Hey everyone,
My last phone was pretty old and it recently got damaged by the rain, so I’m finally looking for a new one. I was actually planning to buy a Pixel phone because I love the clean software and camera, but after reading about heating, battery, and modem issues, I’m not so sure now.
My usecase is multimedia , work-calls , no gaming
Here’s what I’m looking for:
Budget: ₹25,000 or less
Compact size (preferably under 6.7″) with good ppi 400>
Flat display (no curved edges)
OIS for the main camera less shake during video captures also
10r 8-128 is currently 23k on flipkart , im avoiding poco aswell its old and 10r seems like a better choice. open to more, used ones in semi warranty will do aswell
I can’t say about Pixel heating and battery issues objectively but I am pretty happy with it in colder Bangalore. Although the only reason I bought Pixel 7 is to run GrapheneOS so if that is not a priority then you can find better and cheaper alternatives. I was gonna say Moto for their stock android but I am guessing you had problems with their after sales support. Nothing seems decent as well but their company direction gives me the ick, they are trying too hard to be budget Apple while copying the shitty traits too. I would also avoid majority of the budget Chinese brand mobiles for their bloated OS. I would rather have better software than better hardware that I hardly ever use as my usage is mostly music, manga and doom scrolling.
I’m using iQoo Neo 9 Pro since last 1.5 years and would recommend this sub brand to anyone who is looking for a powerful phone in budget.
Except for a small drawback that only one camera in this is very good ( and others are all ordinary), it has been quite a good gamble. I get great network reception, the phone lasts for long enough and it can handle heavy applications.
For good battery life, OP Nord CE5. Other specs are good as well, not bad. For no gaming, D8350 is a good choice, almost close to 8 Gen 2 performance, so will be fine for years.
Will avoid Xiaomi for UI & poor battery optimisation but vivo also has a relatively poor UI for 2025. Poco & iQoo neo have good SoC though, so good for gamers, but IMO should be avoided for others.
Realme P3 Ultra is very similar with a bit smaller battery but at a cheaper cost & is lighter.
6.7" ain’t compact by any standards though.
Note: GSMArena reviewed the 5200mah battery variant, so with 7000mah the battery life will be very good. Expect P3 Ultra to be on similar lines.
Man, I really wish more budget-friendly compact phones were being released. Right now, my options feel pretty limited. I’ve already ruled out the following:
Pixel 8: Tempting because of its camera performance, but there are just too many compromises—I don’t want to take the risk.
Realme P3 Ultra: The UI experience along with camera isn’t great, which is a dealbreaker for me.
iQOO Neo 10R: Solid for gaming, but the camera performance doesn’t meet my expectations.
Here’s what I’m currently considering, in order of preference. None of them fully meet all my requirements, but they come close:
OnePlus Nord 4 (Used, 6 months old with official warranty remaining)
A well-balanced device with decent camera performance.
IP65 rating is a plus, though not top-tier.
OnePlus Nord CE 5
Slightly weaker than the Nord 4 in some areas, but makes up for it with better battery life.
Also, it’s a year newer.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo
Pros: Compact size, IP rating, high pixel density.
Cons: Weaker processor compared to the others, mediocre UI, and I’ve had bad experiences with screen issues like green lines in the past.
Honestly, I’d have gone for this if it came with the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3.
Also, I don’t need a huge battery so that’s not a priority for me.
Alternative plan:
Wait for the BBD and GIF sales. I’m hoping for new launches or price drops on these models:
Realme has Color OS, same as Oppo or Oneplus. It is good but I will still rate it below Samsung & Nothing (I don’t recommend these because of hardware, Color OS is good enough to ignore UI advantages of these IMO). I expect its camera to be similar to Nord CE5, good enough, Edge 50 neo & Edge 60 fusion will have better cameras.
Edge 50 Neo for 18k or so still makes sense IMO, good for under 20k with great cameras for that price. Sure, battery life will be just above average in today’s terms. NP 3a Pro has a similar performance SoC FYI.
For most Nord CE5 is an easy recommendation. Minor cons are there for sure, but manageable.
S24FE under 30k will be good for sure, average battery life will be its only con IMO. E2400 is efficient enough unlike previous Exynos or any Tensor.
what do you think about camera performance in ce5 and p3 ultra , p3 ultra having a larger sensor ofc other stuff matters but it should be producing decent images specially than iqoo neo 10r and nothings
