Best Camera Mobile Phones Under 30000 in India

The Google Pixel 7a comes with several upgrades over its predecessor. Most of these upgrades and features make more sense thanks to the Tensor G2 SoC, which is also found in its premium flagships.

Its design, while using the same materials as before, appears a lot more premium even though quality has taken a bit of a hit. The phone also offers an IP67 rating.

The Pixel 7a gets a high refresh rate display which makes the Android 13 interface appear fluid. The phone offers the usual three years of software updates and five years of security updates, which is good to have.

Camera performance, while improved over the previous model, is also quite solid. The new chipset also brings some additional camera features like Long Exposure mode and a faster Night Sight mode. Battery life isn’t the best but you do get wireless charging.

The Pixel 7 is Google’s latest flagship Pixel has an odd name given that it’s almost on par with the more expensive Pixel 7 Pro, be it design, performance or imaging quality. The Pixel 7 has the same core specifications as the Pixel 7 Pro, which includes the new Tensor G2 processor and the same primary and selfie cameras. 

Google has gone with minor changes to the phone’s design when compared to its predecessor, but the Pixel 7 gets a slightly different matte-finished frame and camera module instead of the polished finish of the Pixel 7 Pro.

Software performance is top-notch and the same can be said about its camera performance which lacks the newer macro capability on the ultra-wide camera and the 5X telephoto zoom camera from the Pixel 7 Pro.

Battery life is quite good with the phone easily lasting a day and half with casual use which also includes some gaming and camera usage. However, wired charging speeds are relatively slow.

The Realme 9 Pro+ elevates the 9 series from the mainstream segment to the mid-range. The 9 Pro+ is priced higher than the 9 Pro and offers some added features such as optical image stabilisation (OIS) in the camera, which has been missing from Realme’s lineup for a long time.

The Realme 9 Pro+ is available in a colour-changing Sunrise Blue finish. The back panel transitions from blue to red upon exposure to UV light if you choose this. It has a slim profile overall and is also quite light, which makes it comfortable for one-handed use.

The phone offers enough grunt with its MediaTek Dimensity 920 SoC and it can easily handle demanding 3D games as well as take care of day-to-day tasks. Battery life is also quite good and it charges quickly using its bundled 60W charger.

Still camera performance is quite impressive. The primary camera with its OIS system captures clear and crisp photos in daylight and performs well in low-light conditions too. Android 12 also makes it here with Realme UI 3.0 and it brings most of its highlight features with it.

OnePlus hasn't gone too crazy with the design of the OnePlus 9 Pro. It uses a 6.7-inch LTPO OLED display which the company claims cuts power consumption by up to 50 percent compared to the previous model. It's powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, and is available in two varaints. I was happy with the accuracy of the in-display fingerprint sensor, and I also like the fact that the edges of the display are slightly less curved compared to the OnePlus 8 Pro, which helps in preventing accidental touches.

What's new is faster wireless charging. OnePlus has introduced its Warp Charge 50 wireless charger, which as the name suggests, can now wirelessly charge the 9 Pro at up to 50W. The OnePlus 9 Pro does have brand new rear sensors, which are said to be custom-developed with Sony.You can now shoot 8K 30fps stabilised videos or up to 4K 120fps. Oddly, there's no 1080p 120fps option. All these improvements make the OnePlus 9 Pro yet another solid OnePlus flagship, worthy of its Pro badge.

The most noticeable change in the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G compared to its predecessor is its design. It's also a lot lighter at 177g. The 6.4-inch AMOLED display is vibrant and has satisfying levels of brightness. It has a 120Hz peak refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus for protection. The Galaxy S21 FE 5G gets the same Exynos 2100 SoC as seen in the flagship S21 series. It also comes with Dolby Atmos, an IP68 certification for dust and water resistance, and wireless charging.

It's a no-nonsense value flagship that does everything you ask of it, and does it well. What I liked most about it was the low weight, which made it very comfortable to carry in my pocket or hand. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G supports HDR10 playback and apps such as Netflix recognise this ability too. The overall camera experience is similar to that of the Galaxy S20 FE 5G, which is to say, they are very dependable.

