BEST MOBILE PHONES : BEST MOBILE PHONES 2022

The Oppo Reno 8 Pro 5G is a premium smartphone from the company that is focussed on offering a premium design. The phone has a slim and elegant design that uses glass and metal.

Its display gets quite bright and colours appear vibrant. It features a thin bezel all around that adds to its overall premium appeal. The phone’s display is also HDR10+ certified and it all works as expected when it comes to streaming supported content.

The phone runs Oppo’s ColorOS 12.1, which is based on Android 12. Everything works as expected and Oppo’s O-Haptics vibration system enhances the software experience.

Camera performance in daylight is quite good, but the same cannot be said about the ultra-wide and macro cameras. In low light, the phone captures good photos, but its performance is not consistent. Battery life is quite solid and lasts a day and half on a single charge.

Vivo’s X80 Pro is the brand’s flagship replacement for the X70 Pro+. While the phone seems to have minor cosmetic changes, there’s plenty that’s changed on the inside.

The X80 Pro gets a new and updated Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC that is now paired with Vivo’s updated V1+ imaging chip, which assists with imaging and gaming performance.

Its 6.78-inch display mostly remains the same, but is still a high-end one with a 120Hz refresh rate and 2K resolution, which makes it quite sharp. The Vivo X80 Pro has a 4,700mAh battery that plugs into an 80W charger and also offers 50W wireless charging.

The cameras have been upgraded as well. There’s now a 50-megapixel Samsung-made GNV sensor for the primary camera and Vivo has moved its unique gimbal stabilisation technology to the 2x Portrait camera for clicking better Portrait photos in low light.

The Motorola Edge 30 Pro is the first smartphone in the new Edge 30 series. It sports a massive 6.7-inch full-HD+ AMOLED display with a maximum refresh rate of 144Hz. Motorola has added stereo speakers into the mix, which will improve the overall content watching experience. The Edge 30 Pro has a glass back that makes it feel premium in the hand. However, it has a plastic frame that feels odd. It weighs 196g which is definitely noticeable, and its IP52 rated body is splash resistant.

The Edge 30 Pro is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC. The Edge 30 Pro packs in a 4,800mAh battery and has support for 68W fast charging. Motorola also ships a compatible charger in the box. The company has launched only one configuration of the Motorola Edge 30 Pro with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It runs Android 12 with Motorola’s custom My UX skin on top.

Motorola has gone for high-resolution camera sensors all around. This phone sports a triple camera setup at the back consisting of a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. For selfies, it sports a 60-megapixel shooter on the front.

The iQoo 9 SE has a polycarbonate back panel and mid-frame but feels and looks quite premium. There’s no official IP rating, but you get two high-quality stereo speakers that sound great while streaming video and playing games.

The phone has a 6.62-inch 120Hz Super AMOLED display, which produces punchy colours and is also HDR10+ certified, which is rare in this price segment.

The software experience with Android 12 is smooth and fluid, but the phone does come with too many preinstalled third-party apps. Gaming performance with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC is top-notch, and the same applies to its 4,500mAh battery, which lasted a day and a half on a single charge in our tests.

Camera performance in daylight is impressive, but we expected better from the ultra-wide-angle camera. The iQoo 9 SE also shoots some good macros, and selfies shot in all kinds of lighting conditions came out nicely.

The Galaxy S22 Ultra brings together the camera capabilities of the Galaxy S series of smartphones and the S Pen that was popularised by the Galaxy Note series. The phone sports a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and support for HDR 10+. It has a peak brightness of 1750 nits. The display is crisp and can also take input from the S Pen Stylus.

Powering the phone is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC paired with 12GB of RAM. It is offered with 256GB and 512GB storage options. Storage is non-expandable but the default storage is adequate. The Galaxy S22 Ultra is capable of running any app and game on the Play Store with ease. However, the phone does get warm under load.

The Galaxy S22 Ultra has a quad-camera setup that is capable of 100X digital zoom. The phone clicks amazing photos irrespective of the lighting conditions. In low light, the phone can manage decent shots even without night mode. Video recording tops out at 8K for the primary camera and was stabilised.

The Samsung Galaxy S22+ does not offer any special features over the smaller Galaxy S22. It shares a similar design that’s a bit bigger and is available in the same RAM and storage variants as the latter.

