The best Android smartphones in India you can get - Android

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The best Android smartphones in India you can get - Android

Looking to buy a new phone in India? In this roundup, we’re looking at the absolute best Android phones in India right now.
Man holding OnePlus 9 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Credit: Luke Pollack / Android Authority

If you’re in the market for the best smartphone in India, you’re certainly not going to be suffering from a lack of choice. Ranging from absolute powerhouses to the affordable flagships that give real flagships a run for their money, there are tons of great Android options. In this roundup, we’re looking at the best phones in India across price segments.

Best phones in India:

  • Samsung Galaxy S21 series
  • Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
  • OnePlus 9 series
  • Asus ROG Phone 5
  • Xiaomi Mi 11X series
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
  • Realme X7 Pro

Editor’s note: We will update this list of the best phones in India when new models hit the market.


Samsung Galaxy S21 series

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G in the hand in the pink

Credit: Eric Zeman / Android Authority

The Galaxy S21 series includes three phones: the S21, S21 Plus, and S21 Ultra. All three are great options for anyone that wants a powerhouse, with all of them featuring excellent performance and useful extras.

The major differences between the Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus are because of the larger size of the latter. The S21 Plus comes with a larger display, but with the same resolution, and a bigger battery. The smaller Galaxy S21 also features a “glasstic” body, while the S21 Plus sticks with a glass back. Other than that, you’ll get identical performance, the same camera setup, and extras like wireless charging and water resistance.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra kicks things up a notch. It comes with the largest display of the lot and with a QHD+ resolution. The quad-camera setup on the back is also better, and it also packs a bigger battery than its smaller siblings. A new addition is S-Pen support that is available only with the Ultra iteration.

If you’re looking for the best of the best, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the way to go. However, it’s also far more expensive than the others. The Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus should be more than enough for most users, and you can save a decent chunk of money as well.

Buy Galaxy S21 Ultra
Buy Galaxy S21 Plus
Buy Galaxy S21

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra specs:

  • Display: 6.8-inch, Quad HD+
  • SoC: Exynos 2100
  • RAM: 12GB
  • Storage: 128/256GB
  • Cameras: 108, 10, 10, and 12MP
  • Front camera: 40MP
  • Battery: 5,000mAh
  • Software: Android 11

Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus specs:

  • Display: 6.7-inch, Full HD+
  • SoC: Exynos 2100
  • RAM: 8GB
  • Storage: 128/256GB
  • Cameras: 64, 12, and 12MP
  • Front camera: 10MP
  • Battery: 4,800mAh
  • Software: Android 11

Samsung Galaxy S21 specs:

  • Display: 6.2-inch, Full HD+
  • SoC: Exynos 2100
  • RAM: 8GB
  • Storage: 128/256GB
  • Cameras: 64, 12, and 12MP
  • Front camera: 10MP
  • Battery: 4,000mAh
  • Software: Android 11

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra angled rear view

Credit: Eric Zeman / Android Authority

Xiaomi might have made a name for itself in the Indian market because of its fantastic affordable smartphones, but the company has some excellent offerings at the other end of the price spectrum as well. The Mi 11 Ultra is Xiaomi’s latest flagship and by far one of the most expensive smartphones it has launched in India.

It certainly deserves its high price tag though. It’s a true flagship, with the latest processing package and features like wireless charging, water resistance, Harman Kardon-tuned stereo speakers, support for Dolby Vision, and reverse wireless charging. A 50MP primary shooter is flanked by 48MP ultra-wide and 48MP periscope cameras.

A 1.1-inch display next to the rear cameras makes shooting selfies with the better cameras a breeze, and functions as an always-on display for notifications. It also comes with super-fast 67W charging that will let you fully charge the phone in just over half an hour.

Even though it’s an expensive device, Xiaomi stays true to form with its pricing strategy. Despite all that it offers, the Mi 11 Ultra is priced lower than the standard Galaxy S21.

