25-30k What Phone around 30k

[farrukjavid]

Hi guys, im looking for a phone under 30k for my father who is upgrading from realme 3 pro. Current considerations are s21fe, iqoo neo 7 pro, oneplus 11r, moto edge 50 pro,pixel 6a. Good to have : water resistance, telephoto lens. Need something long lasting as he doesn't change phones frequently.Compact under 6.5 would be prefe

 

[Heisen]

Need something long lasting as he doesn't change phones frequently.Compact under 6.5 would be prefe

iPhone SE 3rd gen 64GB, at apple site it's 50k but if you go to croma, you might be able to get it for cheaper, don't buy online unless it's official apple.com

Fuss free ownership experience, aftermarket is full of replacement parts too. The design might be old but very solid, proven with many generations of iPhones.

 

[OMEGA44-XT]

And only s21 fe and s22 are available in my budget in india

If not for the crap service, would've gone with the 7a

Amazon reviews mention heating and battery issues but still the most vfm option and top of my list now

I don't want a big phone, that's the problem . Currently my choices are s22, s21fe, moto edge 40, edge 40 neo, edge 50. So samsung or moto guys?

Wait till Diwali & grab S23 for ~40k. But I have seen most older folks using phone with 2 hands, so size shouldn't be a big deal, weight is. IMO grab Edge 50 pro is you want something soon (it is OOS now). S22 has poor battery life due to small battery + inefficient chip.

I personally had to settle for S20FE 5G about 2.5 years back. Coming from S8, the size is still a con for my phone. Even for me, the only good option is S23 as S24 uses Exynos (but surely it is better than other Samsung fab SoCs). I'm not sure if I should make the switch this year or hope for S25 to be non-Exynos.

 

[altair21]

Wait till Diwali & grab S23 for ~40k. But I have seen most older folks using phone with 2 hands, so size shouldn't be a big deal, weight is. IMO grab Edge 50 pro is you want something soon (it is OOS now). S22 has poor battery life due to small battery + inefficient chip.

I personally had to settle for S20FE 5G about 2.5 years back. Coming from S8, the size is still a con for my phone. Even for me, the only good option is S23 as S24 uses Exynos (but surely it is better than other Samsung fab SoCs). I'm not sure if I should make the switch this year or hope for S25 to be non-Exynos.

S23 series is out of stock on Samsung/Flipkart aside from Ultra, really hope they do have some offers on it during Diwali Sale, I need to change my father's phone asap

EDIT: btw, why are you not grabbing Xiaomi 14? I am assuming you the base S series because of the smaller size factor

I don't want a big phone, that's the problem . Currently my choices are s22, s21fe, moto edge 40, edge 40 neo, edge 50. So samsung or moto guys?

edge40/neo and edge 50 pro have a 6.55'' screen, they are right there with the big phones, but if you are fine with them, then wait for diwali sale and grab nothing phone 2

 

[OMEGA44-XT]

S23 series is out of stock on Samsung/Flipkart aside from Ultra, really hope they do have some offers on it during Diwali Sale, I need to change my father's phone asap

EDIT: btw, why are you not grabbing Xiaomi 14? I am assuming you the base S series because of the smaller size factor

edge40/neo and edge 50 pro have a 6.55'' screen, they are right there with the big phones, but if you are fine with them, then wait for diwali sale and grab nothing phone 2

Main reason to not consider Xiaomi 14 (except price) is the UI. Among the top manufacturers, it has the worst one (great for most but not for someone used to Samsung) in terms of optimisation & update speed (I will rate BBK OS as better). Faster charging is definitely a big plus point in favour of Xiaomi 14 compared to Samsung.

For UI, my preference is in this order:
Samsung > Nothing > BBK > Stock android of Pixel & Moto > Xiaomi > others

Hyper OS doesn't seem much better than MIUI but time will tell.

 

[Emperor]

And only s21 fe and s22 are available in my budget in india

If not for the crap service, would've gone with the 7a

Amazon reviews mention heating and battery issues but still the most vfm option and top of my list now

I don't want a big phone, that's the problem . Currently my choices are s22, s21fe, moto edge 40, edge 40 neo, edge 50. So samsung or moto guys?

if non-gamer / not interested in testing/using lot's of apps etc., SAMSUNG is best (good service + long updates) as with every Android Updates your father can feel something new and may be good and better, something new is good if person intended to use single cellphone for long term and Samsung UI is really good.

Moto may be good but STOCK android is (boring for common/non-tech users) good for Gamer or tech freak as he/she can do lot of tweak with Android/Apps.

One Redmi Note Pro 5 user, likes Samsung UI, but at same time miss some dialer features of Redmi Note Pro 5 while compare with Samsung UI

 

[altair21]

Main reason to not consider Xiaomi 14 (except price) is the UI. Among the top manufacturers, it has the worst one (great for most but not for someone used to Samsung) in terms of optimisation & update speed (I will rate BBK OS as better). Faster charging is definitely a big plus point in favour of Xiaomi 14 compared to Samsung.