Like the Galaxy S22 and the S22 Ultra, it too gets a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC in India. It features a large Dynamic AMOLED display that is good for gaming and streaming video. Its larger battery also makes it a two-day smartphone with casual use.The camera quality is quite good and the same applies to video recordings.

The cameras do a good job of capturing photos and video even in low light. Charging speeds are faster than the Galaxy S22, but not as fast as the competition.

The Realme 9 Pro+ elevates the 9 series from the mainstream segment to the mid-range. The 9 Pro+ is priced higher than the 9 Pro and offers some added features such as optical image stabilisation (OIS) in the camera, which has been missing from Realme’s lineup for a long time.

The Realme 9 Pro+ is available in a colour-changing Sunrise Blue finish. The back panel transitions from blue to red upon exposure to UV light if you choose this. It has a slim profile overall and is also quite light, which makes it comfortable for one-handed use.

The phone offers enough grunt with its MediaTek Dimensity 920 SoC and it can easily handle demanding 3D games as well as take care of day-to-day tasks. Battery life is also quite good and it charges quickly using its bundled 60W charger.

Still camera performance is quite impressive. The primary camera with its OIS system captures clear and crisp photos in daylight and performs well in low-light conditions too. Android 12 also makes it here with Realme UI 3.0 and it brings most of its highlight features with it.

The iQoo 9 Pro is a solid offering in the premium segment and it comes packed with features and impressive core hardware. There’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset which offers ample performance whether its regular use or even hardcore mobile gaming.

The 6.78-inch AMOLED display is geared towards gaming with a 120Hz refresh rate and 300Hz touch sampling rate but is also quite colour accurate and delivers deep blacks when viewing videos. The loud stereo speakers also sound quite immersive.

Camera performance is top notch. All three cameras perform well in daylight and in low light. The primary camera’s gimbal stabilisation also works well for daylight video recordings, but quality drops a bit when shooting at night.

The iQoo 9 Pro’s 4,700mAh battery easily lasts a day and bit more on a single charge and charges up very quickly using the bundled 120W charger. There’s also 50W wireless charging using the company’s proprietary charging dock. While the phone looks good and feels premium, an official IP rating is missing and could be a deal breaker for some.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 is a solid offering from Samsung that seems a bit expensive on the surface, but offers all the premium features you would expect from a flagship in a compact form factor.

Its Dynamic AMOLED display is punchy and vibrant and does a good job when it comes to gaming. Its form factor is probably the main reason to pick it, as it’s small enough for one-handed use and also packs in enough battery life to last you a whole workday and some more.

The cameras do an excellent job in daylight and low light and the same goes for video recording, which is top-notch. One downside is that the phone does heat up when stressed. The Galaxy S22 gets quite hot when using the camera and this may turn out to be a deal-breaker for some.

The OnePlus 10 Pro 5G has some much-needed upgrades over the 9 Pro, and with just a moderate bump in pricing, it’s not a bad deal. Even the top-end variant of the 10 Pro 5G is less expensive than the base models of the Samsung Galaxy S22 and iPhone 13, making it good value. Compared to the OnePlus 9 Pro, the 10 Pro 5G offers a bigger battery with quicker charging, a slightly more power-efficient AMOLED display, a more powerful SoC with plenty more 5G bands, a better selfie camera, and a nicer design.

Other than some small issues such as the occasional overheating when recording 4K/8K videos in hot weather and the slightly inferior quality of the ultra-wde camera compared to the OnePlus 9 Pro, the 10 Pro 5G is yet another solid flagship from OnePlus, and delivers very good performance and features for the price.

The Xiaomi 12 Pro is a solid contender in the premium smartphone segment. Its design feels premium and is made from glass and metal, but the phone lacks an official IP rating which may be a deal breaker for some.

Its curved display looks great and is Dolby Vision and HDR10+ certified. There’s also a quad stereo speaker setup which makes the video streaming experience quite immersive. Gaming performance is top notch, but the phone does heat up when playing demanding titles at the highest settings.

Camera performance in daylight and low light is quite good, but the telephoto camera has focussing issues in dimly lit environments. Video recording is impressive and works well at all resolutions, even in low light.

Battery life is quite good and the phone easily lasts a day and a half. Charging up the device is extremely fast using the bundled 120W charger.

The OnePlus 9RT has a good in-hand feel despite its hefty 198.5g weight. The rounded edges of the aluminium frame make it comfortable to hold. It has a relatively large 6.62-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a full-HD+ resolution. The second big change lies in the performance of the phone. The OnePlus 9RT uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC making it equal to the OnePlus 9. OnePlus has even tweaked the touch response of the 9RT’s screen, which can boost to 600Hz (from 300Hz) in certain games.