If you haven't already snagged the launch offer and bought the Galaxy S21 FE 5G, I'd say the Galaxy S20 FE 5G offers far better value right now. It's practically the same as the new model, so you really aren't losing out on anything. The Galaxy S21 FE 5G will make more sense once its price drops and the Galaxy S20 FE 5G is phased out of the market, but till then, I'd recommend getting the older model instead.

LG isn't a big player in the smartphone market anymore but is still trying. The new LG G8s ThinQ was first unveiled at MWC 2019 but has launched in India several months later, so it now competes against several newer and more feature-rich models. The styling is dated, especially with the extra-wide notch, although that was necessary to fit in a Time-of-Flight 3D sensor and infrared dot emitter for security. Build quality is excellent though, and you get an IP68 rating plus Gorilla Glass on the front and back.

LG has overstuffed this phone with software features and customisations. Air Gestures are particularly gimmicky and we found them frustratingly difficult to use. There's a lot of bloatware and unnecessary animation that seems to bog this phone down a bit. However, performance in games and benchmarks was pretty good.

The display is impressive and we liked the stereo speakers on the LG G8s ThinQ. Battery life was just average. The three rear cameras take excellent shots, even in very low light.   

The new Galaxy Note 9 has much the same hardware and cameras as the Galaxy S9 Plus. The main thing that sets the Galaxy Note 9 apart is its S Pen, which now has added Bluetooth connectivity and can be used as a single-button Bluetooth remote control. Samsung's Experience UI is highly customised but feels smooth and natural to use, with several thoughtful ways to use the S Pen. This phone is a bit too large and heavy, but it has a huge 6.4-inch screen with curved edges and a 4000mAh battery that could last you up to two days. The cameras are great, and Samsung's app gives you a lot to play with. If you want to spend this much money and can live with the bulk, the Galaxy Note 9 delivers a top-class experience.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is slightly taller and heavier than the S8+, but simply feels better built and more solid in your hand. The 6.3-inch Quad HD+ display is gorgeous and produces excellent contrast. The S-Pen now has a finer tip and is IP68 certified. You can use it to create hand-drawn GIFs, translate words, and search the web with Bixby Vision. This phone is powerful too thanks to the Exynos 9 Octa SoC and 6GB of RAM. The dual rear cameras are a first for the company and let you do things like Live Focus, which adds a pleasing bokeh effect behind your subject. The main sensor delivers excellent detail, both in daylight and at night. Battery life could have been better and we struggled to get a full day’s worth of usage out of each full charge.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 is the smaller of the two options launched as the company's 2017 flagship. Its main attraction is a nearly borderless screen with a taller than usual aspect ratio. In terms of industrial design, this phone is absolutely stunning, with curved glass and a futuristic look. However, the fingerprint sensor is forced into an awkward spot and grip takes some getting used to. Performance is top notch thanks to an Exynos 8895 SoC, and the cameras produce stunning stills. This is a worthy flagship phone, if you're willing to spend this much.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ appears to be nothing more than an elongated S6 Edge at first glance but dig a little deeper and you’ll find some nifty additions. The new additions include 4GB of RAM and Bluetooth 4.2 on the hardware front, for a bit more future-proofing. Samsung has also added Pro mode in the camera app which now lets you save pictures in RAW format as well as give you manual options to adjust your photo, before you take the shot. The new Live Broadcast feature also lets you livestream to your YouTube channel. The Galaxy S6 Edge+ is a well-rounded phone but Samsung is charging a premium over the S6 Edge, which makes you think twice before taking the plunge.

Huawei's latest flagship smartphone under the 'Honor' brand is the Honor 6 Plus and it boasts of dual 8-megapixel cameras on the rear. Huawei's claim that these cameras can capture pictures as good as a DSLR may not be true but it is a great shooter nonetheless. It can shoot some really great low-light shots with good amount of details. Huawei has also managed to improve upon the design of the Honor 6. The overall performance of homegrown Hisilicon Kirin 925 SoC inside the phone is also really good. If there is one thing lacking with the phone it has to be the audio performance. Also, the Honor 6 Plus could have benefited greatly if it had a lower price tag.

