BEST MOBILE PHONES

The Vivo X200T price in India is set at Rs. 59,999 for the base variant with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. It is positioned squarely against other premium sub-flagships that often either prioritise raw performance or photography prowessbut not both. Fortunatelythe Vivo X200T is an easy recommendation if a premium smartphone that excels in daily use is what you're after.

The Oppo Find X9 is a premium smartphone that offers Pro features in a compact form factor. The phone has a slim and stylish design that feels premium and is also IP69-rated for dust and water. While the front feels familiarthe rear camera module gets a compact layout.

There’s enough raw performance for handling daily tasksmultitasking and gaming. We faced no slowdowns while browsing through its software and the same can be said about the gaming experience.

The Find X9 gets a new primary camera which delivers in terms of overall imaging quality. The telephoto camera shoots sharp and detailed photos at 3Xbut the ultrawide camera isn’t the best we have seen at this price point.

Battery life is stellar for a compact smartphone. The high-capacity silicon-carbon lithium-ion battery easily managed over a day of heavy usage. Casual users will see the phone last for up to two days on a full charge.

The OnePlus 15 is an extremely powerful handsetwhich is held back by some puzzling decisions. The handset delivers flagship-tier performance thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and offers extended battery life with its massive 7,300mAh battery. Howeverthe sacrifice of the 2K display resolution for a 165Hz refresh rate feels like a misstep. Ultimatelyif a sustained flagship performance and multi-day battery life are your prioritiesthen the OnePlus 15 is a no-brainer. Howeverit is not without its caveatsand those seeking the sharpest screen or imaging excellence may need to look elsewhere. 

If you used last year’s iQOO flagshipthe iQOO 15 may not look dramatically differentbut using it tells another story. A cleaner designa much-improved software experiencea brighter displayand better-tuned cameras make the phone feel more refined and complete. It’s still every bit the performance-first flagshipjust now with a more mature identity.

The Oppo Find X9 Pro gets a fresh-new IP69-rated design with a new camera bump. The phone is a bit thick but it accommodates a massive battery and also offers fast wireless charging. Oppo has also added a new Hasselblad-branded lens kit to its list of optional accessorieswhich can be mounted over the rear cameras for extended zoom capability.

The display is very fast and gets very bright outdoors. Software performance is top-notch and is packed with tons of AI features. ColorOS 16 also brings a new glass-like UI designwhich can be experienced in its native apps.

All the cameras work as expected. While the primary and ultrawide camera deliver good daylight performancethe telephoto camera shines in all types of lighting conditions.

The phone works well for gaming and offers more than enough performance for everyday multitasking. The high capacity battery also keeps up and easily lasts two days with casual usage.

Vivo X300 Pro is a great smartphone for camera enthusiastsand it also supports the Telephoto Extender Kitwhich was exclusive to the Ultra model until last year. Everyday performance is top-notchand the battery is one of the biggest strengths of the X300 Pro. It is among a handful of devices that can click amazing portrait shots regardless of light conditions. For Rs. 109,999the X300 Pro is a flagship offering from the house of Vivo that takes on the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the iPhone 17 Pro. 

The Vivo X300 sets a new standard in the compact flagship segment packing premium features into a sleek 6.31-inch design that fits comfortably in your pocket. The handset is one of the first devices that packs a versatile 200MP ZEISS camera system designed to shine in both zoom and portrait photography. Moreoveryou get flagship performanceall thanks to the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 processorwhich makes gaming and multitasking a breeze. The Vivo X300 also packs a refined user interfacewhile the battery backup is good for its compact size. Soif you are a power user and looking for a compact smartphone that can last one day and offers flagship-grade camerasthen you can consider the Vivo X300. 

iPhone 17 Pro Max brings some of the biggest updates that Apple has given us in years: a refreshed designnew updates to cameras and the best-ever iPhone battery life. Of coursesupport for fast-charging is also finally on boardand you can charge the 17 Pro Max up to 50 percent in just 20 minutes with the 40W supported adapter. This yearthe 17 Pro Max has received a price increasewith prices now starting at Rs. 149,900. Overallthe 17 Pro Max is the best iPhone money can buyand if you've been waiting for an updatethen go for it right away. 

