Budget 20-25K A phone for myself

Synth-Pop

Synth-Pop

Adept
1. Budget?
A: INR 16k-25k, can extend upto 30k is something is worth it.

2. Preferred display size, type and resolution?
A: 6"-6.5" , AMOLED, FHD and above

3. Preferred operating system? (Android (with version), iOS, Windows Phone etc).
A: Android

4. Preferred connectivity options? (4G, 3G, 2G etc).
A: 4G, I don't care if it's 5G or not.

5. Do you have any brand preference or dislike? Please name them.
A: Do I 've a option. ?
Since last decade I've only used Sony Xperia, Samsung, Motorola and a couple of Asus including 5z and 6z.
I am used to minimum bloat but now it seems I need to digest some. Also don't like that bixby my Samsung but I can live with it.

6. What is your intended use for this phone (internet, camera, multimedia, mails etc.)?
A: Calling, video calling, more calling, extended 4-6 hours continuous group video calling . Some usual browsing and checking mails and social media.
Not interested in watching videos on youtube, NF etc. but may be listening to some music if 3.5mm jack is available.
I don't play games on mobile but still want fast performance for camera , opening and closing apps etc.
I don't care much about camera quality but it should be snappy with fast focus and click (don't want to wait for focus to avoid blurry pics).

7. Single SIM/ Dual SIM?
A: No preference,

8. New or Used? Online or Offline?
A: New. Don’t mind buying online

9. Any other requirements?
A: Priority wise -
1. I want best battery backup and display.
2. Minimum bloatware,
2. Headphones jack 3.5mm if possible.
3. Microsd card slot if possible. (required only if 3.5mm jack is available)

10. If you have already considered a phone, then please mention the model
A: Realme GT Neo 2 ? it was recently sold for 23k.
Samsung A52s ? isn't the best value for money in my opinion
poco x3 pro ? but no amoled here.
mi 11 i
iqoo 7 / 9 se ?

I never ever used any of these Chinese brand, so no experience about brands like - realme, xiaomi, oppo, vivo, redmi, mi, oneplus, poco, iqoo.
Right now I am using Asus 5z and 6z. I am satisfied with these phones interface but 5z is 3 yr old and battery is giving just fair only performance.
Can't decide anything new, so suggestions welcomed.
 
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If best battery backup, no bloatware, fast performance is your priority then stock Android is the way to go. For that Moto Edge 20 seems a good option or Moto Edge 20 Fusion.

If you are going for any of the above Chinese vendors (Poco, Realme, Xiaomi etc), then I would advise you to get Pro series from any of their lineup as they get relatively* better support. The non Pro series has the worst OS experience(My launcher has stuck to A10 on my ex-Poco X3. No real useful update to launcher).
If camera is among the higher priority then I would suggest Samsung series or Realme GT Neo. May be @solo_wing can add his thoughts.

I recently sold my Poco X3 for Moto Edge 20 Fusion due to MemeUI, crappy updates, pathetic launcher and I am very happy with it. Made my peace with these low Chinese brands and never going to get one, unless Pro series. They offer good hardware but software experience will let you down.

If camera is not that much of priority, do have a look at those Moto devices mentioned above. It ticks almost all the features you mentioned ( amoled screen, 3.5 jack, Sd card support, no-bloatware). Battery is 5000Mah, so should easily last you a day even with heavy use and 90hertz refresh rate.

I am assuming you won't be going for custom roms. If so, get any of the Xiaomi or her siblings and flash custom rom and say goodbye to those UI. Do ensure you get a phone with a Qualcomm SoC as they have best support for custom roms.


* Still questionable if you ask me.
 
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Thanks for the detailed insight. One of these moto is only 4000mah battery without card slot and 3.5mm jack but it's SD778 and OIS also available here.
other one fusion looks good but it's mediatek 800 u which is like just 75% performance of SD778.
1st preference is always SD. 778 or above like SD870

Kaleen Bhaiya said:
If you are going for any of the above Chinese vendors (Poco, Realme, Xiaomi etc), then I would advise you to get Pro series from any of their lineup as they get relatively* better support. The non Pro series has the worst OS experience(My launcher has stuck to A10 on my ex-Poco X3. No real useful update to launcher).
If camera is among the higher priority then I would suggest Samsung series or Realme GT Neo. May be @solo_wing can add his thoughts.
Click to expand...

Samsung is good in every aspect but hardware isn't powerful when compared with competitors, it's more software os and brand value.
Never tried Chinese but thanks for the tip I'll avoid non pro version.
Surely I'll not be flashing with custom roms till warranty expires. Swapping to custom rom voids the warranty, isn't it ? and can it be later restored to original rom for warranty claims ?
I know Xiaomi is best choice for custom roms but won't be talking chances with a new unit.

with the buggy OS by Iqoo its better to consider something else, only thing comes to my mind is this Real me GT Neo 2 (whatever it is but sounds amazing value for money at 23k)
Also looked for poco x3 pro , can manage with IPs screen but it's never available and no clue how it performs.
 
