Best phones under Rs 25,000 (Nov 2023): Poco F5 5G, Samsung Galaxy F54 5G to Vivo T2 Pro 5G

Our list of phones under Rs 25,000 this month has seen a complete overhaul since the last quarter, and for the better. We have some excellent options that weren’t available in this budget previously, thanks to the festive sales. As always, we have shortlisted smartphones with powerful processors, quality cameras with optical image stabilisation (OIS), high refresh rate AMOLED displays and ample storage. 5G compliance is a given now. So let’s take a look at the best smartphones you can buy under Rs 25,000 at the moment in India.

Poco F5 5G
The Poco F5 5G is our top pick in this budget for its excellent all-round capabilities. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 2 SoC, which is comparable to the Snapdragon 888+ chip, and at times even faster. You get 8 GB and 256 GB internal storage to go with it. Its 5000 mAh battery lasts over a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 67W fast charger can juice it up fully in a little over 45 minutes.

One standout feature of this device is its vibrant and super impressive 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED screen with support for 12-bit colour, 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliance. The display has 1000 nits peak brightness and is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Photography is handled by a 64MP primary camera with OIS, an 8MP ultra-wide shooter and a 2MP macro camera. You get a 16MP front camera for selfies and video calls.

The Poco F5 5G has an attractive design, especially its Snowstorm White variant which has a holographic design at the back which radiates different patterns from different angles as can be seen in the image above. The phone is quite slim measuring just 7.9 mm in thickness and one of the lightest in the segment, weighing close to 180 grams. The Poco F5 5G runs Android 13 with MIUI 14, and is one of the rare phones to offer a 2-year warranty.

Poco F5 5G price in India: Rs 23,999 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage

iQOO Z7 Pro 5G / Vivo T2 Pro 5G
The iQOO Z7 Pro 5G and Vivo T2 Pro 5G are literally the same phones with different colour options, and both have some attractive glass back panels. Both phones are powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 chip, and you get 8 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage to give it company. They have 6.78-inch 10-bit, HDR10+ compliant, Full HD+ curved AMOLED displays with a peak brightness of 1300 nits and 120Hz refresh rate. The phones run Android 13 with FunTouch UI 13.

The photography department on these handsets is helmed by a 64MP primary camera with OIS, and accompanied by a 2MP depth sensor and a 16MP selfie camera. An ultra-wide camera is lacking on these phones. Their 4600 mAh battery can last over a day of moderate use, and the bundled 66W fast charger promises to take them from 0 to 50 per cent in just 22 minutes. The iQOO Z7 Pro 5G and Vivo T2 Pro 5G are great options under 25K, and you can choose one depending on the colour or brand you prefer.

iQOO Z7 Pro 5G price in India: Rs 24,999 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage
Vivo T2 Pro 5G price in India: Rs 24,999 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage

Realme Narzo 60 Pro 5G
The Realme Narzo 60 Pro 5G is another solid option in this budget. It flaunts a 100MP primary camera with OIS that captures some great images across varied lighting. This phone too lacks an ultra-wide camera and has a 2MP depth sensor as the secondary camera. You do get a competent 16MP selfie camera though. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7050 SoC, and you can get its top variant with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage in this budget.

The Realme Narzo 60 Pro 5G has a 6.7-inch curved Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate. It is HDR10+ compliant and can display over a billion colour shades. The curved display adds to the style quotient of this device, speaking of which, you also get a vegan leather back that looks and feels great. The phone has a 5000 mAh battery that lasts over a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 67W SuperVOOC charger promises to juice it up briskly. The Narzo 60 Pro 5G runs the latest Android 13 with Realme UI 4.0.

Realme Narzo 60 Pro 5G price in India: Rs 23,999 for 12GB RAM/256GB storage

Motorola Edge 40 Neo
The Motorola Edge 40 Neo is another stylish phone in this budget. It is fairly compact too measuring 7.9 mm in thickness and weighing close to 170 grams. You get a vegan leather back panel here too and more colour choices. You get a 10-bit 6.55-inch curved P-OLED display with 144Hz refresh rate, 1300 nits peak brightness and HDR10+ compliance. This phone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7030 chip and you can choose between 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage or 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage variants.

The camera spread on the Motorola Edge 40 Neo may not seem elaborate but is certainly effective. You get a 50MP primary camera with OIS and a 13MP ultra-wide camera with auto-focus, which doubles up as a quality macro camera. Its 32MP front camera is bound to impress the selfie crowd. The 5000 mAh battery can go on for over a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 68W fast charger can recharge half of it in just 15 minutes. The Edge 40 runs Android 13, and like most Motorola phones, you get a clean and near-stock user interface.

Motorola Edge 40 Neo price in India: Rs 22,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage; Rs 24,999 for 12GB RAM/256GB storage

Samsung Galaxy F54 5G
Last but not the least, the Samsung Galaxy F54 5G offers an impressive list of features in addition to the Samsung brand name under 25K. Let’s start with its impressive 6.7-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED Plus display with 120Hz refresh rate. In addition to that, this Samsung phone boasts of a 108MP primary camera with OIS. Support cast features an 8MP ultra-wide shooter and a 2MP macro camera. A 32MP front camera is also present to please the selfie enthusiasts.

The Samsung Galaxy F54 5G is powered by an Exynos 1380 SoC and you get 8 GB RAM and 256 GB internal (expandable) storage along with it. A 6000 mAh battery keeps the phone powered for close to two days of moderate use and supports 25W fast charging. However, the company doesn’t provide a charger in the bundle. The phone runs the latest Android 13 with Samsung’s One UI 5.1. The company promises further software updates and a whopping 5 years of security updates for this phone.

Samsung Galaxy F54 5G price in India: Rs 24,999 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage