There have been several new smartphone launches in the sub-Rs. 40,000 segment, with new additions such as the Xiaomi 11T Pro, Vivo V23 Pro and Oppo Reno 7 Pro. The Xiaomi 11T Pro seems to offer good value and is the closest to being an all-rounder. The iQoo 7 Legend still has the most impressive camera specifications. The Vivo V23 Pro has been quite a surprise, and due to its higher price compared to its predecessor, now competes in the premium segment. It’s also one of the lightest premium smartphones you can get your hands on. Samsung’s Galaxy S20 FE 5G has recently seen a price cut and is now available for less than Rs. 40,000.
If you’re undecided about which smartphone is right for you, then read on to see some of Gadgets 360’s top picks under Rs. 40,000, in no particular order.
Best Phones under Rs. 40,000
| Phones under Rs. 40,000 | Gadgets 360 rating (out of 10) | Price in India (as recommended) |
|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G | 9 | Rs. 39,999 |
| Oppo Reno 7 Pro 5G | 8 | Rs. 39,999 |
| Vivo V23 Pro | 8 | Rs. 38,990 |
| Realme GT Neo 2 | 8 | Rs. 31,999 |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | 9 | Rs. 39,999 |
| Motorola Edge 20 Pro | 8 | Rs. 36,999 |
| Realme GT 5G | 9 | Rs. 37,999 |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s | 8 | Rs. 37,499 |
| iQoo 7 Legend | 9 | Rs. 39,990 |
| Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro | 9 | Rs. 39,999 |
| OnePlus 9R | 8 | Rs. 39,999 |
Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G
The Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G (Review) is the successor to the Mi 10T Pro 5G launched back in 2020. Its 6.67-inch AMOLED display is the only one in the segment to be Dolby Vision certified. This is complemented by Dolby Atmos stereo sound. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC performs well and can handle any game you can throw at it without breaking a sweat. While this phone’s battery life is top-notch, Xiaomi has also included a 120W charger in the box which quickly charges the massive 5,000mAh battery. Camera performance is quite good, save for selfies captured in low light. This phone also supports HDR video recording. All of these features combined make the 11T Pro 5G a very good all-rounder with an equally attractive price tag.
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Oppo Reno 7 Pro 5G
The new Oppo Reno 7 Pro 5G (Review) is a fashionable smartphone that not only focuses on looks with its slim and modern design, but also on power. The MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC at the helm is good enough to tackle most games at the highest settings. The 6.5-inch AMOLED panel has a fluid 90Hz peak refresh rate along with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection. This phone also has stereo speakers and a fancy new LED strip around the camera module for notification alerts. The 4,500mAh battery charges quickly using the bundled 65W charger. The Reno 7 Pro 5G’s main camera is decent for photos but shoots average quality video. Its price might not be the most competitive, but it sure looks the part of a premium smartphone.
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Vivo V23 Pro
The Vivo V23 Pro (Review) is one of the slimmest phones in this segment and also one of the lightest. It looks premium and its colour-changing rear panel adds to the uniqueness of its design. Just like the Oppo Reno 7 Pro 5G, this one is also aimed at fashionistas.
This slim and light smartphone packs in a lot of interesting hardware. There’s a MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC that’s good enough for most demanding 3D games. The 6.56-inch 90Hz AMOLED panel is the only one in this segment with curved edges. It has a medium-sized display notch to house two selfie cameras, both of which perform very well. There’s a 108-megapixel main camera on the back but this one’s just good enough for casual shooting and does an average job when it comes to recording video. The phone also runs Vivo’s Funtouch OS 12 which is based on Android 12. Battery life is fine for such a slim smartphone but below average compared to the competition. In short, the Vivo V23 Pro is for those who prefer form over function.
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Realme GT Neo 2
The Realme GT Neo 2 (Review) is a solid mid-range gaming smartphone. While its design does not really scream “gaming”, the Neon Green colour option does stand out. Thankfully, other more subtle colour options are available.
It features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC with plenty of RAM to make software operation buttery smooth and gaming performance top-notch, no matter what you throw at it. There’s a high-quality E5 AMOLED display with a 120Hz maximum refresh rate and 600Hz peak touch sampling rate. What the GT Neo 2 is not the best at is camera performance, which is mostly average.
