Buyers in India often look at the mid-range to spice up their smartphone experience. Despite the memory crisis, there is still a very interesting mix of good design, practical features and devices that are big on battery life. But with the ongoing crisis, which is forcing smartphone manufacturers to increase tags of both existing and upcoming models, the mid-range is no longer what it used to be. Older releases will get you some snazzy designs, but camera performance has taken a hit, while battery life gets the highest priority. The mid-range used to deliver a near-premium experience, but most smartphones available today will perform more like high-end budget devices. That said, we still have an interesting lineup of smartphones if you are looking to buy a device under Rs. 30,000.
| Phones under Rs. 30,000 | Gadgets 360 rating | Price in India (Rs.) | Base storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorola Edge 70 | 8/10 | 29,999 | 8+256GB |
| Realme P4 Power | 8/10 | 26,499 | 8+128GB |
| Realme P4 Pro | 8/10 | 27,999 | 8+128GB |
| iQOO Neo 10R | 8/10 | 26,999 | 8+128GB |
| Infinix GT 30 Pro | 8/10 | 27,999 | 8+256GB |
| Motorola Edge 60 Pro | 8/10 | 29,999 | 8+256GB |
Motorola Edge 70
The Motorola Edge 70 sure made a statement at launch. It still is the slimmest production smartphone this side of the Apple iPhone Air, available at a fraction of its price. While Motorola did compromise in certain areas to deliver such a product at such a price tag, the brand still managed a solid overall device, making it one of the few, true mid-range devices to be available on sale this year.
At 169 grams, the phone is incredibly light. Its slim design is both IP68 and IP69-rated for dust and water. It also has a MIL-STD 810H certification. Indeed, these durability ratings are a contrast to its rather delicate and skinny appearance. The Edge 70 also has a bright pOLED panel that is sufficient for outdoor usage. There's a Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset at the helm that powers a smooth software experience, and it is also good enough for mid-level gaming sessions. For a slim phone, the cameras do deliver for the most part; the primary camera manages good daylight and low-light performance. It can also capture decent “optical quality” 2X zoom photos. Battery life is surprisingly good for such a thin device, delivering a full day of use.
Realme P4 Power
The newest addition to Realme's P-series, the P4 Power, does stand out and offers plenty of value. We cannot mention the Realme P4 Power without mentioning its massive silicon-carbon battery with a higher-than-usual capacity of 10,001mAh. While the battery's capacity definitely resembles a power bank (it also functions like one), the phone does not appear anything like it. It is slim, but a bit heavy at 219 grams. It's also IP68 and IP69-rated for dust and water resistance.
Battery aside, the phone still has enough going for it. It has a bright AMOLED panel, which is great for watching movies and playing games. The phone's Android 16 software experience is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7400 Ultra chipset, which isn't the fastest chipset in this segment, but good enough for everyday multitasking. Apart from the single, bottom-firing speaker, the cameras are average, and the quality of the images is not what one expects from a mid-range device. Lastly, the high-capacity battery ensures up to two (or more) days of casual use and one and a half days of heavy use.
Realme P4 Pro
The Realme P4 Pro is quite the contrast to the P4 Power, even though both devices belong to the same series from the same brand. The device is quite slim at 7.68mm and sure looks and feels premium, but it comes at the cost of a downgraded IP66 rating. The phone has a 4D-curved AMOLED panel, which gets plenty bright and like the P4 Power, also supports HDR10 content in OTT apps.
The phone offers the same processor as the P4 Power. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 is more than sufficient for daily multitasking. But the P4 Pro has another trick up its sleeve. It also comes with a Hyper Vision AI co-processor, which helps the phone with gaming, powering features like Super-resolution, enhanced frame-rates and forced HDR. The Realme P4 Pro automatically becomes a better option over the P4 Power, if you prefer design and performance over battery life. Camera performance is better than the P4 Power as well.
iQOO Neo 10R
The iQOO Neo 10R clearly isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it does stand out from the crowd for various reasons. The phone has a very basic design that appeals to the youth with its odd textures and dual-tone finish. In terms of durability, the Neo 10R gets a basic IP65 rating in comparison to the other devices in this guide. Its cameras are also quite average, managing soft photos in low-light settings.
Indeed, the above-mentioned compromises are in place to accommodate an unusual chip. The phone has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, which is great for playing games at high settings. The hardware design also accommodates a large vapour cooling chamber for sustained performance. Buyers will get a bright 1.5K AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, which also favours the device's gaming experience. Lastly, there's a 6,400mAh battery that not only lasts long but charges up quickly with the bundled 80W charger.
Infinix GT 30 Pro
Another gamer-friendly smartphone on our list is the Infinix GT 30 Pro. Unlike the iQOO, this phone screams gaming with its design and also has two extra capacitive buttons to enhance your gaming experience. It all starts with the cyber-themed gamer-centric design, which will appeal to the youth. The two capacitive ‘GT Triggers' do improve the gaming experience. While the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Ultimate processor won't be able to handle all games at the highest settings, it can deliver a mid-level experience that is smooth and stable.
Keeping its price in mind, the build quality is top-notch but does not ooze premiumness like some other devices at this price point. It has stereo speakers, which are loud but lack bass. It does not have the biggest battery in the segment, but good optimisation lets it easily last a whole day of use. What you also get is wireless charging capabilities with supported accessories, which can be mounted using the special magnetic case.
Motorola Edge 60 Pro
Although a bit old, you can grab a Motorola Edge 60 Pro for as low as Rs. 29,999. The device comes in a variety of finishes (wood, fabric and faux leather) and sure looks like a premium device. These finishes are durable as the phone is IP68 and IP69-rated and is even MIL-STD-810H certified. The Edge 60 Pro also has a 1.5K curved edge panel, which may be a bit old school, but gets the job done nicely. Accompanying that display are Dolby Atmos-certified speakers, which sound immersive.
Performance is taken care of by a Mediatek Dimensity 8350 Extreme SoC. The chipset can easily handle daily multitasking and app requirements, but is also good for smooth and lag-free gaming. The cameras are indeed the stars of the show. The phone has three rear-facing cameras and a 10-megapixel 3x telephoto camera, which does a fine job of providing that extra reach in all types of lighting conditions. Battery life with 6,000mAh capacity easily lasts a whole day and a bit more with heavy use.