Smartphone, today, has turned to such an essential part of human life that we feel weird when separated from our tiny digital devices for too long. One of my colleagues joked the other day about how handing in your smartphone feels like severing an arm, a poignant thought that clearly defined our dependency on information and technology. Owning a smartphone has turned into more of a necessity than luxury, which is why various companies across the world have tried their hands at entering or sustaining their markets. And while the more expensive flagship phone market has and continues to be dominated by big companies like Apple, Samsung, and Google, the fight for a hold on the mid-ranged market still rages on. Companies like Vivo, Oppo and Coolpad are working in a market that competes on a price-to-performance ratio and while some companies are experimenting with more niche segments, the most interesting devices are being marketed as mid-ranged devices with a price point to match. Here are some of our picks for smartphones that cost less than Rs 30,000.

 

Coolpad Cool Play 6

Price
Rs 30,000

Just making it into this list, the Coolpad Cool Play 6 is a device that wins on most fronts. Its performance is stellar, it’s built well, and it has a camera that overwhelms. At this price point, you’re getting a dual lens setup for the rear camera, both with 13 MP sensors with one at a telephoto field-of-view. The camera takes good portrait shots and good low light shots thanks to its wider f/2.0 aperture, but while the camera wins on the back, it’s mediocre in front with a passable 8MP camera for selfies. The phone is also powerful with an octa-core Snapdragon 653 processor, 4GB of RAM and Full HD 5.5 inch display. The phone also comes with all the sensors you could want from a mid-ranged device such as an accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, and a compass. It also comes with a surprisingly fast fingerprint reader on the back and the phone stays awake for longer since it’s fueled with a massive 4060 mAh battery.

 

Oppo F5 Youth

Price
Rs 27,990

While Oppo’s F5 is a great device on its own, the younger sibling managed to turn some heads with a lighter load on the wallet. At first glance, the F5 Youth looks more premium than it really is: it comes with a near bezel-less design and is outfitted with a polycarbonate unibody design. The phone isn’t as impressive as the Cool Play 6 when it comes to specifications, but while the previous phone emphasized rear-camera photos, the F5 Youth is all about getting the perfect selfies with a massive 16MP sensor in the front—even bigger than the 13MP sensor on its back. While there are bigger and sharper selfie cameras in other smartphones, like the Vivo V7, they’re also more expensive. Powered by a MediaTek Helio P23 processor, supported by 3GB of RAM and displayed on a FullView Full HD 6-inch IPS panel, the Oppo F5 Youth is nothing to scoff at when it comes to performance but considering the current standards for smartphone technology, the F5 Youth lags behind a bit. But you’re more into taking selfies than making your phone do all kinds of complex computation, the Oppo F5 Youth is the perfect phone for you.