Best phones under Rs 60,000 (Sept 2022): Apple iPhone 12, Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G to iQOO 9 Pro 5G- Technology News, Firstpost

Ameya DalviSep 15, 2022 16:16:21 IST

As you are well aware by now, a handful of high profile phones have been launched in recent times and a few more are expected soon. As a result, we have seen their predecessors get more affordable. If that wasn’t a good enough reason, the annual sale season is on the horizon, and its effects are already starting to show. One way or the other it is great for consumers looking to buy a premium smartphone within a generous budget of Rs 60,000. The only question that remains is which one. Here are six credible answers.

Best phones to buy under Rs 60,000 in India

Let’s start with two phones from the popular premium brands, followed by two incumbents and end with two that weren’t available in this budget previously.

Apple iPhone 12
With the launch of the iPhone 14, the price of the Apple iPhone 12 has dropped further, making it arguably the best value for money iPhone around. To be brutally honest, the iPhone 12 is not too different from the 13 or even the 14 in terms of features and performance. It feels great in hand and has just the right size for single handed operation. Its 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen is HDR10 and Dolby Vision compliant, and protected against scratches and smudges with a ceramic glass and oleophobic coating respectively.

It is powered by Apple’s previous flagship A14 Bionic chip that is still powerful enough for any task you intend to perform on this phone. You get the two reliable 12MP cameras at the back with the primary lens offering OIS, and the secondary capable of capturing ultra-wide shots. Their performance is excellent in different lighting, and can shoot some awesome videos too. The Apple iPhone 12 launched with iOS 14, and can be upgraded to the latest iOS 16.

Apple iPhone 12 price in India: Rs 54,999 for 128 GB storage

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Similar to the iPhone 12, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G too has IP68 ingress protection. It has a larger 6.4-inch Full HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with HDR10+ compliance, 120 Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection. It is powered by Samsung’s Exynos 2100 chip which can be found in several high-end phones from the company. You can get the 8 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage variant in this budget comfortably. The phone runs Android 12 with Samsung’s One UI 4.

Photography department on the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G consists of three cameras at the back starting with a 12MP primary camera with OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide camera with 123 degrees FOV and an 8MP telephoto camera with OIS that facilitates 3X optical zoom. The camera performance is impressive with excellent detail and wide dynamic range. Its low light performance is commendable too. A 4500 mAh battery keeps the phone running for close to a day and a half of moderate use and supports wireless charging too.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G price in India: Rs 53,999 for 8 GB RAM/256 GB storage

Realme GT 2 Pro
Courtesy of the sale season, Flipkart is offering at least Rs 10,000 discount on the Realme GT 2 Pro, and even more on certain credit cards. That makes it a cracker of a deal given that it offers features and performance comparable to the OnePlus 10 Pro at a significantly lower price point. Just like the 10 Pro, it is powered by Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC and is accompanied by 12 GB RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. The design is quite soothing too, thanks to its paper-like biopolymer back.

Another standout feature of this phone is its 6.7-inch 10-bit LTPO 2.0 AMOLED display with an adaptive refresh rate ranging between 1 to 120 Hz and up to 1400 nits brightness. The HDR10+ compliant display has a QHD resolution of 3216 x 1440 pixels (525 PPI pixel density) and is protected against scratches and cracks by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The phone runs Android 12 with Realme UI 3.0. 

The camera department offers two 50MP cameras, primary with OIS and an ultra-wide shooter, that excel in different modes and lighting. The 3MP micro camera is a very interesting addition that provides 20X to 40X magnification. The 32MP front camera handles selfies and video calls quite well. The Realme GT 2 Pro’s 5000 mAh battery keeps it powered for a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 65W SuperDart charger can take it from 0 to 100% in just 37 minutes.

Realme GT 2 Pro price in India: Rs 57,999 for 12 GB RAM/256 GB storage

OnePlus 9 Pro
The OnePlus 9 Pro remains a great option under 60K after the price cut. The phone is quite stylish courtesy of a metal frame and a glass body that is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 at the front and back, making the phone more sturdy. It has a 6.7-inch LTPO Fluid AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a QHD resolution of 3216 x 1440 pixels. The HDR10+ compliant screen can display a billion colours and get up to 1300 nits bright. 

The photography department offers a good variety with a combination of a 48MP primary camera with OIS, a 50MP ultrawide camera with auto-focus, 8MP telephoto camera with OIS for 3.3X optical zoom and a 2MP mono camera. Hasselblad’s colour tuning lends a natural tone to the colours. The cameras capture some impressive shots in different lighting and modes. The 16MP front camera is more than decent for selfies and video calls. 

The 5G ready OnePlus 9 Pro is powered by Qualcomm’s previous flagship Snapdragon 888 SoC, and you get the 12 GB RAM and 256 GB UFS 3.1 storage variant in this budget. Its 4500 mAh battery lasts over a day of moderate use, and the bundled 65W Warp charger juices it up in just a little over half an hour. The phone also supports fast wireless charging and has IP68 rated ingress protection. The phone runs Android 12 with OxygenOS 12.

OnePlus 9 Pro price in India: Rs 54,999 for 12 GB RAM/256 GB storage

Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G
Amazon India is currently offering a flat Rs 5,000 discount on the Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G, and as a result, you can grab it in this budget. The phone is loaded with flagship-grade features starting with its display. It has a 6.73-inch LTPO 2.0 10-bit AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a QHD resolution of 3200 x 1440 pixels. The HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliant screen can display a billion colour shades and get up to 1500 nits bright. It is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. 

The rear camera department has a trinity of 50MP cameras with the primary module offering OIS, an ultrawide shooter with 115 degrees FOV and a telephoto camera that offers 2X optical zoom. The 32MP front camera is quite competent too. The Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G is powered by Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, and you can get the 8 GB RAM and 256 GB UFS 3.1 storage variant under 60K. 

It further boasts of features like a quad-speaker system tuned by Harman Kardon and superfast charging. Its 4600 mAh battery lasts over a day of moderate use, and the bundled 120W charger claims to take it from 0 to 100% in just 18 minutes. The phone also supports 50W fast wireless charging. The phone runs Android 12 with MIUI 13.

Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G price in India: Rs 57,999 for 8 GB RAM/256 GB storage

iQOO 9 Pro 5G
Last but not the least, we have another fully loaded device with several flagship features now available under 60K. Just like the Realme GT 2 Pro and Xiaomi 12 Pro, the iQOO 9 Pro 5G is powered by Qualcomm’s top of the line Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, and you get 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage to go with it. It has a sharp 6.78-inch HDR10+ compliant AMOLED display with 3200 x 1440 pixels resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate and again, it can display over a billion colours. The phone runs Android 12 with FunTouch OS 12. 

The rear camera department is quite impressive too. You get a 50MP primary camera with Gimbal OIS, accompanied by another 50MP ultra-wide camera with auto-focus and 150-degrees FOV. They are joined by a 16MP telephoto camera with OIS that provides 2.5X optical zoom. The 16MP front camera is good for selfies and video calls. The iQOO 9 Pro 5G’s 4700 mAh battery lasts over a day of moderate use. And you get a 120W fast charger here too that claims to charge it fully in just 20 minutes. 50W fast wireless charging is an option too.

iQOO 9 Pro 5G price in India: Rs 59,990 for 8 GB RAM/256 GB storage