Best Smartphone in India – The Ultimate List of Top 10 Best Mobiles
Last Updated January 09, 2025
Top 10 Smartphone List in January 2025 (Quick List)
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
OnePlus 11R
Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 Octa Core Processor
50+8+2 MP Rear Camera
16 MP Front Camera
6.74″ (17.12 cm) 120Hz Super Fluid AMOLED Display
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Octa Core Processor
108+12+10+10 MP Rear Camera
40 MP Front Camera
6.8″ (17.27 cm) 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED Display
12 GB RAM | 256 GB Storage
vivo V27 Pro
Google Pixel 7A
The Pixel 7a is a practical and feature-rich phone with a Google Tensor G2 Octa Core Processor, 64+13 MP rear camera, 13 MP front camera, 6.1″ 90Hz OLED display, 8 GB RAM, 128 GB storage, 4385 mAh battery with 18W fast charging, running on Android v13 OS, and equipped with 5G, NFC, and a fingerprint sensor.
iPhone 14 Pro Max
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 5G
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
vivo V27
OnePlus 11
OnePlus 11 5G offers excellent performance with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Octa Core Processor, charging, and camera capabilities. The 100W fast-charging support is definitely the cherry on the cake.
Apple iPhone 13
More Best Picks for January 2025
Xiaomi 13 Pro
50+50+50 MP Rear Camera
32 MP Front Camera
6.73″ (17.09 cm) 120Hz AMOLED Display
OnePlus 10R 5G
50+8+2 MP Rear Camera
16 MP Front Camera
6.7″ (17.02 cm) 120Hz Fluid AMOLED Display
Apple iPhone 14
12+12 MP Rear Camera
12 MP Front Camera
6.1″ (15.49 cm) 60Hz OLED Display
Best Mobiles Brands in India
Features to consider for best mobile phones
Performance of Mobile Phone
The overall performance of a smartphone determines how fast, responsive, and smooth it feels when using it. Thus, if you want to enjoy a lag-free experience when using your best smartphone for high-performance activities such as gaming or video editing, you should focus on the overall performance of a smartphone. The overall performance of a smartphone depends on the following three factors:
Processor
The processor of a smartphone is considered the brain of the device and it can be categorized by cores, clock speed, and technology used. Here are a few factors that you should look for when choosing the processor of a smartphone:
1. Manufacturer and series – Currently, Qualcomm Snapdragon processors are the market leader when it comes to popularity and performance. It is most commonly found in premium smartphones. MediaTek processors are the most popular alternative to Qualcomm Snapdragon processors and are generally equipped inside budget-friendly smartphones.
Brands like Samsung, Apple, and Honor utilize their own chipsets such as Exynos 9825, A12 Bionic, and Kirin 990 respectively that are customized to offer optimal performance through the correct mix of hardware and software.
2. Processor specifications and usage type – Processor specifications can be categorized into two options — Clock Speed and Cores.
Typically, higher clock speeds almost always result in better performance but a higher core count may not offer noticeable improvements in every usage scenario. It is recommended that you find a good balance between processor clock speed and core count.
For light usage scenario, Qualcomm series 400 with clock speeds of 1.1-2 GHz and Quad-cores/octa-cores should be sufficient. For medium usage scenarios such as when opening multiple apps or streaming content, Qualcomm series 600 with clock speeds of 1.8-2.2 GHz and octa-cores should be okay.
For heavy usage scenarios such as when playing heavy duty games or creative video editing, Qualcomm series 800, Exynos, Apple Bionic Chip, and Kirin processors with clock speeds of 1.8-2.8 GHz and octa-cores is a must.
3. Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) – The GPU impacts the gaming performance of a smartphone since it processes the graphics. Ideally, you would want to choose a best smartphone that comes with Adreno GPUs over Mali GPUs if you want to enjoy the best gaming performance.
4. Artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities – Nowadays, most modern smartphones come equipped with AI technology that assists the user in various activities such as clicking pictures, video editing, and even helps to extend the battery life of the device by figuring out the usage patterns of the user.
RAM
The RAM of a smartphone determines how many tasks it can handle at a given time. Thus, a best smartphone with more RAM would perform better. To enjoy a lag-free experience, you should select a smartphone with a minimum RAM of 3GB. If you plan to use multiple browser tabs or play heavy games, you should go with 4GB or 6GB RAMs. And, if you want no compromises with performance, you could go for 8GB or even 12GB RAMS.
Storage
Smartphones with more internal storage space would allow you to store more files such as images, videos, music, apps, etc. And, if you run out of internal storage space the device may not perform optimally. Thus, you should always choose a smartphone that supports expandable storage options such as memory cards.
Mobile Display
The quality, type, and size of the display in a smartphone affect the user experience and viewing experience. To select the right display for your needs you should check the following:
Screen Size
Budget-friendly smartphones feature 5.5-6 inch displays and are ideal for people who prefer lighter smartphones. More expensive devices feature 6-6.5 inch displays that are good for watching videos or playing games but consume more battery.
Best Smartphones that feature 6.5+ inch displays are great for multi-window usage, gaming, and viewing videos. However, these are more expensive, make the device bulkier, and require a better battery.
Aspect Ratio/Bezel-less displays
Smartphones that feature bezel-less or notch displays are better than smartphones with traditional displays since these maximize the display’s real-estate, are slimmer, and lighter.
Bezel-less or notch displays also allow the user to experience an aspect ratio of 18:9 or 19:9 instead of 16:9 which makes the smartphone easier to hold and use. These may be termed Full Vision, Full View, or Infinity display. Some smartphones with big screens even support an aspect ratio of 21:9.
Screen Panel Type
Nowadays, most best smartphones feature IPS-LCD displays that offer better viewing angles and color reproduction compared to TFT-LCD displays. More expensive smartphones feature OLED panels that offer better contrast, battery life, and are even more vibrant compared to LED displays.
AMOLED displays are a superior form of OLED displays and Samsung smartphones feature their exclusive branding of Super AMOLED displays in their products.
Resolution
The higher the resolution of a display, the sharper and clearer images you can expect to witness on a best smartphone. Typically, entry-level smartphones feature HD resolution displays, mid-range smartphones feature Full HD/FHD+ displays, and premium smartphones feature Quad HD or 2K displays. Smartphones that support HDR offer rich, life-like colors.
Most best smartphones feature displays that support a refresh rate of 60Hz which is enough for normal usage. Smartphones that support 90-120Hz displays are aimed at gamers but these drain the battery faster.
Screen Protection
Screen protection such as Gorilla Glass 5 or Asahi Glass lowers the risk of screen-break or damage during accident drops. Plus, they offer better resilience against scratches. However, these don’t make your device immune to damage. Thus, it is a good idea to use a screen protector to reduce the chance of damage.
Design
The design of a smartphone impacts the durability, shape, and ease of use of the device. Products that come with an Ingress Protection (IP) rating offer some level of protection against dust and water. The ergonomics of the smartphone determines how convenient it is to hold and use.
Smartphones with a metal body offer better protection compared to plastic or glass bodies. However, glass body smartphones look the best in different color choices.
Smartphone Camera
To click good quality pictures and videos, your smartphone should feature a high-quality camera. Here are a few things you can check to determine the quality of a smartphone camera:
Resolution
Resolution impacts the sharpness and detail of an image. Thus, you should prefer smartphones that sport high-resolution cameras. However, high-resolution is not the most important factor that determines the image quality and may not always lead to good quality images in all conditions.
Lens/Optics
Good quality lenses and optics would allow you to click sharp, clear, and haze-free pictures. Sony, Zeiss, and Leica offer the best quality glass lenses.
Smartphones that feature bigger aperture such as f/1.4 allow the sensor to collect more light. Thus, these produce better quality pictures in low-light conditions compared to smaller apertures such as f/2.0 or f/2.8.
Smartphones that feature technology such as Dual Pixel Autofocus (DPAF) or Phase Detect Autofocus (PDAF) allow you to click non-blurry pictures. Additionally, expensive smartphones also feature technology such as Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) that compensate for shaky hands when clicking pictures or taking videos.
No.of Cameras
Most modern smartphones come equipped with multiple cameras. These can include a dual camera, triple camera, or even a quad-camera set up in the rear and a dual camera set up in the front. The primary camera captures the images while the secondary camera captures extra details to enhance the picture quality.
