30-40k Looking to get a phone during BBD/GIF sale

[OneTapHero]

• Budget: Under ₹40k, preferably, with openness to buying new or used (from Techenclave) if it's priced lower than during BBD/GIF sales and includes everything bundled
• Brand: Leaning towards Samsung S23 or OnePlus (12 or 12R, if near ₹40k) due to preference for rooting and custom ROMs
• Usage: Primarily for media consumption and productivity, with occasional platformer games and COD Mobile
• Battery: Needs to last 10 hours outside with at least 5.5 hours screen-on time
• Longevity: Aiming to use for 3+ years
• Connectivity: 5G support for Airtel, single SIM is sufficient
• Storage: At least 128GB ROM, and while a memory card slot is preferred, it's not essential
• Display: AMOLED, 120Hz.
• Miscellaneous: Infrared sensor and 3.5mm jack would be a plus, but not deal breakers
  
  Samsung has Knox which voids warranty and renders Samsung Pay/Wallet useless. Should I use the phone for one year and root after warranty ends or get something like the Oneplus 12? Is there any other disadvantage I might get from rooting a Samsung (other than banking apps)
  
  PS: Will there be a better sale than BBD/GIF during Diwali time or are they the same?

 

[OMEGA44-XT]

Upcoming sale is the best time to buy

I used to root phones a decade ago, but not worth the effort to me now.

S23 256GB is an easy pick IMO. It won't last 5+ hrs SOT on mobile data for sure, but its battery life is good for the size. I negotiated this down to 46k in Poorvika a few months back but later decided to stick with my S20FE 5G & instead upgrade PC's GPU instead

I doubt OP12 will be close to 40k.

 

[OneTapHero]

I used to root phones a decade ago, but not worth the effort to me now.

I could live without root, but a Whatsapp Enhancer module I use needs LSPosed to work. If it wasn't for this, the S23 would have been my go-to. I could carry around a powerbank to compensate the battery issue, but Knox is pain.
I might have to either go with OP12r or lose the WA module

 

[fakemishra]

S23 is a steal! I have been using it since last 9 months and it is the best device I have invested in. Especially the small screen

 

[OneTapHero]

@OMEGA44-XT @fakemishra Thanks for the advice and inputs! Bought the S23 256GB variant

 

[OMEGA44-XT]

@OMEGA44-XT @fakemishra Thanks for the advice and inputs! Bought the S23 256GB variant

Congrats

Even I wanted S23. But I opted to buy a new GPU instead of new phone (upgraded to 7900GRE 2 months back). So will risk it in the future with poor choices in compact phones.