These are the best smartphones of 2023 under Rs. 40,000
What's the story
In the past few months, a number of smartphones have debuted in the Indian market across different price points.
We have been presented with some of the best feature-rich offerings from brands like POCO, Samsung, Redmi, OnePlus, and Vivo.
Here's our compilation of 2023's top models, which provide a great value-for-money deal.
Check out the list.
Phone #1
POCO C55: Starts at Rs. 8,499
The POCO C55 gets a waterdrop notch, IP52 water resistance, and a leather-like stitch back with a fingerprint sensor.
It sports a 6.71-inch HD+ LCD screen, with a 60Hz refresh rate, 534-nits of brightness, 120Hz touch sampling rate, and 268ppi pixel density.
On the rear, there's a 50MP main camera and VGA depth sensor. For selfies, the device features a 5MP selfie camera.
Information
Gaming-focused MediaTek Helio G85 chipset is onboard
The POCO C55 houses MediaTek Helio G85 chipset and a 5,000mAh battery. It boots MIUI 13 on top of Android 12. The phone comes in 4GB/64GB and 6GB/128GB configurations. It supports up to 1TB of expandable storage.
Phone #2
Samsung Galaxy M14 5G: Begins at Rs. 14,990
The Samsung Galaxy M14 5G has a waterdrop notch for the selfie camera, and a side-facing fingerprint reader.
It packs a 6.6-inch Full-HD+ LCD screen, with a 90Hz refresh rate, and Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
At the back, the handset offers 50MP primary and 2MP macro and depth shooters. Up front, it has a 13MP camera for selfies and video calls.
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It houses a 6,000mAh battery pack supporting 25W fast-charging
The Samsung Galaxy M14 is powered by an Exynos 1330 processor. It has a long-lasting 6,000mAh battery with 25W fast-charging. The handset boots Android 13 with One UI Core 5.1 (the brand has promised two OS upgrades). It comes in 4GB/128GB and 6GB/128GB models.
Phone #3
Redmi Note 12 5G: Starts at Rs. 17,999
The Redmi Note 12 5G sports a top-centered punch-hole and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. It enjoys IP53-rated water resistance.
The phone features a 6.67-inch Full-HD+ Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 240Hz touch sampling rate, 1,200-nits peak brightness, and Gorilla Glass 3 protection.
It gets a 48MP main, 8MP ultra-wide, and 2MP macro lens. Up front, it has a 13MP camera.
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A Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 chip powers the device
The Redmi Note 12 is backed by Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 chip. It is offered in 4GB/128GB, 6GB/128GB, and 8GB/256GB variants. The phone runs on Android 12-based MIUI 13. It packs a 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast-charging support.
Phone #4
POCO X5 Pro 5G: Begins at Rs. 22,999
The POCO X5 Pro 5G has a centrally-aligned punch-hole cut-out, an IP53 rating, and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.
The handset flaunts a 6.67-inch Full-HD+ 10-bit AMOLED screen, with up to 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ certification, Dolby Vision, and Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
It has a 108MP main, 8MP ultra-wide, and a 2MP macro snapper. For selfies, a 16MP front-facing camera is onboard.
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It supports 67W fast-charging
The POCO X5 Pro 5G is powered by a Snapdragon 778G chipset. The device boots Android 12-based MIUI 14, and gets a 5,000mAh battery, supporting 67W fast charging. It also offers Dolby Atmos-supported dual speakers. The device is available in 6GB/128GB and 8GB/256GB configurations.
Phone #5
iQOO Neo 7: Starts at Rs. 29,999
The iQOO Neo 7 has a top-centered punch-hole cut-out and an under-display fingerprint reader.
It is equipped with a 6.78-inch Full-HD+ AMOLED panel, with a 120Hz refresh rate, 1,300-nits of peak brightness, 1,200Hz instant touch response rate, and HDR10+ certification.
The phone boasts a 64MP (OIS) main shooter, and 2MP macro and depth sensors. It has a 16MP front-facing camera.
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It allows 120W superfast charging
A MediaTek Dimensity 8200 SoC powers the iQOO Neo 7. It boots Android 13 with Funtouch OS 13 baked on top. Under the hood, it has a 5,000mAh battery with 120W fast-charging. The handset can be purchased in 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB configurations.
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Here are some more recommendations
There are several other smartphones that you may check out including Samsung's recently-launched Galaxy A34 and Galaxy A54, which start at Rs. 30,999 and Rs. 38,999, respectively.
If you are a Xiaomi fan, consider the feature-loaded Redmi Note 12 Pro+, which begins at Rs. 29,999.
Individuals seeking a camera-oriented offering can get the Vivo V27 Pro. Gamers can grab the flagship-killer OnePlus 11R.