The OnePlus Nord CE 6 Lite isn’t the most powerful phone in its segment, and I think that's exactly why it works. Instead of chasing benchmark numbers, it focuses on the fundamentals. If your priorities include reliability over flashy features, then the OnePlus Nord CE 6 Lite is a good option to consider. 

The Motorola Edge 70 Fusion has a brand-new design which sticks to polycarbonate for its frame and rear panel. There are three finishes to choose from and all of them are IP68 and IP69-rated for dust and water resistance. Motorola even throws in a MIL-STD 810H certification for use in extreme environments.

Its display has been upgraded to a quad-curved panel. The AMOLED panel gets sufficiently bright outdoors and displays natural colours. However, we found the HDR10+ support lacking or missing when using third-party apps.

Performance isn’t best in class, but is good enough for casual users. It is also possible to play 3D games provided you don’t max out the graphics settings. Camera performance of the primary camera is quite good but the ultrawide isn’t the best even though it has macro capability.

Battery life is quite good and can easily last two days on a single charge. Charging speeds are equally good and can top up the high-capacity battery within an hour.

At a price point of Rs. 29,999, the Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G will be a step forward for users upgrading from a couple of generations older Note series models. However, buyers expecting the kind of category-defining value the series was once known for may find themselves looking more closely at its alternatives, such as the Motorola Edge 70 and Vivo V60e.

The Vivo V60e is positioned as a mid-premium handset that serves as a ‘lite’ version of the V60. It can give you multi-day use with its large battery, while the cameras can capture fantastic shots when the lighting is right. However, the experience isn’t perfect. Bloatware issues are persistent, and the screen struggles to deliver in outdoor conditions. Despite its shortcomings, the Vivo V60e is a good choice for camera enthusiasts and a strong performer.

The OnePlus Nord 5 offers notable improvements over last year's Nord 4 model, including a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset and enhanced cameras. A key design change is the replacement of the alert slider with a new "Plus Key," which can be remapped for various functions, including the new Plus Mind feature. 

The Nord 5 runs OxygenOS 15 based on Android 15, offering AI features like Plus Mind, AI VoiceScribe, AI Call Assistant, and AI Translation. It's slated to receive four years of OS upgrades and six years of security updates. The phone features a glass and metal design with a 6.83-inch screen and a substantial 6,800mAh battery.

It features a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC from Qualcomm, and the handset is the first Nord series phone with an 8-series chip. While not the latest, it's optimised for smooth day-to-day operation and demanding applications. The 6.83-inch Full-HD+ AMOLED screen refreshes at 144Hz and supports up to 1,800 nits peak brightness.

Camera capabilities include a 50-megapixel primary sensor with OIS, an 8-megapixel ultrawide, and a 50-megapixel selfie camera. The primary camera performs well in various lighting conditions, while the ultrawide is decent when there's enough light. It also supports up to 4K/60fps video recording on the main and selfie cameras.

The 6,800mAh battery is quite reliable, lasting up to a day and a half with moderate usage, and supports 80W SuperVOOC fast charging. Overall, the OnePlus Nord 5 is a strong contender in its price range, offering reliable performance, a good primary camera, optimised software, and long lasting battery life.

Motorola’s Edge 60 Pro has a slim and stylish tapered design, which uses a polycarbonate frame and has top-notch IP rating for dust and water. Unlike most brands, there are several different textured finishes to choose from.

Its display has skinny bezels and offers a vibrant viewing experience but lacks HDR support in OTT apps. The top-end mid-ranger processor offers more than enough performance for daily multi-tasking, but cannot offer sustained gaming performance. The software experience is smooth, but does pack some bloatware which can be uninstalled.

Camera performance is very good for this price point. The telephoto camera offers good performance in daylight but shoots slightly softer images in low light. Selfie camera captures oversharpened images.

Battery life did not perform well in our benchmark tests, but did very well in real-world testing. Charging speeds are still relatively fast and the phone also offers fast wireless charging.