The in-display fingerprint sensor is lightning quick at authentication, and navigating the phone’s menus is quick. Switching between apps was also seamless and it never felt like I was stressing this phone, no matter what I did. The 4,500mAh battery lasted for 20 hours and 16 minutes in our internal test, which runs an HD video clip on loop till a phone shuts off. The camera app on the 9RT has been lifted straight from sister company Oppo’s ColorOS. Image quality is good but low light performance could have been better.

The OnePlus 9RT is a solid flagship that needs a couple of thousand Rupees shaved off its current asking price for it to be a good deal. If you can’t wait, Xiaomi, Realme and Samsung have equally enticing offerings at better prices.

The iPhone 13 Pro Max is Apple’s biggest iPhone, but it doens’t have any advantages over the iPhone 13 Pro in terms of features, unlike in previous generations. It’s heavy and unwieldy, but the big display is great for games and the increased battery capacity allows for nearly two full days of regular use. The display gets a 120Hz refresh rate, but there’s still an unsightly notch that interferes with movies. Performance is great thanks to the A15 Bionic SoC. You can choose betweeen 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB storage options. The main new features are camera-related: Cinematic Mode and Photographic Styles. The camera hardware has also been improved, compared to the previous generation. You can now take macros and the optical zoom goes up to 3X. Although incredibly expensive, the iPhone 13 Pro Max represents the best of the best in the iPhone lineup.

The iPhone 13 Pro has all the same hardware as the iPhone 13 Pro Max except for a smaller battery and display. You get sensor-shift stabilisation for the primary camera, and for the first time, you can take macro photos. Optical zoom also goes up to 3X. Apple has introduced new camera features, Cinematic Mode and Photographic Styles. Beyond that, the new A15 Bionic SoC delivers excellent performance. Storage goes up to 1TB, though the top-end variant is extremely expensive. The 120Hz ProMotion display is a big improvement but there’s still an awkward notch that can be distracting. Games and apps run very well, and the stereo speakers are also quite good. Construction quality is excellent and the iPhone 13 Pro is easier to hold and use than its bigger sibling.

The iPhone 13 mini is unique (other than the iPhone 12 mini) since every other manufacturer has given up on smaller-sized premium smartphones. It’s easy to carry around and use, but you might find the screen a bit cramped for reading on, and battery life does suffer a little. There’s more than enough power thanks to the Apple A15 Bionic SoC. Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB, but this phone is expensive. The cameras are excellent, capturing good detail in the daytime and at night. You can’t take macro shots though. The screen doesn’t have a high refresh rate, and the notch can be distracting, but everything looks bright and crisp.

The iPhone 13 brings a few subtle updates compared to the iPhone 12, but you might find that the previous year’s model offers better value. This phone has a bright, vibrant 6.1-inch OLED screen, but with only a 60Hz refresh rate and an annoying notch. The A15 Bionic SoC provides more than enough power for gaming and heavy apps. The cameras are versatile and deliver great quality for stills as well as video, plus you get the same Cinematic Mode and Photographic Styles features as on the more expensive iPhone 13 Pro. Battery life is good, but not great. iOS 15 keeps everything running smoothly. You can choose between 128GB, 256GB and 512GB of storage. The iPhone 13 mini is equivalent in terms of features and performance.

The Xiaomi 11T Pro is a solid offering that’s hard to ignore at the lower end of the premium smartphone segment. While it’s not high on design, it makes up for this with raw performance and is almost a good all-rounder. It’s attractive price tag and added features (compared to the competition) make it an even sweeter deal.

The smartphone’s chassis is made of a polycarbonate mid-frame, sandwiched between two sheets of glass. Its AMOLED display showcases accurate colours and is also Dolby Vision certified. Accompanying the display is the stereo sound with Dolby Atmos support, which makes for an immersive video streaming experience.

Performance is not a problem thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC inside and the same goes for gaming performance. Battery life is also top notch and lasts up to two days of casual use on a single charge. What’s more impressive is the charging speed with the 120W fast charger that comes in the box.

Camera performance is also up there with the rest. Video recording quality is quite good, and the camera also offers HDR recording options. However, the quality of selfies in low light were well below the mark.

