports 120W HyperCharge technology. As claimed by the company, the device gets completely charged in just 17 minutes. The base variant of the device has 8GB RAM paired with 128GB internal storage.
The smartphone flaunts a triple rear camera setup, including a 108MP wide-angle sensor, 8MP ultra wide-angle sensor, and a 5MP telemacro sensor. At the front, the smartphone consists of a 16MP shooter for the sake of selfies and video calls.
Yes, this phone is from a brand new company with no previous experience making a smartphone. But mind you, the founder of this phone was the co-founder of OnePlus, Carl Pei. He made sure that the phone is hyped up royally like no other Android phone brand was able to pull up
The phone comes with a 6.55-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz. But unlike most other Android phones, the bezels are uniform across the sides. On the back, you will find the glyph interface and the LEDs provide a unique user experience.
Nothing Phone (1) comes with a 50MP primary camera and a 50MP ultra-wide camera, and it supports dual OIS for the cameras. On the front, there is a 16MP front camera.
A 4500mAh battery backs up the phone, with support for 33W USB PD fast charging. But it doesn’t come with a charger in the box, you have to buy it separately.
Read our Nothing Phone (1) review
The 6.5-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display of Galaxy S20 FE delivers high-quality streaming and viewing experience. The smartphone also has a 120Hz refresh rate for a smooth experience while running games or playing animations.
The handset packs 8GB RAM along with 128GB internal storage that is further expandable up to 1TB via a microSD card. Under the hood, the device has a Qualcomm snapdragon 865 processor, and it is based on the Android 10 operating system.
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE gets a triple rear camera setup comprising a 12MP primary snapper, 12MP secondary snapper, and an 8MP tertiary snapper. It also has a 32MP selfie shooter for capturing high-resolution selfies. The device also has an IP68 rating for water resistance.
The smartphone is powered by a 4500mAh battery that promises to sustain long hours of gaming and streaming. However, fast charging support is missing in the smartphone, which can be a turn-off for a lot of users.
iQoo 7 Legend is the top-of-the-line flagship phone from the brand. It is basically the iQoo 7 BMW Edition from China. The iQoo 7 Legend is also one of the cheapest phones with a Snapdragon 888 processor.
There’s also a 4,096sqmm vapor chamber to keep the thermals in check. The device is made up of pure white matte surface AG matte glass on the back along with a race track-inspired design.
The iQoo 7 Legend offers a 66W Flash Charger which can charge the 4,000mAh battery to full in about 22 minutes. You also get “enhanced” UFS 3.1 storage, LPDDR5 RAM, and virtual RAM.
On the visual front, the device comes with a 6.62-inch AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and 300Hz touch sampling rate. It also offers HDR10+ certification and an in-display fingerprint scanner.
In terms of optics, the iQoo 7 Legend sports an optically stabilized 48MP camera(Sony IMX 598), a 13MP ultra-wide lens that doubles as a macro shooter, and a 13MP portrait lens with a focal length of 50mm. For selfies, there’s a 16MP camera on the front.
Read our iQoo 7 Legend review (opens in new tab)