Top flagship phones between Rs 60,000-70,000 (Sept 2021): Apple iPhone 13 Mini to Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus- Technology News, Firstpost

Ameya DalviSep 28, 2021 09:35:26 IST

Our list of phones under Rs 75,000 this month is loaded with superstars. Courtesy some new launches and price drops this month, we also have a couple of options that weren’t available in this price bracket earlier. Without further ado, let me introduce you to the best of the lot in this budget currently.

Best phones to buy under Rs 75,000 in India

Apple iPhone 12

Cometh the iPhone 13, cometh a better deal on the Apple iPhone 12. To the best of my knowledge, never before was the iPhone 12 available in India for under Rs 70,000, and that too the mid variant with 128 GB storage. While it’s not as compact as the iPhone 12 Mini, it is just the right size for single-handed operations. You get a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen that is compliant with HDR10 and Dolby Vision. It is protected against scratches and smudges by a ceramic glass and oleophobic coating.

At its core is Apple’s previous flagship A14 Bionic chip that is still powerful enough. It was their flagship chip about a fortnight ago! You get two 12 MP cameras at the back with the primary lens offering OIS, while the secondary lets you capture ultra-wide shots. Needless to say, the performance is top-notch in different lighting conditions, and the phone can shoot some impressive videos, too. It runs the latest iOS 14, and is upgradeable to iOS 15.

Apple iPhone 12 price in India: Rs 68,999 for 128 GB storage on Amazon India

Apple iPhone 13 Mini

Did I say you cannot get an iPhone 13 series phone in India in this budget? Well, you can get your hands on the smallest of the latest Apple iPhones comfortably in this budget. It is good to see Apple continue with the Mini series, and just like its predecessor, the Apple iPhone 13 Mini is refreshingly compact. Again, it’s not just about a small phone, but the availability of a proper flagship device in this form factor without skipping any key feature. Having that choice is a good thing when smartphones are getting larger by the year.

The Apple iPhone 13 Mini is pretty much the iPhone 13 in terms of design, processing power and most of the features, but in a smaller shell. It has a sharper, 5.4-inch Full HD+ Super Retina XDR OLED screen, again compliant with HDR10 and Dolby Vision. At its heart is the latest A15 Bionic chip that powers the entire iPhone 13 series. The two 12 MP cameras at the back are similar to those found on the iPhone 12 but aligned differently (insert meme on Apple’s creativity here). The output quality is at least as good, if not better. It runs the latest iOS 15, and one can expect OS updates for the next five years.

Apple iPhone 13 Mini price in India: Rs 69,990 for 128 GB storage

Samsung Galaxy S21/ S21 Plus

Continuing the theme of compact phones, another option on this list is the Samsung Galaxy S21. Other than its plastic back, this S series phone ticks all the right boxes. It has a 6.2-inch Full HD+ Dynamic AMOLED display with a rated peak brightness of 1300 nits, HDR10+ compliance and a 120 Hz refresh rate. It is powered by Samsung’s Exynos 2100 chip which can be found in most of the top-end Samsung phones. The S21 is bundled with 8 GB RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. You get Android 11 out of the box with Samsung’s One UI 3.

Photography is handled by three cameras at the back with a 12 MP primary camera with OIS, 12 MP ultra-wide camera and a 64 MP telephoto camera with OIS that facilitates 3X Hybrid zoom. The camera performance is excellent with great detail, close to natural colours and wide dynamic range. Its low-light performance is commendable, too. This phone can also record high quality videos in up to 8K resolution. Its 4,000 mAh battery keeps the phone running for over a day of moderate use. Just like the iPhones above, the Samsung Galaxy S21 also has IP68 rated dust and water resistance.

If the plastic back bothers you or if you find its screen too small, you can now get the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus in this budget, too. You get a glass back here and a much larger 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED display. The battery capacity is also 20 percent higher at 4,800 mAh. Rest of the features and specifications are pretty much the same as the S21.

Samsung Galaxy S21 price in India: Rs 61,900 for 8 GB RAM/128 GB storage
Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus price in India: Rs 69,999 for 8 GB RAM/128 GB storage

OnePlus 9 Pro

The OnePlus flagship holds on to its spot on this list. Like the S21 Plus, it has a similar-sized 6.7-inch LTPO Fluid AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, but with a higher resolution of 3216 x 1440 pixels. The HDR10+ compliant screen can display a billion colours and can get up to 1300 nits bright. The phone design is elegant with a metal frame and a glass body protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 front and back.

The rear camera department is highly versatile with a combination of a 48 MP primary camera with OIS, a 50 MP ultrawide camera with auto-focus, 8 MP telephoto camera with OIS for 3.3X optical zoom and a 2 MP mono camera. The Hasselblad colour tuning makes the colours look a lot more natural as compared to its predecessors. The cameras manage to capture some impressive images in different lighting and modes. The 16 MP front camera located in a tiny punch-hole at the top of the screen is good enough for selfies and video calls.

The 5G-ready OnePlus 9 Pro is powered by Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 888 SoC, and you get 8 GB or 12 GB RAM variants of the phone with 128 GB and 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage respectively in this budget. Its 4,500 mAh battery lasts over a day of moderate use, and the bundled 65 W Warp charger juices it up insanely fast. The phone also supports fast wireless charging. It has IP68 rating for ingress protection and runs OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11.

OnePlus 9 Pro price in India: Rs 64,999 for 8 GB RAM/128 GB storage; Rs 69,999 for 12 GB RAM/256 GB storage

Vivo X60 Pro Plus

Vivo’s flagship X60 Pro Plus is another fully-loaded option in this budget with a high style quotient. The rear camera department has Zeiss optics, and the primary unit has a 50 MP sensor with OIS. Giving it company are a 48 MP ultra-wide camera with Gimbal stabilisation and 32 MP and 8 MP telephoto cameras that provide 2X to 5X optical zoom. All cameras do a commendable job across various modes and lighting, and record equally impressive videos. The 32 MP front camera is bound to impress the selfie enthusiasts.

The Vivo X60 Pro Plus has a vibrant 6.56-inch Full HD+ HDR10+ compliant Super AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate. This flagship phone, too, is powered by Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 888 SoC. It is accompanied by a generous 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. It packs a 4,200 mAh battery that lasts for a day of moderate use and the bundled 55 W fast charger refills it quickly. The phone runs Android 11 with FunTouch 11 UI.

Pro tip: The Vivo X70 series is expected to be launched within a week, so you might want to delay your purchase decision till then.

Vivo X60 Pro Plus price in India: Rs 69,990 for 12 GB RAM/256 GB storage