Battery life is great, and the 5,000mAh battery can charge completely from empty in just 44 minutes, using the bundled 65W charger. The Realme GT Neo 2 is mainly for those who prioritise gaming performance over everything else, and at this price, it’s hard to find something better.
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Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G (Review) offers a great balance of features, performance and cost, all backed by a dependable name in the smartphone space. It’s basically a Galaxy S20 FE with a top-end 5G SoC, which is not a bad thing given how good the 4G version is. It’s one of the only phones in this segment with an IP68 rating for water resistance as well as wireless charging. It also has a very good set of cameras including a 3X telephoto camera.
The display is vibrant and punchy, the design is contemporary, and the UI is easily one of the best in the market right now. The charging speed is the only thing that could have been better. 25W fast charging isn’t bad, but others in the segment support up to 65W. What makes the Galaxy S20 FE 5G more attractive is its new low price tag.
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Motorola Edge 20 Pro
The Motorola Edge 20 Pro (Review) is the top-of-the-line smartphone in the Edge 20 series. It has a 6.7-inch full-HD+ AMOLED display with a 144Hz maximum refresh rate. This phone really excels when it comes to its fluid display, powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC, impressive 5X telephoto camera, and the promise of timely software updates. A few areas in which it could have done better are low-light camera performance and charging speed. Overall, the Motorola Edge 20 Pro is a good pick in this segment.
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Realme GT 5G
The Realme GT 5G (Review) isn’t a “flagship killer” but it is a premium all-rounder. Only one variant is available now (8GB RAM + 128GB storage) and it’s priced at Rs 37,999. This phone lacks features such as an IP rating and wireless charging, but it is a good all-rounder given its competitive price and specs. Its ‘Racing Yellow’ vegan leather finish is aimed at the youth who want a no-frills, performance-oriented smartphone. It has a Super AMOLED display with a high refresh rate that will appeal to gamers.
There’s a top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC and plenty of RAM making it more than capable of handling high-end games. The cameras also perform quite well for still photos and video recording. Battery life is good and the 65W charger that’s included in the box charges this phone very quickly.
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Samsung Galaxy A52s
The Samsung Galaxy A52s (Review) is a mid-range smartphone with a premium price tag. It’s positioned above the Galaxy A52 because it has a faster 120Hz display refresh rate, a new and updated processor with better overall performance, and 5G.
Its design is identical to that of the Galaxy A52 and it retains its predecessor’s IP67 rating, which appears to be the only standout feature against current competition. Camera performance is quite good in daylight, but low-light photos and videos leave a lot to be desired. Battery life is also good but the charging speed is average. Overall, the Galaxy A52s is good enough to earn a spot on our list, even though some competing smartphones are priced lower and fare better.
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iQoo 7 Legend
The iQoo 7 Legend (Review) has a powerful Snapdragon 888 SoC, a telephoto camera, and a unique paint job inspired by BMW Motorsport. We found the design, display, and performance of this phone to be top-notch. The cameras are also quite good. Overall, the iQoo 7 Legend represents excellent value for money starting at just Rs. 39,990.
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Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro
The Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro (Review) grabs the “flagship killer” title from OnePlus as it quite literally offers true flagship-grade specs at the lowest possible price. You get a top-tier Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, a vibrant 120Hz AMOLED display, and impressive cameras. The feature list includes a great design, vivid display, good-sounding stereo speakers, and even an IP53 rating for basic dust and water resistance. The spammy nature of MIUI is possibly our biggest gripe with this phone, and it gets quite hot when it’s charging. Apart from these things though, it’s pretty much a slam-dunk through and through, and you can’t ask for more at this price.
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OnePlus 9R
The OnePlus 9R (Review) was a minor refresh of the OnePlus 8T with a new SoC and a different coat of paint. Despite the launch of the new OnePlus 9RT, the 9R is still worth looking at for those on a tight budget. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC in the 9R is essentially a tweaked version of the Snapdragon 865+ SoC, which provides a slight boost in performance. However, not much else has changed compared to the 8T. The OnePlus 9R continues to offer 65W fast charging, the same set of cameras, a vivid 120Hz display, and very good software.
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