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Bootloader unlocking on Xiaomi/Redmi/Poco does not void warranty. If you don't mind running a custom rom (sans root), you can pick a Mi 11x/Poco X3 Pro/Redmi Note 10-11 Pro. Solid hardware with stable ROM support can go a long way.

However, that being said you can never go wrong a Motorola phone in your budget. Don't read too much into the specs as most phones these days can do a damn good job of being daily drivers.
 
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For your requirements, I'd suggest buying a Mi 11X and debloating it yourself, it's very easy. You get a great hardware for the price (120Hz AMOLED screen, Snapdragon 870 etc.)

debloat - Xiaomi

r/Xiaomi: Unofficial Community for All Things Xiaomi!
reddit.com reddit.com
 
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Synth-Pop said:
Also looked for poco x3 pro , can manage with IPs screen but it's never available and no clue how it performs.
Click to expand...
If you are fine with a heavy phone(quite literally), then this is a performance beast. It's meant purely for gaming as it has that SD Soc some 8 series. But if you have average palms, the weight really starts to bother you. It weighs around 220gms, with case it will easily cross 240-250gms. And if you are thinking of heavy non-game use, then still it will be painful. This was the main reason why I sold my Poco X3, I could barely hold it for more than 2 mins. The camera can be considered fair, but don't expect out of the world experience. Do read how Poco updates bricked camera on Poco X2 and how Airtel thanks app issue led to bootloop issue with first update on Poco X3. And yeah, TrueCaller, for some reason, doesn't have call recording on X3, so do check if the pro supports it.
To cut long story short, I would rather go for a Redmi based phone rather than Poco phone if interested in this brand since the latter are merely rebranded redmi devices.
Yes, SD is always better, but MTK's recent chips are quite good. Not promoting, coz I too am a devout SD fan. But using MTK on stock android does feel smooth as butter. If you check reviews of fusion, you see it barely throttles under load test compared to Redmi note 10 Pro's SD 732G (G-Gaming). But this is a personal preference.
Do note that no matter what powerful hardware you put, if the software is not optimised, the experience is going to be terrible.
Synth-Pop said:
Swapping to custom rom voids the warranty, isn't it ? and can it be later restored to original rom for warranty claims ?
Click to expand...
No, and Yes. But do note, you lose stock camera software after custom rom and Gcam is a hot or miss. My friends who flashed custom rom on X3, came back to Miui for the camera.
Synth-Pop said:
Also looked for poco x3 pro , can manage with IPs screen but it's never available and no clue how it performs.
Click to expand...
They seem to be getting ready with X4 series, so discontinuing the previous model.
If you are considering Realme, do check if the OS is not similar to iqoo. Since they all come from the same motherbrand BBK, there were news of how 1+ Oxygen os was ditched to get colorOS. though they reverted this policy, the same can't be said about BBK's other siblings. Else you could endup having similar OS as iqoo.
 
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amyntos said:
For your requirements, I'd suggest buying a Mi 11X and debloating it yourself, it's very easy. You get a great hardware for the price (120Hz AMOLED screen, Snapdragon 870 etc.)

debloat - Xiaomi

r/Xiaomi: Unofficial Community for All Things Xiaomi!
reddit.com reddit.com
Click to expand...
Yes, I checked this Mi 11x but not interested in de bloating or using custom ROMs. Many youtubers or reviewers also criticized it for bugs with the OS.
Specs wise this is also a good option though.

Kaleen Bhaiya said:
If you are fine with a heavy phone(quite literally), then this is a performance beast. It's meant purely for gaming as it has that SD Soc some 8 series. But if you have average palms, the weight really starts to bother you. It weighs around 220gms, with case it will easily cross 240-250gms. And if you are thinking of heavy non-game use, then still it will be painful. This was the main reason why I sold my Poco X3, I could barely hold it for more than 2 mins. The camera can be considered fair, but don't expect out of the world experience. Do read how Poco updates bricked camera on Poco X2 and how Airtel thanks app issue led to bootloop issue with first update on Poco X3. And yeah, TrueCaller, for some reason, doesn't have call recording on X3, so do check if the pro supports it.
To cut long story short, I would rather go for a Redmi based phone rather than Poco phone if interested in this brand since the latter are merely rebranded redmi devices.
Yes, SD is always better, but MTK's recent chips are quite good. Not promoting, coz I too am a devout SD fan. But using MTK on stock android does feel smooth as butter. If you check reviews of fusion, you see it barely throttles under load test compared to Redmi note 10 Pro's SD 732G (G-Gaming). But this is a personal preference.
Do note that no matter what powerful hardware you put, if the software is not optimised, the experience is going to be terrible.
Click to expand...
I just noticed it's quite heavy at 220gms. I think I should skip this one. Now only thing I m inclining towards in Realme GT neo 2.
After checking some reviews and specs of this Moto 20 fusion I am somewhat convinced. It really offers every thing except Snapdragon :) .
but as you've said MTK will perform well on stock android there's no doubt about it. I will wait for 10-15 days or may be more, though I need a phone now but not really in a rush.
Do notify me about some new or upcoming models.
 
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For your requirements Samsung A52s is the best choice,It's the best overall phone within 30k budget. But if looking into other brands as well then Look for Iqoo 7 ,It sells on Amazon with offers around 26k-27k. IQOO 7 is a beast within that budget range with Snapdragon 870,Good Cameras,Good overall Performance & Build Quality. IQOO 7 doesn't have 3.5 MM jack i believe but You get Adapter in the Retail Box.
 
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luca2008 said:
For your requirements Samsung A52s is the best choice,It's the best overall phone within 30k budget. But if looking into other brands as well then Look for Iqoo 7 ,It sells on Amazon with offers around 26k-27k. IQOO 7 is a beast within that budget range with Snapdragon 870,Good Cameras,Good overall Performance & Build Quality. IQOO 7 doesn't have 3.5 MM jack i believe but You get Adapter in the Retail Box.
Click to expand...
Yes this A52s is really a good choice in every expect but I feel it's a bit pricy for the hardware specs they 're providing.
Iqoo7 has got very positive stars at Amazon India but actually its software has some bugs and some guys are even disappointed with display quality.
 
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Kaleen Bhaiya said:
@Synth-Pop Samsung has released A53 5G. Might be worth considering. Available for pre-booking at 33k. Real prices should be lower than that when stock is available.
Click to expand...
It doesn't 've 3.5mm jack but still it looks OK, any clue about processor Samsung is using on this A53 5G.
I think I should buy moto 20 edge fusion, please share your experience as you're already using the same moto fusion.
 
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Samsung has Exynos SoC 1280.
news.samsung.com

Samsung Launches Galaxy A53 5G with 64MP OIS Camera and 5nm Processor; Announces Exciting Pre-book Offers

Samsung, India’s most trusted smartphone brand, today launched Galaxy A53 5G and announced pre-booking offers. Galaxy A53 5G comes with awesome camera,
news.samsung.com news.samsung.com

For Moto, if you can manage with a subpar camera and if you have wifi 5ghz, then I see no complaints about it. It's good for casual use. Wifi 2.4 ghz has poor speeds (seems like a wifi chip issue)and poor BT range.
It's even good for gaming, but I don't play. You could easily last a day even if you push it hard.
Camera post processing has improved after update from Moto, but I still think Gcam would be a better option. If you confused about camera, I would suggest watching a video by JT Jones on Gcam on Edge 20 f. It will give you much clarity.
It's almost stock, has some decent features like overprotection charge which is similar to what 1+ provides.
It also has extended Ram upto 1.5 gb, but I don't use it(don't need it, also it stresses your ram chip, like in SSD).

Has good quality sound output with 5-6 presets. I am more into bass music so it suits my needs. Didn't miss my Poco X3 as Xiaomi devices have good wired sound output.

Overall, pretty good phone covering all the basics and not going feature hungry. If you want to know anything more, let me know.
 
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Kaleen Bhaiya said:
Camera post processing has improved after update from Moto, but I still think Gcam would be a better option. If you confused about camera, I would suggest watching a video by JT Jones on Gcam on Edge 20 f. It will give you much clarity.
Click to expand...
Camera and all other issues are not a problem but this wifi and bluetooth issue was also told in one of a YT review may be by geekyranjit.
I got good 5 Ghz connection but still I want excellent 2.4ghz. so now striking off this moto.

Samsung is ok ok but still asks a premium amount for the basic hardware.
 
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Xiaomi 11 Lite NE 5G (has max amount of 5g band ), 11x has only 2 5g bands or wait for xiaomi 12x with SD 870 or if thy launch 12 lite than SD 778 + debloat ,or go the cheaper route of upcoming one plus phone CE lite with SD 695 ,and there is a moto G71 (only one android update and i guess is comes out of the box with android 11) but than look whether it ticks all of your boxes.

Th sole reason mi phones gets those crazy sales is just they allow bootloader unlock
 
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G71 lacks sound jack, memory card, compass.
E20F has average wifi range, both on 2.4 and 5ghz. Theyh definitely cheaped out on the wifi driver or the chip. But performance wise, I am loving it. After March security patch, it has gotten even more smooth. I though I was the only one experiencing smoothness, but members in TG group concurred the same.
They might be slow with updates, but idc. For me a stable OS is more important than a buggy and f'ked update.
Nothing seems promising. Will be interesting to see what they come up with.
 
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Synth-Pop said:
@burntwingzZz I am now somewhat convinced to buy any Mi phone and debloat it. Any clue about release date for this xiaomi 12x or lite with SD778+ .
Also suggested by @Kaleen Bhaiya Moto edge 20 fusion is a good option may be better than Moto G71. I am also waiting for this Nothing(!) phone.
Click to expand...
well its 12th march but not sure whether they will launch the whole suite of 12 series phone , 12x globally is SD870 and there are rumors that they ar preping their chinia exclusive civi as 12 lite with a SD778 based phone .I am also eagerly waiting for that or maybe POCO f4 or f3 / redmi k 40s SD 870 based phone .if ihad to buy a phone today than it would be Xiaomi 11 Lite NE 5G
 
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