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro 5G brings a lot of improvements as compared to its predecessor. The latest smartphone from the brand offers the iconic transparent back panel with an improved Glyph interface. Moreover, the new camera module gives it a distinct look and feel. The handset comes with an IP64 rating, which makes it dust and water-resistant. 

The Realme GT 6 sports a 6.78-inch curved AMOLED display offers a resolution of 1264x2780 pixels. The triple rear camera setup includes a 50-megapixel primary camera, another 50-megapixel camera, and an 8-megapixel camera. For selfies, there’s a 32-megapixel front camera. Running on Android 14, it’s powered by a 5500mAh battery with SuperVOOC fast charging support. You can choose from 8GB, 12GB, or 16GB of RAM, along with 256GB or 512GB storage options. It runs on Realme UI 5, based on Android 14. Plus, it’s IP65-rated for dust and water protection .

Xiaomi 14 Civi is here to shake things up in the sub-Rs. 50,000 price segment. Its slim design, Leica camera prowess, solid performance credentials, and decent speakers make it a solid package worth considering in this price category. On the downside, the missing IP68 rating is a much-needed feature at this price point, and random app notifications from installed apps may sometimes bother you. Nevertheless, it's a noteworthy addition to the sub-Rs. 50,000 smartphone portfolio and is an excellent value proposition.

Motorola's Edge 50 Pro is equipped with a Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor, a 50-megapixel triple rear camera setup, and a 4,500mAh battery with up to 125W fast charging support. The phone offers some world first features such as a Pantone validated display and cameras. The Edge 50 Pro has a premium design and is available in three colour options. It is offered with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. You also get an IP68 dust and water resistance rating. The phone has a 6.7-inch pOLED curved display with 1.5K resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. It has a stereo speaker setup with Dolby Atmos support, 3 microphones, and an in-display fingerprint scanner. 

The Oppo Reno 8 Pro 5G is a premium smartphone from the company that is focussed on offering a premium design. The phone has a slim and elegant design that uses glass and metal.

Its display gets quite bright and colours appear vibrant. It features a thin bezel all around that adds to its overall premium appeal. The phone’s display is also HDR10+ certified and it all works as expected when it comes to streaming supported content.

The phone runs Oppo’s ColorOS 12.1, which is based on Android 12. Everything works as expected and Oppo’s O-Haptics vibration system enhances the software experience.

Camera performance in daylight is quite good, but the same cannot be said about the ultra-wide and macro cameras. In low light, the phone captures good photos, but its performance is not consistent. Battery life is quite solid and lasts a day and half on a single charge.

The Realme GT Neo 3 (150W) aims to offer an improved experience over the GT Neo 2 with a focus on gaming, but ends up falling a bit short of expectations in its attempt to offer more features.

Its design remains similar to the GT Neo 2, with some minor modifications to its finish. Performance with its MediaTek Dimensity 8100 SoC seems to have taken a bit of a hit when compared to what the competition offers. Gaming performance is good but not the best in this segment.

Camera performance is good both in daylight and in low light and it’s mainly down to the new OIS-enabled sensor from Sony. But it’s not as good as what the competition offers.

The 150W model offers a 150W charger in the box which does a good job of charging the smartphone quickly, but heats up the phone quite a bit.

Design has always been a big talking point for the Reno series and it's no different with the Reno 7 Pro. The glass back of the Oppo Reno 7 Pro has a new finish. Oppo says it has used a new laser process to create hundreds of diagonal micro-etches, which are visible at certain angles. The 6.5-inch AMOLED panel means delivers very good colours and contrast. It's a full-HD+ panel with a 90Hz peak refresh rate and 180Hz peak touch sampling rate, plus Corning Gorilla 5 for scratch protection.

There's a new SoC in the Oppo Reno 7 Pro, the Dimensity 1200-Max from MediaTek. This is basically a standard Dimensity 1200 SoC with two special optimisations made for the Reno 7 Pro. You get ColorOS 12 but this is still based on Android 11, not Android 12. I ran PUBG: New State to test how this phone handles demanding multiplayer games. With all the graphical settings cranked up to the highest allowable limit, gameplay was smooth and the display response was on point.