The iPhone 17 is one of the most sensible upgrades Apple has introduced in yearspushing the vanilla iPhone ahead of many of its competitorsespecially the Galaxy S25. It marks a monumental shift in Apple's product strategy and positions it as the most value-for-money iPhone you can buywith upgrades like a ProMotion displaybetter camera sensorsand an improved battery. It is the only iPhone you'll need.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a new standard set by Samsung for foldables. It features the absolute best SoC - the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxywhich promises a beastly performanceand the device looks stunningly sleek and lightweight. The cameras are excellentand the display is of flagship-grade quality. If you've the moneythen the Fold 7 should not disappoint you in any department. In areas that could have been improvedthe battery departmentalong with charging speedis the only one that should have received an upgrade.

OnePlus 13s is a premium smartphone equipped with a 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset from Qualcommalong with 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. It runs on Android 15 with the company's OxygenOS 15 user interfaceand is slated to receive four Android OS upgrades and six years of security updates.

This compact flagship sports a 6.32-inch LTPO AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh ratealong with Dolby VisionHDR10+and HDR Vivid support. It offers vibrant visuals with up to 1600 nits peak brightnessin a more compact form factor than its more expensive siblingthe OnePlus 13. The display features Crystal Shield Glass protection and the phone has an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance.

The OnePlus 13s has 50-megapixel main camera capable of 4K video recordingand a 50-megapixel telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom. It also has a 32-megapixel selfie camera. The phone packs a 5,800mAh battery with support for 80W SuperVOOC charging. The phone also features an infrared portand biometric authentication is handled by an under-display optical fingerprint sensor.

Motorola’s Razr 60 Ultra has a familiar design made of aluminiumstainless steelglass and synthetic fabric. The phone’s IP-rating has been bumped up to include dust resistance as well. Its hinge remains similar in terms of form and function.

The new Razr gets a high-end processor which powers the new Moto AI experience. Its software remains familiarbut there’s two AI models to choose from which can get confusing for some. The phone’s cover display UI experience remains second to none with the ability to run most apps on it.

Its displays pack everything under the sun and perform really well both indoors and outdoors. The phone’s cover display is perfectly legible in direct sunlight and both displays offer LTPO technology.

Battery life has improved and can now last beyond a day thanks to increased capacity and excellent software optimisation.

Oppo Find X8 Ultra raises the bar for what a flagship camera smartphone should look like. The cut down on the weight works wonders for the Find X8 Ultra in daily use. The performance is top-notchand the display is fantastic. Of coursethe cameras are the biggest marquee feature and will remain one of the reasons why people may opt to buy this one. Howeverthe limited availability of the Find X8 Ultra makes this one a tough recommendation. In Chinathe phone starts at roughly Rs. 76,000.

Vivo’s V70 Elite is a brand-new device added to the brand’s V-series. The ‘Elite’ sits above the ‘Pro’ in terms of placement and packs in plenty of premium bits to maintain its image and differences. The phone’s design is big on durability but also has a metal frame sandwiched between two sheets of flat glass. Its design can be considered compact even if it is not a “mini” device.

The display has gone flat but it gets plenty bright outdoors and is capable of displaying HDR content in all its glory. The underlying processor is a capable one and gets the job done for gaming and daily tasks.

Camera performance is a mixed bag. We have a really poor ultrawide camera accompanied by capable primary and telephoto cameras which perform well in both daylight and low-light conditions.

Battery life is good for a compact device despite its high capacity. Charging is fast although there’s no wireless charging available.

The Realme P4 Power is a brand new phone from Realme that is focused on delivering immense battery life from a smartphone. Despite packing a massive high-capacity battery insideit’s as thick as a Pro-branded Apple iPhone and somehow manages to have an IP69 rating for dust and water.

Realme’s choice chipset lets the phone have enough raw performance without going overboard. It’s enough for some high-end gaming but decent in terms of performance benchmarks. This is mainly down to the use of a dual-chip system.

Camera performance is average for a smartphone at this price point. But it could have been better. Low light imaging isn’t great and the same goes for selfies.

The massive battery can easily last two days on a full charge and can even be used to charge other accessories and iPhones. Charging the massive battery is also very quick.

The Motorola Signature sets a new standard for the brand's flagship segmentpacking premium features into a sleek design. The handset comes with a brightvivid display ideal for multimedia consumption. Moreoverthe performance is top-notchand you won’t feel much trouble using this smartphone. The cameras are a major highlightand they do a decent job in both daylight and low-light conditions. The Motorola Signature also packs a refined user interfacewhile the battery backup is good for its sleek form factor.

