Best phones under Rs 1,00,000 (March 2026): Vivo X300, Samsung Galaxy S26 5G to Apple iPhone 17

For that kind of money, you expect nothing but the best in smartphones, be it processing power or cameras or brand value. Keeping that in mind, we have shortlisted about half a dozen options worth spending close to a lakh rupees on, and ones that are currently in stock. Time to meet them.

Best phones to buy under Rs 1,00,000 in India

Vivo X300

We rated the Vivo X300 as the best compact flagship phone of 2025, and it’s still hard to beat. It ticks almost every box that matters. Powered by Mediatek’s flagship Dimensity 9500 SoC, you can comfortably get its 12 GB RAM and 512 GB UFS 4.1 storage variant in this budget.

More from Best Deals

You can also get the 16 GB RAM variant for Rs 4,000 more. The phone has a 6.31-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a resolution of 2640 x 1216 pixels, 10-bit colour depth, 120 Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ compliance and a peak brightness of 4500 nits.

Vivo X300

The phone feels great in hand due to its size, slimness and moderate weight. It has a sturdy build with IP68/IP69-rated ingress protection. The X300 runs the latest OriginOS 6 based on Android 16, with five years of OS updates and seven years of security updates promised, which is great.

Despite being compact, neither the battery capacity nor the camera department has been compromised. The phone hosts a 6040 mAh Silicon Carbon battery that lasts for two days of moderate use and supports 90W fast wired charging and 40W wireless charging.

The photography department on the Vivo X300 boasts of three rear cameras with Zeiss optics. You get a 200MP primary camera with a large 1/1.4” Samsung HPB sensor and optical image stabilisation (OIS) that can also record 4K videos at up to 120 FPS.

Support cast is equally impressive with a 50MP periscope telephoto camera with OIS for 3X optical zoom and a 50MP ultra-wide camera with 119-degrees FOV and auto-focus. Add to that a 50MP front camera with auto-focus and a broad FOV to impress the selfie enthusiasts.

Vivo X300 price in India: Rs 81,999 for 12 GB RAM/ 512 GB storage

Vivo X300 Pro

With the right credit card or payment methods (and there are multiple options to choose from), you can now buy the Vivo X300 Pro for under a lakh. Arguably the best camera phone of 2025, the photography department here uses the same 50MP ultra-wide and selfie cameras as the X300.

However, the 50MP primary camera uses a larger 1/1.28” Sony LYT-828 sensor with OIS, and if that wasn’t enough, it uses the primary sensor of the X300 for telephoto duties using a periscope telephoto lens capable of providing 3.5X optical zoom. The phone can record 4K videos at up to 120 FPS and even 8K videos at 30 FPS.

Vivo X300 Pro

The Vivo X300 Pro too is powered by a Mediatek Dimensity 9500 chip with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB dual UFS 4.1 storage and also has one of the best displays around. Its 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliance, 4500 nits peak brightness and a resolution of 2800 x 1260 pixels is mighty impressive. The display is protected by a layer of Armor Glass.

A 6510mAh battery provides ample battery backup and supports 90W fast wired charging and 40W wireless charging. The Vivo X300 Pro has an IP69 rating which lets you do a bit underwater photography as well.

It runs Android 16 with OriginOS 6 and just like in case of the X300, Vivo has promised five major OS updates and seven years of security updates for this phone going ahead.

Vivo X300 Pro price in India: Rs 99,999 (effectively) for 16 GB RAM/ 512 GB storage

Realme GT 8 Pro

There are quite a few phones in this segment powered by Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC, but factoring in all the features and price, we opted for the top variant of the current Realme flagship, the GT 8 Pro.

You can get its 16 GB RAM and 512 GB UFS 4.1 storage variant in this budget with ample to spare. It has a 6.79-inch QHD+ 10-bit LTPO AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate and up to 7000 nits peak brightness. The HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliant screen is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 7i.

Realme GT 8 Pro

This rugged phone flaunts an IP69-rated ingress protection that allows you to do underwater photography as well. The camera department here uses Ricoh lenses and consists of two 50MP cameras at the back, the primary with OIS and the ultra-wide shooter with 116-degrees FOV.

Giving them company is a 200MP periscope telephoto camera with OIS that offers 3X optical zoom. The phone lets you record videos at up to 8K resolution.

A large 7000 mAh battery keeps the phone running for over two days of moderate use, and the bundled 120W fast charger promises to juice it up fully in under 45 minutes. It also supports 50W fast wireless charging.

The Realme GT 8 Pro runs Android 16 with Realme UI 7.0, and the company has committed to at least four major OS updates for this device.

Note: The top variant of the new iQOO 15 is also an excellent alternative in this segment and largely offers similar features for a similar price.

Realme GT 8 Pro price in India: Rs 78,999 for 16 GB RAM/ 512 GB storage

Samsung Galaxy S26 5G

If you like latest compact flagship phones from more premium brands, the new Samsung Galaxy S26 is a good option, however, you will have to make a few sacrifices on the storage and battery front. It has a 6.3-inch Full HD+ Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display with a peak brightness of 2600 nits, HDR10+ compliance and 120 Hz refresh rate.

Despite being compact, it is quite sturdy with an IP68-rated dust and water resistance, Armor Aluminium 2 frame and a glass back with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which also protects its screen.

The S26 is powered by the new Exynos 2600 chip that can rival the Elites from Qualcomm, and you get its 12 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage variant in this budget.

Battery capacity sees a small increment of 300 mAh to 4300mAh but is no match for that of the Vivo X300. Charging specs are modest at best with 25W wired and 15W wireless charging supported. The phone runs Android 16 and Samsung’s One UI 8.5. The company has promised an impressive seven years of software updates for this phone.

Photography department on the Samsung Galaxy S26 seems carried forward from the S24 yet again and consists of the same three cameras at the back - a 50MP primary camera with dual pixel PDAF and OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide camera with Super Steady video support and a 10MP telephoto camera with OIS for 3X optical zoom.

You also get a 12MP front camera with PDAF for selfies and video calls. The camera performance is best in class, and can also record videos in up to 8K resolution.

Pro tip:

If you are not hung up on the hype about the latest in the market, the Samsung Galaxy S25 for a good 13-15K less offers far better value for money and you won’t miss much in terms of features or performance.

Samsung Galaxy S26 5G price in India: Rs 87,999 for 12 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage

Apple iPhone 17

The Apple iPhone 17 with 256 GB storage can also be purchased in this budget. It has a 6.3-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display with a resolution of 2622 x 1206 pixels, 120 Hz refresh rate and 3000 nits peak brightness. The screen is protected by a layer of Ceramic Shield 2 glass.

Despite being slightly larger than its predecessors, it still has a great hand feel. Battery capacity has marginally increased to 3692 mAh providing the phone with a couple of hours extra backup. It supports wireless charging in addition to the regular USB-C wired option.

Apple iPhone 17

The iPhone 17 has IP68 rated ingress protection and is powered by Apple’s A19 chip and runs iOS 26 with more updates to follow over the years. The camera department consists of a 48MP main camera with dual-pixel PDAF and OIS that has been carried forward from the iPhone 16.

The ultra-wide camera sees a significant upgrade from a 12MP unit to 48MP with auto-focus. The selfie camera also sees a jump to 18MP, and interestingly, also has OIS. The Apple iPhone 17 does quite well in photography and videography both.

Apple iPhone 17 price in India: Rs 82,900 for 256 GB storage