For UI, my preference is in this order:
Samsung > Nothing > BBK > Stock android of Pixel & Moto > Xiaomi > others

Hyper OS doesn't seem much better than MIUI but time will tell.

yeah, I'm kinda facing the same issue, my father is adamant about not using stock android, he's used to MIUI but I dont want to spend flagship money just to get him a Xiaomi and I dont like OnePlus/BBK, so only Samsung is left if I want a decent camera.

 

[PunkX 75]

yeah, I'm kinda facing the same issue, my father is adamant about not using stock android, he's used to MIUI but I dont want to spend flagship money just to get him a Xiaomi and I dont like OnePlus/BBK, so only Samsung is left if I want a decent camera.

Get the Edge 50 Pro, bloatware is minimal and should run well enough for your father. I don't know how much of an impact UFS 2.2 would make, but it seems like it's optimized. Also, the slow updates have to be dealt with. Don't know how good the camera is, though.

I personally have the Edge 30 Ultra, and it's been rock solid in every department (barring update frequency).

 

[altair21]

Get the Edge 50 Pro, bloatware is minimal and should run well enough for your father. I don't know how much of an impact UFS 2.2 would make, but it seems like it's optimized. Also, the slow updates have to be dealt with. Don't know how good the camera is, though.

I personally have the Edge 30 Ultra, and it's been rock solid in every department (barring update frequency).

yeah only issue is curved display and stock android, if it were my choice I would have gotten him a Pixel 7a and called it a day but he won't use stock android.

I have an edge 30 fusion and the only con for me is this curved display bullshit and the lack of accessories for motorola :/

 

[OMEGA44-XT]

yeah, I'm kinda facing the same issue, my father is adamant about not using stock android, he's used to MIUI but I dont want to spend flagship money just to get him a Xiaomi and I dont like OnePlus/BBK, so only Samsung is left if I want a decent camera.

Get Poco X6 & be done with it. He will get used to the slightly bigger size. Compare dimensions, width is similar but phone is taller which is not as big of a concern as width of a phone is. Weight is not 200g+ to be concern.

S23 is a much smaller phone vs Realme 3 pro. So check dimensions, not screen size.

 

[altair21]

Get Poco X6 & be done with it. He will get used to the slightly bigger size. Compare dimensions, width is similar but phone is taller which is not as big of a concern as width of a phone is. Weight is not 200g+ to be concern.

S23 is a much smaller phone vs Realme 3 pro. So check dimensions, not screen size.

yeah I'm comparing phone dimensions, he's used to holding a big phone, I did look into X6 and X6 Pro but the camera is not good :/. He's an avid photographer so I was hoping to atleast get a camera that's on par with flagships. And yea i know my choices are severely restricted that's why it's either Samsung S23+ or S24+ for him

 

[farrukjavid]

ok guys, if im compromising on the screen size, what are my top 3 contendors? I want it to be hassle free as possible. Should i consider moto phones given their bad service and updates? Pixel 7a seems excellent on paper. Samsung m55, iqoo neo 7 pro, realme 12 plus, redmi note 13, realme gt neo 3,op 11r,ce4,poco x6 pro sooo many options. I want good camera, no heating,hassle free, powerful enough to run 4 years maximum. S21fe seems to get hot a lot and drain battery. Our city being one of the hottest in south will make it uncomfortable during calls. Any S21fe 888 owners confirm?

 

[OMEGA44-XT]

yeah I'm comparing phone dimensions, he's used to holding a big phone, I did look into X6 and X6 Pro but the camera is not good :/. He's an avid photographer so I was hoping to atleast get a camera that's on par with flagships. And yea i know my choices are severely restricted that's why it's either Samsung S23+ or S24+ for him

I doubt anything under 30k will even match my S20FE in cameras. My friend's OP11R's primary rear cam quality matches my S20FE, but other 2 rear cams are inferior but selfie cam is superior than S20FE. Honestly, your budget is too low to get everything in one phone. Even with unlimited budget you won't get everything in one phone (like S24 ultra is too big & heavy, S24 has exynos & slow charging, etc).

I think S23+ is OOS everywhere, S23 is at least in stock.

ok guys, if im compromising on the screen size, what are my top 3 contendors? I want it to be hassle free as possible. Should i consider moto phones given their bad service and updates? Pixel 7a seems excellent on paper. Samsung m55, iqoo neo 7 pro, realme 12 plus, redmi note 13, realme gt neo 3,op 11r,ce4,poco x6 pro sooo many options. I want good camera, no heating,hassle free, powerful enough to run 4 years maximum. S21fe seems to get hot a lot and drain battery. Our city being one of the hottest in south will make it uncomfortable during calls. Any S21fe 888 owners confirm?

Neo 7 pro & OP 11R are performance powerhouses with good enough cameras under 35k.

OP Nord CE4 & Moto Edge 50 pro are great choices as well. Can ignore the rest, although X6 pro is better among the remaining phones but I will give an edge to other 4. Neo 7 pro will not get android 16, I think, so that brings down the options to 3. Moto is the only one getting android 17 among them, but gets the slowest updates. I will personally prefer 256GB storage considering 128GB will become the new 64GB soon enough & no option for microSD card in most phones. Check their pros & cons & pick one.

