If you have been scouring the market lately for a new smartphone under Rs 40,000, we have some great options for you to consider. Whether it’s high processing power you are looking for or flagship-grade cameras or simply one with a classy design, we have something for everyone. Without wasting any more time, we present the best smartphones one can buy under 40K in India this month.
Best phones to buy under Rs 40,000 in India
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE 5G
Not a phone we were expecting in this budget, but then who doesn’t like a pleasant surprise? The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE 5G with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage can now be purchased under 40K. This phone is powered by a fairly powerful Exynos 2200 chip. It has an IP68-rated ingress protection along with a compact design. It sports an aluminium frame and glass back with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection at the front and back.
The photography department on the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE 5G is quite versatile. You get a 50MP primary camera with PDAF and OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide camera with 123-degrees FOV and an 8MP telephoto camera with OIS that provides 3X optical zoom. The camera performance is highly impressive as one expects from a Samsung S series phone. It can record videos in up to 8K resolution too. A 10MP front camera takes care of selfies and video calls.
You get a 6.4-inch Full HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a peak brightness of 1450 nits, HDR10+ compliance and 120Hz refresh rate. A 4500 mAh battery keeps it powered for over a day of moderate use and supports 25W fast charging as well as 15W wireless charging. The phone launched with Android 13 and is upgradeable to Android 14 with Samsung’s One UI 6.
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE 5G price in India: Rs 39,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage
OnePlus 12R
The OnePlus 12R is an easy recommendation in this budget. The R series phones from the company may not have all the bells and whistles of their more premium siblings, but they have powerful processors and borrow a lot of goodness and style from the company’s flagship products at a lot more affordable price point. The 12R is powered by Qualcomm’s last generation flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, and you get its 8GB RAM and 128GB UFS 3.1 storage variant in this budget.
The OnePlus 12R has a mighty impressive 6.78-inch curved LTPO4 AMOLED display with a higher than Full HD resolution of 2780 x 1264 pixels. The HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliant screen supports 10-bit colour depth, 120Hz refresh rate and can get up to 4500 nits bright. It is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The phone runs the latest OxygenOS 14 based on Android 14 and OnePlus promises multiple OS and security updates going ahead.
Camera department here is not as equipped as on the OnePlus 12 and lacks Hasselblad tricks too, but it’s more than decent for the segment. Its 50MP primary camera with OIS does a very good job in varied lighting including low light. The support cast is modest with an 8MP ultrawide camera and a 2MP macro camera. There’s a 16MP front camera for selfies and video calls. Battery capacity has been bumped up to 5500 mAh and it lasts over a day and a half of moderate use, with the bundled 100W charger juicing it up fully in under half an hour.
OnePlus 12R price in India: Rs 39,990 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage
Nothing Phone (2)
The Nothing Phone (2) sports the company’s trademark design with a transparent back and LED patterns. The Glyph lights at the back are not just cosmetic but provide a ton of functionality and customisation. There’s ample processing muscle courtesy of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip accompanied by 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. The phone launched with Android 13 with Nothing OS 2.0, and can now be updated to Android 14. The company has promised 4 years of software updates for this phone.
The Nothing Phone (2) has a 6.7-inch Full HD+ 10-bit LTPO OLED display with a peak brightness of 1600 nits, HDR10+ compliance and a variable refresh rate ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz. The photography department consists of a 50MP primary camera with OIS and a 50MP ultra-wide shooter with auto-focus. The camera performance is impressive across modes, especially in good light. A 32 MP front camera will have the selfie enthusiasts interested.
A 4700 mAh battery keeps the phone powered for close to a day and a half of moderate use. It supports 45W fast charging as well as 15W wireless charging. However, no charger has been bundled in the package and needs to be purchased separately. While you can use any USB-C charger if you aren’t in a hurry, a good 45W USB-PD/PPS charger can juice it up fully in less than an hour.
Nothing Phone (2) price in India: Rs 39,999 for 12GB RAM/256GB storage
iQOO Neo9 Pro 5G
If you are looking for something as powerful as the OnePlus 12R, but with more storage and for less money, meet the iQOO Neo9 Pro 5G. This phone too is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, and you get a choice between 8GB and 12GB RAM with faster 256GB UFS 4.0 internal storage. It has a 6.78-inch HDR10+ compliant LTPO AMOLED display with a higher than Full HD resolution of 2800 x 1260 pixels. It flaunts a high 144Hz refresh rate and can get up to 3000 nits bright.
Another striking feature of this device is its leather-like back that makes it quite stylish. The rear camera department on this phone comprises a 50MP primary camera with OIS and Sony’s IMX920 sensor, accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide shooter. The 16MP front camera is more than decent for selfies and video calls. The iQOO Neo9 Pro 5G has a 5160 mAh battery that can last over a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 120W fast charger claims to charge half of it in just 11 minutes. The phone runs Android 14 with FunTouch OS 14.
iQOO Neo9 Pro 5G price in India: Rs 36,999 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage ; Rs 38,999 for 12GB RAM/256GB storage
Google Pixel 7a
If you are looking for a high-quality camera along with stock Android UI, you can get the Google Pixel 7a comfortably in this budget. Like other phones in the Pixel 7 series, the Pixel 7a is powered by Google’s previous flagship Tensor G2 processor and offers 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. It sports a 6.1-inch Full HD+ OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The phone has an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.
As is the case with all Pixel phones, you get the purest version of the OS with the Material You design language. The phone launched with Android 13 and can be updated to Android 14 with more updates to follow. Other than speedy OS updates, Pixel phones are known for their camera capabilities, and the Google Pixel 7a delivers strongly in that department courtesy of two cameras at the back. You get a 64MP primary camera with OIS and a 13MP ultra-wide camera with 120-degree FOV that does a great job in different lighting.
Google Pixel 7a price in India: Rs 37,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage
