Realme X7 Pro, OnePlus Nord to Vivo V20 Pro: Best phones under Rs 30,000 (Feb 2021)

Flagship killers often originate from this price band, and we have some interesting mix of smartphones for you to choose from under Rs 30,000 this month. We used to have the odd 5G-ready phone in this budget, but this time, more than half the phones in the list are 5G-compliant. Powerful processing hardware, good cameras and sharp displays are expected in this segment, and you won’t be disappointed. So, let’s see who made the cut this time.

Best phones to buy under Rs 30,000 in India

Realme X7 Pro

[caption id="attachment_9288611" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Realme X7 Pro. Image: Tech2/Sheldon Pinto[/caption]Looks like Realme has got a winner on its hands with the X7 Pro in the sub-30K segment. The first of the 5G phones in this list (and the company’s latest) is powered by the new Mediatek Dimensity 1000+ chip, which proved to be more powerful than Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765 in our tests. That holds true in gaming, too, and this is a more than capable phone for gamers. You get the 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage variant in this budget. The 6.55-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with its 120 Hz refresh rate and 240 Hz sampling rate is quite vibrant and fluid and adds to the overall experience.The Realme X7 Pro (Review) has an elegant design and isn’t bulky either (by today’s standards). The 64 MP primary camera is quite impressive in varied lighting conditions. It is accompanied by an 8 MP ultra-wide camera, 2 MP macro camera and 2 MP depth sensor. The support cast isn’t the most impressive, but the main camera more than makes up for them. The 32 MP selfie camera does its job well, too. The 4,500 mAh battery lasts over a day of heavy use and the bundled 65 W fast charger takes it from 0 to 100 percent in well under 40 minutes, which is excellent. The phone runs Android 10 with Realme UI; an Android 11 update is expected soon.Realme X7 Pro price in India: Rs 29,999 for 8 GB RAM/128 GB storage

OnePlus Nord

[caption id="attachment_8624581" align="alignnone" width="1280"] OnePlus Nord[/caption]The OnePlus Nord (Review) continues to offer great value in this segment and retains its spot on the list. This 5G-ready phone has a vibrant, 6.44-inch Full HD+ Fluid AMOLED display with a 90 Hz refresh rate and is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The protection extends to the phone’s glass back, too. The OnePlus Nord is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765 chip, which is accompanied by either 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage or 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage. Both options are available in this budget.It has a 48 MP main camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS) that does most of the heavy lifting. Rest of the cameras include an 8 MP ultra-wide camera, 5 MP depth sensor and 2 MP macro camera. The selfie enthusiasts have 32 MP + 8 MP dual front cameras to play with, which capture some crisp shots and videos, including ultra-wide selfies and 4K videos at 60 fps. The OnePlus Nord has a 4,115 mAh battery that lasts close to a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 30 W fast charger juices it up to 60 percent inside half an hour. The phone launched with OxygenOS 10.5 based on Android 10, and the Android 11 update is imminent.OnePlus Nord price in India: Rs 27,999 for 8 GB RAM/128 GB storage; Rs 29,999 for 12 GB RAM/256 GB storage

Vivo V20 Pro

And here is the third 5G phone on this list, the Vivo V20 Pro (Review). It comes with the latest Android 11 OS out of the box, with the Fun touch OS 11 UI on top. This phone flaunts something that is getting increasingly rare these days, and that is slimness. The V20 Pro claims to be less than 7.4 mm thin; a refreshing change from the bulky phones we have seen over the last year or two. Despite the slim profile, it has a respectable 4,000 mAh battery that keeps the phone powered for over a day of moderate use.[caption id="attachment_9108871" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Vivo V20 Pro. Image: Tech2/Sheldon Pinto[/caption]The Vivo V20 Pro has a 6.44-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display that’s HDR10 compliant. Just like the Nord, this phone, too, is powered by a Snapdragon 765 SoC and offers 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage. Camera department is more than decent with a 64 MP primary camera at the back, supported by an 8 MP ultrawide shooter and a 2 MP depth sensor. Selfie enthusiasts are in for a treat, courtesy of its 44 MP + 8 MP front cameras that can record 4K videos and also take ultra-wide selfies.Vivo V20 Pro price in India: Rs 29,990 for 8 GB RAM/128 GB storage

iQOO 3

The iQOO 3 (Review) from the Vivo sub-brand also keeps its spot on this list. It flaunts an impressive set of specifications and features, starting with Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 865 SoC; it’s probably the most affordable phone with that chip in India currently. You get the 8 GB RAM variant of this phone with 128 GB of internal storage in this budget. The iQOO 3 comes with a 6.44-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 6 on top and HDR10+ support. You also get a 16 MP selfie camera located in a tiny punch-hole at the top of the screen.[caption id="attachment_8106011" align="alignnone" width="1280"] iQOO 3.[/caption]Camera department here is quite versatile, courtesy of a quad-camera setup at the back with a 48 MP primary camera, 13 MP ultrawide camera, 13 MP telephoto camera for 2X optical zoom and a 2 MP depth sensor. The iQOO 3 runs Android 10 with the company’s custom UI on top. Its 4,400 mAh battery keeps it powered for over a day of moderate use. And when it runs out of juice, the bundled 55 W fast charger lets you recharge it in double quick time.iQOO 3 price in India: Rs 29,990 for 8 GB RAM/128 GB storage

Realme X3 SuperZoom

[caption id="attachment_8582861" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Realme X3 SuperZoom. Image: Tech2//Nimish Sawant[/caption]Here is another Realme phone on the list for those who prefer a more feature-rich camera set in lieu of an AMOLED display and 5G compliance. The Realme X3 SuperZoom (Review) boasts of 5X optical zoom, courtesy of its 8 MP periscope telephoto camera with OIS. The rest of the camera department on this phone includes a 64 MP primary camera, an 8 MP ultrawide shooter and a 2 MP macro camera. You get two more cameras at the front (32 MP + 8 MP) to take care of selfies and video calls. The design is similar to the Nord’s in many ways, but the textured glass back here looks a lot more stylish.The X3 SuperZoom is powered by Qualcomm’s previous-generation flagship Snapdragon 855+ chip. You get the 8 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage variant in this budget. The 6.6-inch Full HD+ display, though not AMOLED, is sharp and has a 120 Hz refresh rate for flicker-free scrolling in compatible apps. The screen is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. A 4,200 mAh battery powers the phone for over a day of moderate use, and the bundled 30 W fast charger juices it up in just about an hour. Realme X3 SuperZoom runs Android 10 with the Realme UI on top.Realme X3 SuperZoom price in India: Rs 29,999 for 8 GB RAM/256 GB storage