At a price tag of Rs. 18,999the Poco M8 5G is a well-rounded smartphone that's more about delivering on the basics than on fancy features. It brings quite an upgrade in terms of designa large and colourful AMOLED displaydecent performanceand lasting battery life. The promise of long-term software support further adds to its appeal. The camerashoweverare anything but impressiveand the UI is burdened with bloat. But once againthese are expected compromises at this price.

The OnePlus 15R doesn’t appear to be a radical departure from earlier R-series phonesbut it feels noticeably more capable in everyday use. Strong flagship-grade performancea smooth high-refresh-rate displayand excellent battery life form the core of its appeal. While there are some camera trade-offsthe OnePlus 15R stands out as a dependable near-flagship that prioritises powerenduranceand long-term usage.

At a price point of Rs. 29,999the Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G will be a step forward for users upgrading from a couple of generations older Note series models. Howeverbuyers expecting the kind of category-defining value the series was once known for may find themselves looking more closely at its alternativessuch as the Motorola Edge 70 and Vivo V60e.

At a starting price of Rs. 15,499 (Rs. 13,499 with offers)the Realme P4x 5G gets a lot right — especially day-to-day performancebattery lifeand its refreshed design. The phone feels smooth in regular usehandles gaming welland the large battery easily delivers up to two days of runtime. Howeverthere are compromises. Its advertised 144Hz refresh rate is inconsistent in behaviourthe software experience lacks refinementand the cameras are strictly average. If strong performance and long battery life are prioritiesthe Realme P4x 5G is worth considering.

The Motorola Edge 70 feels like a smartphone that knows who it’s for and doesn’t try too hard to impress. While it may not have the flashiest specifications on paperit excels at the things people actually notice every day — the in-hand feelthe smoothness of interactionsand its reliability in lasting through a full day of use. Despite its caveatsthese elements create a well-rounded and comfortable user experience.

The Moto G67 Power offers plenty of value given its performance and design turning into a well-balanced budget offering from Motorola. Despite its budget price tagits design does feel quite premium thanks to its vegan-leather rear panel. The device also has an IP64 rating offering good dust and decent water resistance.

Its display shows natural colours but is a bit dim for the bright outdoors. The 120Hz high refresh works mainly for the software as most games can only be enjoyed at 60 fps.

Performance is on point for a budget device as the software experience is smooth and lag-free. What is disappointing is the software commitment which only includes one major Android update.

Cameras offer decent image quality. The primary camera is the one that performs just finewhile the ultrawide is only there to fill up the spec sheet. Battery life is quite solid and can easily last two days with casual use. Charging is relatively fast given the slow charger and its higher capacity.

The Realme GT 8 Pro has a brand-new design which uses a new organosilicon environmentally-friendly material for its rear panel with the Urban Blue finish. The phone looks uniquefeels premium and includes premium features like an IP69 rating and wireless charging.

Its display is plenty sharp and also gets very brightwhich is useful when viewing movies or playing games outdoors. The display is also very fast and users can take advantage of its maximum refresh rate thanks to a secondary AI chip.

Camera performance is pretty goodbut this is mainly limited to the new periscopic telephoto camera. Video recording quality if fine in daylight but not the best in low light.

The phone has a massive batterywhich easily lasts beyond a day of casual use. Wired charging is pretty fast and the phone also has fast wireless charging.

The Nothing Phone 3a Lite bridges the gap between the CMF and the Nothing mid-range 'a' series. The latest smartphone draws heavily from both lineups. While the design and software experience are more aligned with the Nothing mid-range lineupthe hardware is more aligned with the CMF series. The smartphone still offers a premium design in this price segmentand you get a Glyph interfacethough it is basic. The display is good and vividand the performance is decent for the price. The camera is a bit of a hit-or-missand the lack of a telephoto lens sure makes a difference. The battery life is decentwhile the software experience is still minimal. If you are looking for a unique smartphone that delivers decent performanceconsider this one.

Realme 15 Pro Game of Thrones Limited Edition is a nicely done phone with design elements inspired by HBO's iconic series. The attention to detail is amazingand there are plenty of design elements that are inspired by the GOT series. The colour changing back is a USP. The Realme 15 Pro Game of Thrones Limited Edition also gets plenty of UI elements inspired by the show. In everyday usagethe phone works well and delivers on every front. The UI receives some bloatwarewhich hampers the experience slightlybut not a deal breaker in any way. This one here is truly made for GOT phones. 

The Vivo V60e is positioned as a mid-premium handset that serves as a ‘lite’ version of the V60. It can give you multi-day use with its large batterywhile the cameras can capture fantastic shots when the lighting is right. Howeverthe experience isn’t perfect. Bloatware issues are persistentand the screen struggles to deliver in outdoor conditions. Despite its shortcomingsthe Vivo V60e is a good choice for camera enthusiasts and a strong performer.

At a price tag of Rs. 32,999the Oppo F31+ 5G impresses on two metrics: its battery life and durability. The handset can easily deliver over a day and a half of casual usage and can even stretch to two if you're conservative. It has a robust build that can survive drops and submersion in water and dust. Howeverthese are not the only criteria for a good smartphone todayand other areas leave a bit to be desired. The cameras are par for the courseand the overall software experience is riddled with bloatware. These issuescoupled with a dated chipsetmake the Oppo F31+ 5G a package that isn?t the best value-for-money.

Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold has a familiar design with minor changes. Its cover display has grown a bit bigger thanks to the new gear-less hingewhich apart from allowing more space for a bigger battery also gets this phone an IP68 rating for both dust and water resistance.

Its new chipset is not big on raw performancebut can efficiently handle both software and AI requirements of the phoneapart from providing decent gaming performance.

The software experience remains stock and comes loaded with AI featuresmost of which work as expected. The foldable will be the first to receive software updates and Google also offers a solid 7-year software commitment.

Battery life has improved and easily lasts a day with heavy usage. Charging speeds remain relatively slow. The foldable offers magnetic wireless charging (called Pixel Snap) but with capped charging speeds.
 

The Pixel 10 Pro XL ticks all the right boxes when it comes to a flagship Android smartphone and can go head-to-head with any modern-day premium smartphone. The cameras are typically Pixelwhich means if you're familiar with Google's camera prowessthen this won't disappoint you. The display is bright and works wellwhile the battery will impress you. The only department that somewhat misses the boat this year is performanceand that doesn't include regular everyday usagebut instead handling heavy graphics games or editing on the go. 

The Pixel 10 at Rs. 79,999 is for those who want a pure Android experience and would love to have a Google phone. It is one of the best entry-level Pixels in a long time. The biggest addition is the 5x telephoto lens that's missing on a lot of rival devices. The AI features on board are still worth tryingand some of them work better than what iPhones (up to iPhone 16) were offering till now. The primary camera is a solid one and won't disappoint in any situation. Overallthe Pixel 10 is for purists who love a raw Google experience.

Realme’s P4 Pro has a polycarbonate frame and rear panelboth of which are prone to accumulating fingerprints. Its design is quite slim and tapered on the sides thanks to the 4D-curved edge display panel and is also IP66-rated for dust and water.

Performance from the new chipset is not a problem and it handles Realme UI 6 without any issues. Gaming is also handled wellallowing users to play high-end games. There’s also a secondary chip for image processingwhich lets the phone bump up the visual frame ratetheoreticallybut this turned out to be a gimmick.

Camera performance is decent at best. The camera app now forces you to select one of two colour modes both of which makes a photo appear drastically different. There’s 4K video recordingwhich does a fine job provided you stick to 30 fps. The phone with its massive battery capacity can easily last over day with heavy usage. Charging is sufficiently fast.
 

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 7 has a brand new design that is not only slim but a bit wider as well. Made from the same armour aluminium used in other modelsthere’s now a large cover display with floating cameras in it. Despite its slimmer design and new hingethe phone has an IP48 rating against dust and water.

Insidethere is a homegrown processor which offers enough performance for everyday multitasking but falls a bit short when it comes to gaming. The processor runs hot and bogs the phone down when stressedbe it when playing games or using the camera app.

Camera performance is pretty average as the camera hardware remains unchanged from the previous model. Video recording is quite stable but not the best we have seen at this price point.

Battery life is a bit underwhelming as the phone barely gets through the day with heavy usage. Charging too is relatively slow and Samsung does not include a charger in the box.
 

OnePlus Nord CE 5 is a mid-range smartphone that offers some notable upgrades over its predecessorthe Nord CE 4. These include a more powerful processor and a larger battery. The phone has a plastic rear panel and edgesa dual rear camera setupa single bottom-firing speakerand a USB Type-C port. 