The Vivo X70 Pro+ is a premium flagship smartphone that finally checks all the boxes. Unlike the Vivo X60 Pro+, the X70 Pro+ offers everything a premium smartphone should have along with some unusual camera features.

The curved-edge display has been upgraded to a 120Hz, 1 billion colour, WQHD+ resolution panel which delivers natural-looking colours and high brightness. It also offers HDR10 and HDR10+ support for video streaming.

The phone loses the faux leather back of the X60 Pro+ in favour of an elegant matte-finished glass back that remains smudge-free. It also has a matte-finished metal frame along the sides.

With a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ processor, software and overall device performance was not a problem. Games ran smoothly without any hiccups and the phone did not get hot during gameplay.

Camera hardware and performance have taken a noticeable leap. OIS is offered on all four rear cameras and they ensure not just good quality photos but also great-looking video.

Some of the features of the Nothing Phone 1 that really stand out are its premium build quality, vibrant display, good primary camera, and clean Android experience. The glyph lights are a nice differentiator but you may or may not find them actually useful for daily use. The one thing that needs the most improvement right now is the secondary cameras, especially in low light. Video recording could also benefit from better stabilisation and features.

Phones such as the Xiaomi 11T Pro and iQoo 9 SE offer better specs and features for a simialr price. However, if you want a phone that looks completely unique while still having all the essential features, there’s nothing quite like the Phone 1 right now.

The OnePlus Nord 2T 5G comes with minor upgrades over the previous model. Its design mostly remains the same as before, but has some minor changes around the back, which includes a new layout for the cameras.

Its processor has been upgraded to a Dimensity 1300 SoC, which brings some performance improvements. The display remains the same as before and offers a 90Hz refresh rate.

The phone offers OxygenOS 12.1 which is based on Android 12. It has minimal bloatware and comes with just one preinstalled third-party app. Software performance is smooth and it all feels fluid thanks to the 90Hz display.

Gaming performance is quite good as well. The phone still lacks a macro camera unlike the original Nord, but the primary camera can shoot decent close-up images. Low-light performance is quite good. Battery capacity remains the same as before, but OnePlus has amped up the charging to 80W.

The Realme GT Neo 3 (150W) aims to offer an improved experience over the GT Neo 2 with a focus on gaming, but ends up falling a bit short of expectations in its attempt to offer more features.

Its design remains similar to the GT Neo 2, with some minor modifications to its finish. Performance with its MediaTek Dimensity 8100 SoC seems to have taken a bit of a hit when compared to what the competition offers. Gaming performance is good but not the best in this segment.

Camera performance is good both in daylight and in low light and it’s mainly down to the new OIS-enabled sensor from Sony. But it’s not as good as what the competition offers.

The 150W model offers a 150W charger in the box which does a good job of charging the smartphone quickly, but heats up the phone quite a bit.

​The OnePlus 10R 5G (150W) is the successor to the OnePlus 9RT. The phone’s frame and rear panel are made from polycarbonate and features a matte finish which does not feel premium even though it is good at rejecting fingerprints.

Its AMOLED display packs HDR10+ capability, showcases deep blacks, and gets quite bright. It also features a 120Hz refresh rate and a 720Hz maximum touch sampling rate which is useful for gamers.

The phone has MediaTek’s Dimensity 8100-Max processor which is a customised version of the regular Dimensity 8100. The customisations according to OnePlus are said to improve gaming and AI performance along with low-light video.

The primary camera’s performance is good in daylight, but the ultra-wide-angle and macro cameras are quite average. Battery life is solid and the 150W charging system, a highlight of this phone, works as expected.

The Redmi Note series has always been about great features and specifications for less than Rs. 20,000, but the new Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G’s price starts above that level. It has a 108-megapixel primary rear camera, 67W fast charging, Snapdragon 695 SoC, 5G, and 120Hz Super AMOLED panel. However, competition is tough and this balance at this price isn’t really for everyone. The design is somewhat basic but there’s a Mirage Blue option with a unique rear pattern that looks like waves of water. The display is sharp and punchy, but doesn’t have HDR. General performance is great, and the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G ships with Android 11 at launch time. MIUI features lots of customisations. Gamers might find that other options at this price are more powerful. Photography was also just about average, with decent performance in the daytime but weak low-light results and no 4K video recording. Charging is super quick too.

The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G is similar to the older Galaxy A52s 5G but borrows design elements from the new Galaxy S22 series. Thankfully, Samsung retains the older model’s IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, making it stand out from the competition.