The functions of the additional cameras can be determined by reading the specifications. Typically, the additional cameras include:
- Depth sensor to shoot images in ‘Portrait mode’ or create the ‘Bokeh effect’.
- Monochromatic sensor to shoot high-quality images by superimposing a black and white image with RGB image.
- Telephoto lens to shoot images with better zoom quality.
- Wide-angle lens or super wide-angle lens to capture group shots.
Modes/AI
Smartphones that feature Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities are programmed to detect the shooting scenario and automatically adjust the settings to take better photos. With AI settings turned on, a user can expect to click pictures that are more vibrant and look crisper.
Front/Selfie Camera
The front-facing camera a.k.a selfie camera should come with pre-set beautification features, front-flash to allow the user to take better pictures. A good selfie camera can make you look better by adding a glow to your face and removing skin blemishes.
Additionally, you may choose a smartphone that features a swivel selfie camera or pop-up selfie cameras.
Video Recording
A smartphone should also be able to shoot high-quality videos aside from allowing you to click great pictures. For shooting sharper and clearer videos, you should purchase a smartphone that supports 1080p or 4k video recording resolution. However, more resolution means that the video files consume more storage space on your device.
Smartphones that support capturing videos at higher frame rates such as 60 fps allow you to capture fast-moving action smoothly and offer smoother video playback as well. Additionally, shooting videos at super-high frame rates such as 180,240, or even 960 fps would allow you to create slow-motion videos that appear to slow down time and produce a cinematic effect.
Mobile Battery
Factors such as battery capacity, screen size, resolution, brightness, and power efficiency of the processor affect the battery life of a device. Typically, smartphones with a battery capacity of 3500-4000 mAh should have enough power to last for 1 day with moderate usage. For heavy users, a battery capacity of 5000-6000 mAh should be ideal.
Smartphones that support fast charging options such as Qualcomm Quick Charge, Warp Charge, VOOC Flash Charge are good to have provided they also come with fast chargers. Wireless charging is slow and expensive. So, this should not be a priority.
Smartphone OS / Operating System
Android is the most popular operating system (OS) with iOS being the close second. Android users can also choose to purchase smartphones from manufacturers that offer stock Android or add extra functionality by adding a layer on top of Android. These include OS like MIUI and EMUI.
Android GO is popular in budget smartphones and is optimized to be a lean version of Android. Lastly, you can choose Android One to ensure the hardware and software works smoothly, enjoy regular security updates, and claim a better warranty.
Mobile Security
The security features of smartphones allow the user to keep their device safe from prying hands. On-Screen passwords are the easiest to set up but less secure since they are easier to observe or guess as well.
Smartphones that come equipped with a fingerprint sensor are the most convenient and secure since it is not possible for people to break through the fingerprint security through ordinary methods. Face unlock or Face ID security could be used as an alternative to fingerprint security but are less secure. Typically, a combination of fingerprint security and face unlock feature provides the best user experience.
Mobile Connectivity
Smartphones that feature dedicated slots for Dual SIM cards, as well as microSD cards, are better than smartphones that support Hybrid SIM trays that only allow 1+1 SIM or 1+1 microSD card combination. Also, it is important to choose a bes smartphone that supports Dual VoLTE to use both SIM cards at the same time without losing connectivity on the other SIM.
Near Field Communication (NFC) is a nice feature to have that allows the user to pair Bluetooth devices more easily. Lastly, you can choose between best smartphones that offer the standard 3.5 mm headphone jack or USB-C port for better audio quality.
Smartphone Cost/Price
Most people have a limited budget when it comes to purchasing a smartphone. Thus, it only makes sense to choose a product that offers the best value for money. Typically, you can expect a smartphone to support more features and offer better performance the higher it costs. However, you also have to consider the premium you might have to pay when choosing a product from a popular brand such as Samsung or Apple.
When choosing from the best mobiles in India list, you should consider your specific needs, such as performance, camera quality, display preferences, storage capacity, battery life, OS features, connectivity options, and security features, to ensure the device aligns with your requirements and enhances your overall mobile experience.
Latest Mobiles Price List in India
To get the best price to value ratio for a limited budget, you should focus on smartphone brands that specialize in a particular feature that you consider a priority. For instance, for a similar price, a smartphone brand may offer a better quality camera, display, battery life, or processor to set itself apart from the rest of the competition.