Find out more

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra specs:

  • Display: 6.81-inch, Full HD+
  • SoC: Snapdragon 888
  • RAM: 12GB
  • Storage: 256GB
  • Cameras: 50, 48, and 48MP
  • Front camera: 20MP
  • Battery: 5000mAh
  • Software: Android 11

OnePlus 9 series

OnePlus 9 Pro vs OnePlus 9 - best phones in India

Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority

OnePlus’ smartphones have gone from flagship killers to true flagships, and the OnePlus 9 series is a testament to that evolution. We can’t complain about the high-end specs or features, but it does come with a price bump, making the OnePlus 9 Pro the most expensive phone from the company yet.

The OnePlus 9 Pro and OnePlus 9 are quite similar. You’ll get the same processing power, the same battery, and ultra-fast 65W charging. The OnePlus 9 gets wireless charging, but of the standard 15W variety, while the Pro edition comes with fast 50W wireless charging. The OnePlus 9 Pro also comes with an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, a feature that the standard 9 misses out on.

Of course, we can’t get into the company’s latest devices without mentioning the Hasselblad cameras. They’re the pair’s biggest draw, literally, as they add quite a bit to the camera bump. Both devices offer powerful 50MP and 48MP main shooters, while only the OnePlus 9 Pro carries an 8MP telephoto lens. The new partnership ensures that OnePlus’ cameras have gone from problematic to one of its biggest selling points.

Also joining the 9 and 9 Pro is the India-exclusive OnePlus 9R. With the higher-end models getting more expensive, The OnePlus 9R is a value flagship offering from the company. The specs sheet is solid, with the Snapdragon 870 powering the device. In a lot of ways, the 9R is an improved OnePlus 8T, and a good alternative to the standard 9 if you want to save some money.

Buy the OnePlus 9 Pro
Buy the OnePlus 9
Buy the OnePlus 9R

OnePlus 9 Pro specs:

  • Display: 6.7-inch, Quad HD+
  • SoC: Snapdragon 888
  • RAM: 8/12GB
  • Storage: 128/256GB
  • Cameras: 48, 8, 50, and 2MP
  • Front camera: 16MP
  • Battery: 4,500mAh
  • Software: Android 11

OnePlus 9 specs:

  • Display: 6.55-inch, Full HD+
  • SoC: Snapdragon 888
  • RAM: 8/12GB
  • Storage: 128/256GB
  • Cameras: 48, 50, and 2MP
  • Front camera: 16MP
  • Battery: 4,500mAh
  • Software: Android 11

OnePlus 9R specs:

  • Display: 6.55-inch, Full HD+
  • SoC: Snapdragon 870
  • RAM: 8/12GB
  • Storage: 128/256GB
  • Cameras: 48, 16, 5, and 2MP
  • Front camera: 16MP
  • Battery: 4,500mAh
  • Software: Android 11

Asus ROG Phone 5

Asus ROG Phone 5 product shot of the rear of the device at an angle

Credit: Ryan-Thomas Shaw / Android Authority

The Asus ROG Phone 5 is not only one of the best phones you can get in India, but is our number one pick for the best smartphones for gaming around. This shouldn’t really be a surprise, since it was designed with gamers in mind. It comes with top of the line hardware, like a Snapdragon 888 processor, a 144Hz refresh rate screen, and up to a whopping 18GB of RAM.

Our verdict: Asus ROG Phone 5 review: King of the hill

Of course, it wouldn’t be a good phone for gaming if the battery ran out of juice quickly. Asus has you covered in that regard as well, with the ROG Phone 5 packing a huge 6,000mAh battery. The ROG Phone 5 also offers air triggers that act as shoulder buttons, as well as a triple camera setup that’s a solid improvement over last year’s model. It’s not even as pricey as one might expect, given all that the phone has to offer.

buy the Asus ROG Phone 5

Asus ROG Phone 5 specs:

  • Display: 6.78-inch, Full HD+
  • SoC: Snapdragon 888
  • RAM: 8/12GB
  • Storage: 128/256GB
  • Cameras: 64, 13, and 5MP
  • Front camera: 24MP
  • Battery: 6,000mAh
  • Software: Android 11

Xiaomi Mi 11X series

26/04/2021 04:00 AM