Top Mid-Range Smartphones Under Rs 25,000: A Comprehensive Review

A budget of Rs 25,000 gives you access to good all-round midrange smartphones even in a non-sale season. From sufficient processing muscle to good cameras to impressive AMOLED displays, you can have it all. From the usual suspects to a couple of new options, you have a nice bunch to choose from that caters to various tastes and needs. Here are our top smartphone picks under Rs 25,000 this month. Poco F6 5G The Poco F6 5G continues to own this segment despite being well over a year old. It remains the most powerful phone in this price bracket courtesy of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC, which is generally found in phones priced closer to 30K. It is great for pretty much any task you throw at it including gaming. You get 12 GB RAM and 256 GB fast UFS 4.0 internal storage to go with it. A 5000 mAh battery keeps the phone powered for a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 90W fast charger can juice it up fully in under 40 minutes. The Poco F6 5G has a vibrant 6.67-inch AMOLED screen with 1.5K resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate, 12-bit colour depth, 2400 nits peak brightness and HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliance. The display is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The photography department consists of a 50MP primary camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS) and an 8MP ultra-wide shooter. You get a 20MP front camera for selfies and video calls. The Poco F6 launched with Android 14 with Xiaomi’s HyperOS, and three major Android updates have been promised. Poco F6 5G price in India: Rs 24,499 for 12 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage Poco X7 Pro 5G If you want a comparable phone from the same company but with superior battery backup, the Poco X7 Pro 5G is a good option. This phone is powered by a potent Mediatek Dimensity 8400 Ultra chip with 8 GB or 12 GB RAM options and 256 GB UFS 4.0 internal storage. It has a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with 1.5K resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate and 3200 nits peak brightness. The HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliant screen is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 7i. This phone also boasts of an IP69-rated ingress protection. The photography department is quite similar with a 50MP primary camera with OIS and an 8MP ultra-wide shooter manning the rear, and a 20MP front camera handling selfies and video calls. A much larger 6550 mAh battery keeps the phone running for over two days of moderate use, and the bundled 90W fast charger promises to top it up fully in less than 45 minutes. The Poco X7 Pro 5G launched with Android 15 with Xiaomi’s HyperOS 2.0. The company has promised 3 major OS updates and 4 years of security updates for this phone. Poco X7 Pro 5G price in India: Rs 21,999 for 8 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage; Rs 23,999 for 12 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage Realme P3 Ultra 5G The Realme P3 Ultra 5G may not have the processing power of the Poco F6 but isn’t far behind either. But in terms of style and battery reserves, this Realme phone is way ahead. It has a 7.5 mm thin body and a faux leather back. It is powered by a Mediatek Dimensity 8350 Ultra SoC with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage. It has a large 6.83-inch 10-bit AMOLED display with 1.5K resolution and 120 Hz refresh rate. The HDR compliant display is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 7i. The camera department here consists of a 50MP primary camera with OIS and an 8MP ultrawide camera with 112 degrees FOV. Its 16MP front camera can handle selfies and video calls quite well. A 6000 mAh battery keeps the phone running for close to two days of moderate use, and the bundled 80W fast charger promises to take it from 0 to 100% in a little over 45 minutes. The Realme P3 Ultra 5G runs Android 15 with Realme UI 6.0 with more OS and security updates expected. This phone too has IP69-rated ingress protection. Realme P3 Ultra 5G price in India: Rs 24,999 for 8 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage Motorola Edge 60 Fusion The Motorola Edge 60 Fusion is easily the most stylish phone in this list, and also an ideal option for those who prefer a near-stock Android UI. The phone measures 8 mm in thickness, weighs close to 180 grams and flaunts an IP69 rating to protect the phone against dust and water ingression. This phone has a curved 10-bit 6.67-inch 1.5K, P-OLED display, with a 120 Hz refresh rate, 4500 nits peak brightness, HDR10+ compliance and Gorilla Glass 7i protection. The Motorola Edge 60 Fusion is powered by a relatively modest Mediatek Dimensity 7400 SoC, with 8 GB or 12 GB RAM options and 256 GB internal storage. The two cameras at the back are quite versatile. You get a 50MP primary camera with OIS and Sony’s LYT-700C sensor and a 13MP ultra-wide camera with auto-focus, which doubles up as a quality macro camera too. You also get a 32MP selfie camera that can impress the selfie enthusiasts. A 5500 mAh battery powers the phone for over a day and a half of moderate use and the bundled 68W fast charger promises to recharge it briskly. The Edge 60 Fusion launched with Android 15, and like most Motorola phones, it has a clean and near-stock user interface. The company has promised more OS updates and four years of security updates going ahead. Motorola Edge 60 Fusion price in India: Rs 22,999 for 8 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage; Rs 24,999 for 8 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage OnePlus Nord CE5 The OnePlus Nord CE5 is another solid option in this budget with excellent battery backup, however, you will have to make do with its 128 GB storage variant, unless you are willing to push the budget a little higher (which we would recommend). It is powered by a Mediatek Dimensity 8350 Apex SoC with 8 GB RAM. The phone launched with OxygenOS 15 based on Android 15, and the company has committed to 4 major OS updates and 6 years of security updates over time, which will keep the phone secure and relevant for long. The OnePlus Nord CE5 has a 10-bit 6.77-inch Full HD+ Fluid AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ compliance. Photography is handled by a 50MP primary camera with OIS and a Sony LYT-600 sensor, along with an 8MP ultra-wide shooter and a 16MP selfie camera. The Nord CE5 has a huge 7100 mAh battery that lasts well over two days of moderate use and close to three on a lighter load. The bundled 80W SuperVOOC charger can recharge it fully in about 70 minutes. OnePlus Nord CE5 price in India: Rs 24,999 for 8 GB RAM/ 128 GB storage Spain will ban social media access for minors under 16 and require age verification, PM Pedro Sanchez announced. New laws will also target hate speech, algorithmic manipulation, and hold social media executives accountable for illegal content. Get the latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.