The 6.77-inch AMOLED screen on the OnePlus Nord CE 5 has slim bezels and a hole punch cutout for the selfie camera. It runs on Android 15 with OxygenOS 15and promised four years of OS upgrades and six years of security updates. The handset also supports some OnePlus AI software features.

Performance is driven by the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Apex SoCoffering improved CPU performance over the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chip in the Nord CE 4. It can handle demanding tasks like 4K video editing and games. The 6.77-inch OLED display has a refresh rate between 60Hz and 120Hz and is Widevine L1 certified for HD and HDR video streaming.

The Oneplus Nord CE 5 has a 50-megapixel primary rear camera (Sony LYT-600) with OISan 8-megapixel ultrawide camera (OV08D10)and a 16-megapixel selfie camera (Sony IMX480) with EIS.

You get a large 7,100mAh battery on the Nord CE 5and it provides at least two days of battery life on a single charge. It also supports 80W SuperVOOC wired chargingwhich can fully charge the phone in just over an hour.

The OnePlus Nord 5 offers notable improvements over last year's Nord 4 modelincluding a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset and enhanced cameras. A key design change is the replacement of the alert slider with a new "Plus Key," which can be remapped for various functionsincluding the new Plus Mind feature. 

The Nord 5 runs OxygenOS 15 based on Android 15offering AI features like Plus MindAI VoiceScribeAI Call Assistantand AI Translation. It's slated to receive four years of OS upgrades and six years of security updates. The phone features a glass and metal design with a 6.83-inch screen and a substantial 6,800mAh battery.

It features a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC from Qualcommand the handset is the first Nord series phone with an 8-series chip. While not the latestit's optimised for smooth day-to-day operation and demanding applications. The 6.83-inch Full-HD+ AMOLED screen refreshes at 144Hz and supports up to 1,800 nits peak brightness.

Camera capabilities include a 50-megapixel primary sensor with OISan 8-megapixel ultrawideand a 50-megapixel selfie camera. The primary camera performs well in various lighting conditionswhile the ultrawide is decent when there's enough light. It also supports up to 4K/60fps video recording on the main and selfie cameras.

The 6,800mAh battery is quite reliablelasting up to a day and a half with moderate usageand supports 80W SuperVOOC fast charging. Overallthe OnePlus Nord 5 is a strong contender in its price rangeoffering reliable performancea good primary cameraoptimised softwareand long lasting battery life.

Motorola’s Moto G96 has a design that makes use of glasssilicon and polycarbonatebut still manages to deliver an IP68 rating. The phone has a classy design with tapered sides thanks to the curved-edge front and rear panels.

The phone’s processor is a capable one and delivers reliable performance whether its daily app multitasking or mid-level gaming. Heating is also not an issue.

Camera performance is quite good both in daylight and in low light. The primary camera steals the showwhile the ultrawide camerawhich also doubles up as the macro camerais present just to fill up the spec sheet.

Software is updatedbut Motorola’s one year OS commitment seems a bit shaky given that it's still running Android 15. Battery life can easily last a day with heavy usage. Charging speeds are quick enough for a smartphone at this price point. 
 

The Vivo X200 FE is the latest compact smartphone in the X200 seriesoffering a perfect blend of compact design and powerful performance. The smartphone features a premium design and offers a bright display that offers vibrant colours and crisp texts. The device also performs wellthough it features last year’s MediaTek chipset. The cameras are the major selling point of the deviceand do a good job in most light conditions. The battery life is good for the compact form factor. Overallif you are looking for a compact premium smartphone with good camera capabilitiesthen you can consider the Vivo X200 FE.

The Realme GT 7T serves as the entry point for consumers in the GT 7 seriesoffering better value than the GT 7. The battery backup sets a benchmark for the segmentwhile performance credentials are reassuring. The dual camera setup is decent but could have been betterwhile the display is top-notch. The GT 7T also features a host of AI capabilities that keep it up-to-date. If you're looking for a smartphone that guarantees performance without compromisethen look no further than the GT 7T.

iQOO’s Neo 10 is a mid-range smartphone design with a mobile gamer’s requirements in mind. Howeverin the processit will also attract the non-gaming crowd because of the advantages its gaming-grade hardware brings to the table.

Its chassis and rear-panel use polycarbonate and is a smudge magnet. But this helps shed some weight and keeps the phone’s overall design quite slim given the massive battery and vapour-chamber cooling system.

Its display has skinny borders and is fast enough and useful while playing games thanks to the added chipsetwhich enables additional gaming features. Performance is top-notch for a mid-range smartphone and it also remains cool when stressed.