Compare Motorola Edge 50 Pro vs. OnePlus Nord CE4 vs. OnePlus 11R - GSMArena.com

www.gsmarena.com

 

[altair21]

I doubt anything under 30k will even match my S20FE in cameras. My friend's OP11R's primary rear cam quality matches my S20FE, but other 2 rear cams are inferior but selfie cam is superior than S20FE. Honestly, your budget is too low to get everything in one phone. Even with unlimited budget you won't get everything in one phone (like S24 ultra is too big & heavy, S24 has exynos & slow charging, etc).

I think S23+ is OOS everywhere, S23 is at least in stock.

yeah agreed, but I cant really push beyond 60k so hopefully there's sale on Diwali and something comes up or its xiaomi 14 for him

 

[farrukjavid]

Its edge 50 pro (Flipkart) vs op11r guys. Kindly provide final suggestions.

 

[awestorr]

Op11r probably because of 8+gen 1.

 

[altair21]

Its edge 50 pro (Flipkart) vs op11r guys. Kindly provide final suggestions.

11R but check for build quality, iirc it was right near the controversy when JerryRigEverything snapped 10 pro in two pieces.

Ask folks who have been using 11r so far and if you are spending 30k, you might as well look into nothing phone 2

Op11r probably because of 8+gen 1.

7 Gen 3 is faster than 8+ gen 1 iirc

 

[awestorr]

7 Gen 3 is faster than 8+ gen 1 iirc

Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 vs Snapdragon 7 Gen 3: tests and benchmarks

We put Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 against Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 to find out which SoC is better. See performance comparison in benchmarks and games.

nanoreview.net

Not to mention 8 plus 1 is better than 8 gen 1

 

[Afxal]

11r can be bought for 28k on amazon. Probably the best buy in this budget, I have it from last one year.

 

[zapout]

I recently upgraded from moto edge 20 fusion to OnePlus 11r (Bought it for 23400 with exchange) and I was also confused between 11r vs 50 pro.

Initially, I attempted to purchase Moto 50 pro from their website. However, I encountered an issue where the value of the phone exchange (amounting to 6340 for my old Moto) was not reflected in the final checkout amount. Instead, it was categorized under "deferred exchange value,".
Which irked me and ultimately influenced my decision to opt for the OnePlus.
I suppose it happened cause moto is using third party exchange partner for their exchange program.

Based on my personal experience, below are some points with 11r:

Pro:
-This is purely personal but I've both OnePlus and moto phones in my household, the aftersale service for OnePlus is a little better.(Both with official and third party repair service)
-Availability of screen protector/back covers.
-Software updates, as moto doesn't have a steller track record with OS updates
-Availability in Amazon, as I try to avoid Flipkart.
-Charging speed, it is my first experience with Oneplus charge tech and it is phenomenonly fast.

Cons:
-Battery is okay, maybe it's will improve with time as it learns my use pattern but it's not significantly better than my old Moto Edge 20 Fusion.
-Not sure if this should be a con but, i'm used to the moto gestures/peak display and I'm missing them a lot.
-No Wireless charging(I don't particularly care for it)
-The green line issue, although I believe it's more of an AMOLED problem rather than specific to OnePlus; however, OnePlus seems to have more reported cases compared to other brands.(I don't think there are known reported cases of green line issue with 11r-correct me if I'm wrong here)
I'm listing it as a con but ultimately it didn't influence my decision as OnePlus is providing services to phones with green line issue, even if they are not under warranty anymore.
And I haven't listed any sort of hardware/speed related points as it's already been mentioned by other in the thread.

Even though I went with OnePlus and I'm happy with the experience, given another chance I might opt for moto just to go back to gestures I'm used to.

 

[OMEGA44-XT]

11R but check for build quality, iirc it was right near the controversy when JerryRigEverything snapped 10 pro in two pieces.

Ask folks who have been using 11r so far and if you are spending 30k, you might as well look into nothing phone 2

7 Gen 3 is faster than 8+ gen 1 iirc

No, 7 Gen 3 is not faster than 8+ Gen 1. Don't confuse 7 Gen 3 & 7+ Gen 3:

Motorola Edge 50 Pro review

The Motorola Edge 50 Pro runs Android 14 with Motorola's in-house customizations on top, now called Hello UI ("Hello, Moto!"). The company promises 3 OS...

www.gsmarena.com

(This has a S23FE 8 Gen 1 variant & 8+ Gen 1 is better overall because it is fabbed at TSMC vs Samsung foundary)

Edge 50 pro vs NP2 vs OP11R - each of them excels in a different place, so OP should watch reviews & check which pros he prefers & which cons doesn't affect OP much

OP11R will be my choice for most users because of faster charging with good battery life, great performance, good primary rear cam & selfie cam. OS updates are fast enough, faster than Moto for sure. Although it will get updates till A16 only.