The new Exynos 1280 SoC delivers budget performance, so those looking for a good gaming phone will have to look elsewhere. The Galaxy A53 5G borrows most of its core hardware, including camera components, from the older Galaxy A52s 5G.

Camera performance is good in daylight but is average in low light. Video performance is quite good but below the mark in low light.

Its 5,000mAh battery lasts two days with casual use. Samsung does not offer a charger in the box, but the phone supports 25W fast charging. Charging speeds are slow when compared to the competition.

The new design of the Oppo Reno 7 looks nice. The rounded frame and curved edges of the back gives the phone a sleek aesthetic. The Reno 7 also gets the same laser-etched pattern on the back like on the Reno 7 Pro, which looks good and does’t attract fingerprints. The 6.4-inch AMOLED display is similar to the one on the previous phone. It has a full-HD+ resolution, 90Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection.

Oppo hasn’t bothered refreshing the SoC in the Reno 7 as it’s still the MediaTek Dimensity 900, along with has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The software experience of the Oppo Reno 7 is identical to the 7 Pro. Day-to-day performance has been solid so far with the Oppo Reno 7. The SoC is plenty powerful for handling the usual productivity and social apps. The bump in battery capacity to 4,500mAh (from 4,300mAh) seems to have made a noticeable impact on battery life.

It’s a good phone overall without any glaring faults but just know that there are better feature-packed offerings available online, that offer a lot more bang for you buck.

The Moto G51 is Motorola’s budget 5G smartphone and is the second 5G smartphone in the G series after Moto G 5G. Motorola’s budget 5G smartphone may have arrived quite late in 2021, but it has a few things going for it that make it special.

It has a unibody design that’s made of polycarbonate and is quite heavy at 208g, but it also comes with an IP52 rating against dust and water, which the competition does not offer.

Software performance is smooth and fluid and most of this is down to the choice of near-stock Android software, with a few Motorola-specific customisations. The 120Hz high refresh rate display also plays a part in making the software experience appear quite fluid.

Gaming performance is a bit disappointing, and this is an area where the competition performs better. There’s three rear-facing cameras and they do a decent job with daylight photos but perform poorly in low light.

Battery life is quite good and lasts about a day and half with regular use. The phone comes with a 20W charger in the box, which takes about two hours to charge the smartphone to 100 percent.

The Moto G71 5G sports a 6.4-inch AMOLED display with a hole punch. The display has good viewing angles and was bright enough when outdoors. Motorola has managed to keep the weight in check and the relatively compact dimensions make the phone comfortable to use. It has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner while most of its competition offers a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.

The Moto G71 5G is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC and is paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It also gives you the option to use about 1.5GB of storage as RAM. The phone offered good performance and will suit casual as well as heavy users. The 5,000mAh battery also delivered very good battery life and easily lasted beyond a day of use. Motorola also bundles a 33W charger in the box.

The Moto G71 5G sports a triple camera setup consisting of a 50-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide angle and a macro camera. The phone managed good shots during the day with the primary and the ultra-wide-angle camera. It managed good closeups, selfies, and portraits. Lowlight camera performance was average and Night mode was aggressive.

The Moto G31 tries to fill the shoes of its predecessor the Moto G30 but falls a bit short of expectations. This budget Moto has a MediaTek Helio G85 processor, an AMOLED display, and IPX2 rating for dust and water resistance.

Its unibody design looks quite like that of the Moto G30 and it is made of polycarbonate but does not feel cheap. The new AMOLED display is a vast improvement over the LCD panel on the G30 but features a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate.

There’s a near-stock version of Android 11 along with the usual Moto gestures. Performance is average for a budget smartphone in this price segment, and there are phones that are priced similarly but offer better hardware.

Battery life is good and this phone can last a day and half on a single charge. Daylight photos taken with the primary camera came out fine, but the ultra-wide one performed poorly. Low-light imaging was quite disappointing overall.

Design has always been a big talking point for the Reno series and it’s no different with the Reno 7 Pro. The glass back of the Oppo Reno 7 Pro has a new finish. Oppo says it has used a new laser process to create hundreds of diagonal micro-etches, which are visible at certain angles. The 6.5-inch AMOLED panel means delivers very good colours and contrast. It’s a full-HD+ panel with a 90Hz peak refresh rate and 180Hz peak touch sampling rate, plus Corning Gorilla 5 for scratch protection.