The phone’s primary camera performs very well in all lighting conditions but the ultrawide camera left us wanting for more. Battery life is excellent and can easily last beyond a day of heavy use. Wired charging is blazing fast.
 

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge has a slim and light designthat is more light than slim. Its sandwiched glass design uses a titanium frame which also helps keep things light and rigid. Despite its slim designyou get the usual set of features like stereo speakerswireless charging and more. 

The phone’s display is top notch. Colours are accurate and the touch sampling rate is great for gaming. Howeveroutdoors it cannot sustain its maximum brightness for too long because of its heating issues.

Despite packing a revised vapour chamber cooling systemthe phone throttles down its maximum performance very quickly. Regardlesscasual users will not notice these performance issues except when using its camerawhich is when it gets noticeably hot.

Primary camera performance is solidbut the ultrawide camera leaves a lot to be desired. The smaller battery capacity limits usage to a day and nothing more. Charging is also relatively slow for a premium device.
 

The Realme GT 7 delivers a powerful performance in terms of batterydisplayand overall capabilities. The 7,000mAh batterycombined with 120W fast chargingsets a benchmark at this price pointwhile 6000 nits of peak brightness makes it brighter than the iPhone 16. The camera department is not the biggest highlight of the GT 7though. For gaming enthusiaststhe phone can deliver on every front. Keeping in sync with market trendsthe GT 7 features a host of AI enhancementswhich is a welcome addition. 

The CMF Phone 2 Pro brings a lot of improvements to the CMF series. The latest smartphone from the brand offers a sleeker design language and a good in-hand feel. The handset provides decent performance and a good value-for-money proposition in this price segment. The cameras are capable of taking some good photos in different lighting conditions. The CMF Phone 2 Pro also has a good battery lifelasting slightly more than a day and having moderate to heavy usage. That saidif you are looking for an all-around package and want to experience a clean user interfaceconsider this smartphone. 

Motorola’s Edge 60 Pro has a slim and stylish tapered designwhich uses a polycarbonate frame and has top-notch IP rating for dust and water. Unlike most brandsthere are several different textured finishes to choose from.

Its display has skinny bezels and offers a vibrant viewing experience but lacks HDR support in OTT apps. The top-end mid-ranger processor offers more than enough performance for daily multi-taskingbut cannot offer sustained gaming performance. The software experience is smoothbut does pack some bloatware which can be uninstalled.

Camera performance is very good for this price point. The telephoto camera offers good performance in daylight but shoots slightly softer images in low light. Selfie camera captures oversharpened images.

Battery life did not perform well in our benchmark testsbut did very well in real-world testing. Charging speeds are still relatively fast and the phone also offers fast wireless charging.

The Vivo T4 has a slim and stylish design that is inspired by premium models in the company’s lineup of smartphones. Its frame and rear panel are made of polycarbonatebut the phone still manages an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance.

Performance is not a problem with the Vivo T4 as the phone handles applications and multitasking without breaking sweat. 3D games also work well with the phone maintaining its cool.

The phone only offers one user-accessible rear facing camera which offers good daylight and low light performance provided you don’t zoom in. Video recordings come out well and also pack in good detail in all lighting conditions.

The phone’s high-capacity battery can easily last days with light usage. With heavy usage it can still easily last over a day. It is also surprisingly quick while charging with the bundled charger.
 

The iQOO Z10x is a budget smartphone that uses a polycarbonate frame and rear panel but still manages to offer an IP64 rating for dust and water resistance. The phone offers a textured rear panelwhich makes it appear attractive given its price tag.

Performance is not exactly a problemgiven the capable processor. Howeverwe did notice some stutters from time to timewhich points to software optimisation issues. The phone is updated to the latest Android 15but only supports 2 years of software updates.

Camera is not the iQOO Z10x’s biggest drawback. Daylight images are far from the best we have seen in this segment. Low light images are not usable. Video recording isn’t great either.

Despite packing a high capacity batterycharging speeds are pretty good. Standby time is also very good and the phone can easily last two days with light usage.

Motorola’s Edge 60 Fusion is a stylish mid-range smartphone that offers a premium design with its various vegan-leather finishes. The phone offers both IP68 and IP69 ratings for dust and water resistance.

Its display curves aggressively on the left and right sides but this only enhances the premium look and feel of the smartphone. It’s also bright enough to tackle direct sunlight.