The flat display, stereo speakers, and improved camera sensors are all welcome changes. Battery life is also solid, and it doesn't hurt to have super-fast charging. If fashionable looks and quirky camera features trump sheer performance for you, then you should be happy with the Reno 7 Pro.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is priced way lower than the Galaxy Z Fold 3, but it's still an expensive phone and sits in proper flagship territory. The big design change is the new dual-tone look and the larger outer display or cover screen. The main 6.7-inch display is a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with the same resolution as the previous model, only now it has a 120Hz maximum refresh rate.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC. Some of the OneUI software tricks that we saw on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 have been modified for the Galaxy Z Flip 3. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is definitely more manageable than the Galaxy Z Fold 3 in your hand. Games look and run great on this phone. If you give the sensors adequate light, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 can capture good details and colours.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 makes a strong style statement and feels refined enough for everyday use. If you don't fuss about the cameras or battery life too much, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 could be a fun little smartphone to add to your digital life.

The Oppo Reno 6 Pro is one of the slimmest and lightest phones in its class, and has the looks to go with that. The display is well-spec’d too. It’s a 6.5-inch full-HD+ AMOLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ playback certification, and a 180Hz touch sampling rate. One of the biggest upgrades to the Oppo Reno 6 Pro is the new MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC. Games ran very well too. Despite the slim body, the back of the phone never got overly hot even after extended gaming sessions.

I found the battery life of the Reno 6 Pro to be pretty solid too. I was easily able to get about a day and half of use, which involved lots of video watching and checking social apps. This phone runs the company’s latest version of ColorOS 11.3, which is very similar in form and function to the version we tested on the Reno 5 Pro 5G (v11.1). The camera setup on the Oppo Reno 6 Pro is pretty much identical to that of the Reno 5 Pro, except for the new Bokeh Flare Portrait filter which is fun and works well.

Just like the Vivo V20, the Vivo V20 Pro focuses on design and cameras. The patterns created on the Sunset Melody colorway when light hits the back panel look very funky. The display on the Vivo V20 Pro is once again very similar to that of the V20. It is a 6.44-inch full-HD+ AMOLED panel with Schott's Xensation Up cover glass. Colours are rich, it gets very bright, and there's HDR support too.

Videos look great on the Vivo V20 Pro thanks to the vivid AMOLED panel. HDR videos on YouTube play smoothly. The Vivo V20 Pro is a good phone for gaming since the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G can handle even demanding titles fairly well without overheating. Funtouch OS 11 on the V20 Pro is packed to the gills with shortcuts and customisation options.

The Vivo V20 Pro boasts of impressive camera specifications. For selfies, you get a 44-megapixel primary camera with a f/2.0 aperture and autofocus, and an additional ultra-wide-angle 8-megapixel camera. Compared to the OnePlus Nord, the V20 Pro offers slightly sharper selfies and more interesting shooting modes, however the Nord does have a slight edge when it comes to video performance.

If you're looking for a mid-range 5G smartphone that's not a OnePlus Nord, the V20 Pro gets our recommendation.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite features a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED+ panel, with a full-HD+ resolution and supoorts HDR10+ colour profile. Colours and punchy and brightness level is good. The back of the phone has a polycarbonate layer which resembles glass. Button placement feels ergonomic, and on the left, we have a hybrid dual-SIM tray that can either take two Nano-SIM cards or a single SIM and a microSD card.

The Gaalxy S10 Lite is powered by a Snapdragon 855 SoC, which is last year's flagship chip. Performance is very good and the phone doesn't get overly hot when gaming. It features One UI 2.0, which is based on Android 10, however it lacks the India-specific features which we saw in the Galaxy A51. 

The phone has a 4,500mAh battery capacity, which offers enough power to get you through an entire day on one charge. The bundled charger supports 25W fast charging. 

In the back, the main 48-megapixel camera captures good stills, thanks to OIS for better stabilisation. The wide-angle camera also does a good job under good light. The 5-megapixel macro camera also captures very good extreme close-ups. 4K video recording is supported but only up to 30fps. Low light image quality is very good too. 

The Vivo V17 Pro is a unique offering, with two pop-up selfie cameras and four more at the back. It's well built and looks premium, despite the all-polycarbonate build. It's a little chunky and heavy but still quite manageable. The 6.44-inch full-HD+ AMOLED display is bright, has good colour saturation and viewing angles. There's also Corning Gorilla Glass 6 for protection. 

The in-display fingerprint sensor works well but face unlock is only used as a last resort and can't be used as the primary method for unlocking the phone. The phone has two SIM card slots but nothing for a microSD card. You also get a 'smart key' button which can be customised to perform different functions. 

The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 SoC and comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The SoC is a little weak for the price but is fairly capable of handling apps and games. Keep in mind that it does make the phone quite hot with prolonged camera use or gaming. 

The rear 48-megapixel camera shoots good quality oversampled shots in both daytime and in low light. The ultra wide-angle camera captures more in the frame and is also used for shooting super macros. There's a telephoto camera too which offers 2x optical zoom. The V17 Pro also has a depth camera, which helps when shooting bokeh portraits. The 32-megapixel selfie camera captures pleasing selfies and also supports Night mode. The secondary 8-megapixel wide-angle camera lets you get a lot more people in one frame. 

Battery life is very good. The 4100mAh battery easily lasts for a day and half. There's fast charging too, which charges the battery fully in about two hours. 

The OnePlus 6 brings a new glass back with your choice of three different finishes, the Snapdragon 845 processor, and a bigger screen with a notch. It takes on today's biggest flagships, some of which cost over twice as much. Performance is great, and the display will keep most people happy. The phone looks and feels good too, and you can definitely show it off. The cameras are slightly underwhelming, and some people will miss the creative options that other manufacturers offer. Battery life was good enough to get us through a full day with some power left over. You don't get all the bells and whistles of a top-end phone, but the OnePlus 6 has more than enough to keep most people happy.

After concentrating only on the high end for a year, Google has decided to launch a new mid-range Nexus phone which will appeal to those looking to upgrade from a Nexus 4 or Nexus 5. The new Nexus 5X, made by LG, brings pure Android 6.0 and the native Nexus Imprint fingerprint sensor. It also has a really good camera, a fast six-core processor, and reasonably good battery life. Long-time Nexus fans will have to do without wireless charging though. Despite a few quirks, the Nexus 5X is a solid phone with a lot of appeal.

The HTC Desire 820s doesn't differ much from the Desire 820, except for the new Mediatek MT6752 SoC under the hood. This makes a massive difference in performance, with the Desire 820s offering excellent performance. It retains the things we loved about the Desire 820, including the decent camera set, the great looks and the dual front-facing speakers. The Desire 820s is HTC's answer to all of the invite-only and flash-sale smartphones that populate the mid-range. It's a smartphone that's easy to buy, easy to like and satisfying to use.

Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro is a phablet with a huge 6-inch screen with QHD resolution and quite possibly one with the most compact form-factor. Also, Lenovo doesn't make any compromises with its innards since this is the company’s flagship device at the moment. The phablet is running the latest software with Vibe UI 2.0 skin on top of it and it has a nice trick up its sleeve in the form of allowing users to switch to stock Android if they prefer it.Though we like the device overall, Lenovo could have taken care o the heating issues we faced during testing.

The LG G7+ ThinQ is the company's flagship offering for 2018. It features a 6.1-inch, QHD+ display with excellent brightness and colour saturation. It even supports HDR 10 standard. It's IP68 certified for dust and water resistance and is shockproof thanks to the MIL-STD 810G specification. It's powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC and comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. App and game performance is very good but the entire back of the phone gets very warm when stressed. The primary 16-megapixel camera doesn't capture the sharpest stills but its f/1.6 aperture helps it in low-light. The secondary 16-megapixel wide-angle sensor is great for landscape shots and has very good stabilisation for video. The 3000mAh battery offers decent battery life but it's tough to get an entire day's worth of usage on a single charge.