It’s Diwali season and there’s nothing like having a great budget if you want to buy a new smartphone this month either as a gift for someone or for yourself. So which smartphones are the best in the over-Rs 30,000 category? We take a quick look at the top 5 based on the reviews we’ve done and what is being said about these smartphones.
Moto X Second Gen
Motorola announced the Moto X (2 generation) is priced for Rs 31,999 and like all Motorola phones this one is also exclusively available on Flipkart. As far as specs go, this has a 5.2-inch screen with 1080p resolution and is an upgrade from the earlier one which had a 720 p screen.
The Moto X second gen has a 13 megapixel camera with OIS, a 2 megapixel front camera, 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 up from the previous 1.7 GHz processor. It comes with 2GB of RAM, while you get 16 GB of internal storage. The smartphone has a 2300 mAh unit and according to Motorola, Moto X will have all-day battery. The smartphone supports Turbo charging as well.
The new Moto X runs Android 4.4 and you can expect the next Android L to reach this phone too. The Moto Voice assist has got some upgrades as it now allows users to share a Facebook status update, name the smartphone and give the smartphones commands like “Take a selfie”.
As we had noted in our first impressions of the phone, this is a great package from Motorola given that they are known for good quality. And if you’re willing to spend just a little over Rs 30,000 on a smartphone, the Moto X is definitely a great option.
Samsung Galaxy S5
Samsung’s first flagship for 2014, was launched in India at a price of Rs 51,500, but at the time of writing, Samsung’s official e-storehas priced the phone at Rs 37,500, which is a great deal for what it has on offer. It features a 5.1-inch screen, 1080p screen resolution, 16 megapixel rear camera, 2 megapixel front camera and 16 GB total storage space along with 64GB microSD support. It runs the Exynos 5 Octa 5422 SoC. This consists of the four Cortex-A7 CPUs running at 1.3GHz and four Cortex-A15 CPUs running at 1.9GHz.
In our review, we had noted that the S5 was a better choice than the iPhone 5s (which was then the recent iPhone in the market) and that the S5’s camera gave it a distinct advantage. Of course, in April the price was high, but now the S5 appears to be priced at a more reasonable Rs 37k rate, which is great if you have been saving to buy this smartphone.
The definite plus points are: A Stunning camera, which allows for some great pictures, features like a heart monitor for health freaks, and now a price that’s not touching the sky.
Oppo Find 7
This Chinese brand launched in India this year with much fanfare and their Oppo Find 7, which is priced at Rs 37,990, is quite an interesting device. If you’re bored of the usual Samsung vs the rest affair and want a slightly expensive device that has great features, the Oppo Find 7 is one to consider.
For starters, the specs are as follows: It has a 5.5-inch screen, with Quad HD resolution which is 2560 x 1440. The processor is a Snapdragon 801, clocked at 2.5 GHz, with 3GB RAM, 32 GB storage space, and microSD support upto 128 GB. The smartphone has a 13 megapixel rear camera and a 5 megapixel front camera.
The biggest disadvantage: This is still on Android 4.3.
However, the positives outshine the negatives. Along with the great camera that took pictures quickly when it comes to focussing. But what left us disappointed was the battery life of this smartphone. Overall it is an excellent package and should definitely be on your list of contenders if you are looking for a new smartphone.
LG G3
The LG G3 16 GB version launched in India for Rs 47,990 and Rs 55,000 for the 32 GB version and this is truly one of the most stunning Android phones in the market. But don’t worry, the phone is now available for Rs 39,680 online for the 32GB version and that means you won’t have to spend a bomb to get this device.
In our review, we had noted that the LG G3, the LG G3 turned out to be one of the best Android smartphones we’ve seen. In terms of specs, the G3 has a 5.5-inch screen with 2560×1440 Quad HD screen resolution which is great. The RAM is 3GB on the 32 GB version and the smartphone has support for 128 GB microSD slot. It runs a Snapdragon 801 chipset quad-core clocked at 2.5 GHz. The camera is 13 megapixel in rear and the front camera is 2.1 megapixels.
So what stands out in the phone? The battery performance is decent, despite having a battery-draining 2K screen, an excellent camera and very good design and build quality. Plus this phone is LTE enabled in India, so that’s another big plus. And now with the price drop, it should be a decent contender on your list.
Sony Xperia Z3
If you want to spend close to Rs 50,000 on a smartphone and if you hate all things Apple, check out the Sony Xperia Z3. The recently-launched device impressed us when we tested it, but seriously we thought that it was overpriced.
The Z3 has a 5.2-inches screen with 1920×1080 p screen resolution, 3 GB RAM, 16 GB total storage space, 128 GB microSD support, Snapdragon quad-core processor clocked at 2.5 GHz. Where camera goes, Sony has kept it has 20.7 megapixels in the rear and given this a 2.2 megapixel front camera.
In our tests, we felt that one of the best features of the smartphone is the camera, which lets you do a lot, from adding perspective to pictures to shooting in various modes. The other thing that stood out was battery, which lasted a day for us easily. In fact, we barely had any major criticisms.
The only one that was, and still is, the price. But of course, if you’re in a mood to shell out some money this Diwali, then go ahead and take a look at this one as well.
The HTC One M8
Currently, this is retailing at Rs 39,599 and is down from the high price of Rs 49,900 when it was launched. the price drop makes it more desirable. The HTC One M8 has a 5-inch Full HD screen with a quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, 16 GB total space, 2 GB RAM, support to 128 GB via microSD, the 4MP ultrapixel camera, a front camera which is 5 megapixel and runs Android 4.4 KitKat.
The best bit about this smartphone: metal design, slick and speedy interface, excellent sound, good battery life and very good low-light camera performance. It’s definitely one droid that should be on your list to consider.
And yes, there are three other great devices that just launched and you can consider. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and the newly launched Galaxy Note 4. To know how they stack up against each other, read more here.