The phone’s software experience remains near-stock in terms of visuals but comes stuffed with plenty of bloatware underneath. Luckilyperformance is on point and one can enjoy gaming on it as well.

Camera performance is great as well. Both the primary camera and ultrawide camera perform well in all types of lighting conditions. Also good is its video recording capabilities. Battery life is average but can easily get past a day even with heavy use.
 

The iQOO Neo 10R has a frame and rear panel made of polycarbonate but still manages an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance. The phone’s design and choice of materials do feel basic and this also makes it a smudge and dust magnet.

Its display is a contrast to its rear panel. It offers a high refresh rate and works well for consuming content outdoors and for gaming. The bright display also supports HDR10 for video streaming.

The device is a performance powerhouse given its price and so multitasking is a breeze. Also included are some AI tools some of which perform as expected.

Imaging is not this phone’s strong point. Video quality in daylight is impressive but we cannot say the same about low light shooting. The phone’s massive battery and fast charging make it a solid road warrior and great for those who are constantly streaming video or playing games on the move. 

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro 5G brings a lot of improvements as compared to its predecessor. The latest smartphone from the brand offers the iconic transparent back panel with an improved Glyph interface. Moreoverthe new camera module gives it a distinct look and feel. The handset comes with an IP64 ratingwhich makes it dust and water-resistant. 

The Nothing Phone 3a has a unique design which sets it apart from any other smartphone at its price point. The phone’s rear panel is made of glasswhich also allows for a better IP64 rating for dust and water resistance. The Glyph interface present on all Nothing phones remains the same as before in terms of form and function.

Software performance with everyday use is quite solid. It works smoothly without any hiccups and contains no bloatware either. Everything from wallpapers to fonts to themes is very tastefully accomplished. And the same applies to the AI feature called Essential Space.

Camera performance is a bit of a mixed bag. The main camera performs wellbut the newly introduced telephoto camera works best in daylight. Low-light video recording needs work and is strictly average.

Despite its standard batteryNothing has managed to optimise it well with Nothing OS. It can easily handle a whole day of heavy usage. Charging speeds are relatively a bit slow.

The Apple iPhone 16e is a brand-new product line meant to replace the brand’s SE series of smartphones. A fresh new name brings a new but recycled designthat feels premium and maintains the compact dimensions of its predecessor.

The display is a bit dated both in terms of appearance and capabilitythanks to its large notch with thick borders and its 60Hz standard refresh ratewhich makes the software experience feel a bit sluggish.

Packing the latest chipsetperformance is through the roof. So whether it regular apps or high-end gameseverything works as expected. Camera performance is decent for the most part and lacks the flexibility offered by the standard numbered iPhone models. Low light performance is a bit below average.

Battery life is one of the iPhone 16e’s strong points. It easily manages a whole day of usewhich is good for a compact smartphone. Both wired and wireless charging are relatively slow.

The Realme P3 Pro seems like an intriguing low-priced mid-ranger aimed mainly at the youth. Its design offers a selection of brightloud colourways with interesting textures and finishes. Its rounded design is also IP68 and IP69-rated for dust and water resistance.

The phone offers a quad-curved display with thin borders. The curved edges do add some distracting reflections but make for an immersive viewing experience. Stillthe display somehow does not feel bright outdoors.

Performance is not a problem with daily useand casual users will see no slowdowns or hiccups of any sort. Howeverthe phone comes loaded with plenty of bloatware and double apps.

Its camera performs well in daylight but not so much in low light. Video recording is a bit below average overall. Battery life is goodbut we did expect better given the battery’s higher than usual capacity. 

The Vivo V50 offers a slim and stylish design despite using a mix of glass and polycarbonate. It’s design is also IP68 and IP69-rated for dust and water resistance. Vivo makes good use of a quad-curved display to give the phone a slim silhouettebut it still feels a bit heavy because of its large battery.

The display is quite bright and is properly legible in the bright outdoors. Howeverits quad-curved design does produce some unnecessary and distracting reflections. The phone has the same chipset used in the past two modelsbut the software handles it all well with a hiccup.

Its lower raw performance is more evident when playing gamesas it’s not able to hold a stable frame rate while doing so. Howeverheating issues are not a problem. Camera performance is a mixed bag and is far from the best we have seen in this segment.

Battery performance stands outeasily managing more than a day of heavy usage. Charging speeds are also quite fast for a device equipped with such a large battery.