There’s a new SoC in the Oppo Reno 7 Pro, the Dimensity 1200-Max from MediaTek. This is basically a standard Dimensity 1200 SoC with two special optimisations made for the Reno 7 Pro. You get ColorOS 12 but this is still based on Android 11, not Android 12. I ran PUBG: New State to test how this phone handles demanding multiplayer games. With all the graphical settings cranked up to the highest allowable limit, gameplay was smooth and the display response was on point.

The flat display, stereo speakers, and improved camera sensors are all welcome changes. Battery life is also solid, and it doesn’t hurt to have super-fast charging. If fashionable looks and quirky camera features trump sheer performance for you, then you should be happy with the Reno 7 Pro.

The Vivo T1 is the first smartphone in the T series. It is focused on Gen Z buyers who look for good specifications at attractive prices.  Ther Vivo T1 5G sports a 6.58-inch full-HD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate and panda glass for protection. However, it does have a dewdrop notch that looks dated.

Powering the Vivo T1 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC, and the phone is offered in 4GB RAM, 6GB RAM and 8GB RAM options. All these variants offer 128GB of storage. You also have the option to expand storage further using a microSD card. The phone runs Android 12 with Vivo’s Funtouch OS skin on top. It also has a few bloatware apps preinstalled. The Vivo T1 5G has a 5,000mAh battery which offered good battery life. It has support for 18W fast charging which is slower than the competition.

The triple camera system on the T1 5G consisted of a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 2-megapixel depth camera, and a 2-megapixel macro camera. Daylight photos were good and close-up shots in favourable light looked good. Low light camera performance was strictly average and video wasn’t stabilised either.

The Nokia XR20 is a very niche smartphone for a niche set of consumers. It’s rugged design looks tough and modern, but does not feel like someone stuck a bumper case to a smartphone. Its design comes with an IP68 rating and a MIL-STD-810 rating which means it can be used in a variety of harsh environments unlike most other premium devices.

The phone has a regular LCD display with a standard 60Hz refresh rate. There’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 processor, which is more budget in terms of performance than what a premium smartphone delivers.

Regular software performance was quite smooth, but gaming performance was well below the mark especially when compared to similarly priced premium smartphones.

Battery life was quite good, but charging was relatively slow. Camera quality is quite inconsistent in general. While the daylight photos looked average, low camera performance was well below the mark.

The iQoo Z5’s starting price is higher than that of the Z3 (which it will soon replace) but competing smartphones in the mid-range are generally more competitive in terms of features. Its design has been slightly improved and it offers better grip, but is still made of plastic.

There’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor that’s on par with the mid-range competition and performed well when gaming and even in our benchmark tests. There is a 6.67-inch LCD panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, which works well while playing games, but becomes a smudgy mess very easily. The Z5 finally gets stereo speakers, which worked well both while watching movies or playing games.

Camera performance is decent in daylight but not great in low light. This does not make the Z5 look good, since it has to compete with mid-range smartphones that offer better photo quality as well as performance.

Battery life is excellent, though you do lose out a bit in terms of charging speed. The Z5 certainly does not feel like a solid step up over its predecessor. It does offer minor improvements, but not enough to make it easy to recommend given that competition offers much better at only slightly higher prices.

The Infinix Hot 11S is a gamer-focussed smartphone for those on a tight budget. It offers a high-refresh-rate display that gamers will appreciate, and a decent budget SoC that’s capable of some mid-level gaming.

While the plastic body looks elegant, it has a glossy coating which feels cheap and is a smudge magnet. The display on the other hand is quite good at resisting fingerprints. The large display makes this phone a bit unwieldy, and one-handed use is impossible.

The large display is accompanied by stereo speakers. They work well for gaming and are sufficiently loud. Streaming movies was limited to SD resolution thanks to the limited Widevine L3 certification.

Battery life is excellent, and charging is quick too, which makes this smartphone good for casual users and those seeking a gaming experience on a tight budget.

The Realme GT Neo 2 is a solid contender as a mid-range gaming smartphone. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor offers plenty of raw performance and the phone’s cooling system does a good job of sustaining that performance during long gaming sessions.

The Neo Green finish of the GT Neo 2 does stand out quite a bit and bright neon green colour can be a bit too much for some buyers. Thankfully, Realme offers two other subtle colourways that also look equally unique.

Battery life with the 5,000mAh battery is excellent and easily lasts a day and half even with some gaming sessions. The dual speakers are quite loud and clear and make for an immersive experience while gaming and are loud enough for watching movies as well.

Camera performance is a mixed bag at best. While daylight performance is good, it’s not consistent. Low light camera performance isn’t great and the same can be said about video. And this also means that the GT Neo 2 is not an all-rounder.

The Redmi 10 Prime carries the family look and sports a big 6.5-inch full-HD+ display with 90Hz refresh rate. It has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner that’s on the plastic frame and quad-camera system at the back.

The smartphone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G88 SoC and has either 4GB or 6GB of RAM paired with 64GB and 128GB of storage respectively. The phone packs in a 6,000mAh battery and is capable of 18W fast charging. It runs MIUI 12.5 on top of Android 11.

The Redmi 10 Prime packs in a quad-camera setup consisting of a 50-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. Daylight camera performance was average but lowlight camera performance was below average. The Redmi 10 Prime offers better performance than its predecessor but does not offer the same value.

The Realme 8s 5G looks nearly identical to the Realme 8 5G. It has a  6.5-inch display with thin bezels on the sides but a slightly thicker chin. The Realme 8s 5G has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The Realme 8s 5G has a triple camera module which protrudes enough to cause the device to rock when kept on a table.

Powering the Realme 8s 5G is the MediaTek Dimensity 810 5G processor, and is paired with  either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. Both variants have 128GB of storage which is expandable using the dedicated microSD card slot. Realme also has a Virtual RAM feature which lets you use 5GB of storage to extend RAM. You get a 5,000mAh battery and a 33W charger in the box. Battery life on the Realme 8s 5G was good, and it can last beyond a day quite easily. Charging the 5,000mAh battery with the supplied 33W Dart Charger got the phone to 94 percent in an hour.

Realme 8s 5G has a triple camera setup with a 64-megapixel primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture, a 2-megapixel B&W portrait camera, and a 2-megapixel macro camera. It managed good photos in daylight but the lack of an ultra-wide angle camera makes it less versatile than some of the competition. Lowlight camera performance was average though Night mode helped improve the output.

The Motorola Edge 20 Fusion sports a 6.7-inch OLED display with 90Hz refresh rate and a centred camera hole punch. It has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner,a dedicated Google Assistant button and is IP52 rated. You get a triple camera module at the back which protrudes significantly.

Powering the Motorola Edge 20 Fusion is the MediaTek Dimensity 800U processor and it’s paired with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. Both variants get 128GB of storage. Motorola ships the Edge 20 Fusion with Android 11 and its lightly skinned MyUX interface on top. The UI feels like stock Android and is further customisable.

The Motorola Edge 20 Fusion sports a triple camera setup consisting of a 108-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. For selfies, this phone has a 32-megapixel front camera. Camera performance on the Moto Edge 20 Fusion was good for daylight and closeups. Lowlight camera performance appeared smoothened. The Edge 20 Fusion offer clean Stock Android and will appeal to purists on a budget.

The Samsung Galaxy A52s is a quality mid-range smartphone with a premium price tag. This makes it a hard sell, both to a premium smartphone buyer and someone who is looking for a solid mid-range smartphone.

The Galaxy A52s is positioned higher than the Galaxy A52 because it has a faster display, a new and updated processor with better overall performance, and 5G.

While its design is identical to that of the Galaxy A52, it retains the IP67 rating which appears to be the only standout feature against its competitors. The upgraded 120Hz display keeps up with the competition and offers deep blacks, while its stereo speakers deliver loud and clear sound.

Camera performance is quite good in daylight, but low-light photos and videos leave a lot to be desired. Battery life is quite good and charging speed is average, even though some competing smartphones priced much lower do better.

The mid-range smartphone market is becoming more crowded and Realme’s GT Master Edition is a quality offering at a competitive price with a unique suitcase-like design. Meant to replace the X series of smartphones, the GT series is a new lineup from Realme, and the GT Master Edition packs a punch. There’s a high-quality 120Hz Super AMOLED display which is good for gaming and watching movies on. There aren’t stereo speakers but you do get a 3.5mm headphone jack. Powering the gaming experience is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor, which is a worthy upgrade over the 768G and is on par with MediaTek’s Dimensity 1200. Camera performance is quite good in daylight but is only saved by the Night mode in low light. Battery life is quite good for a slim mid-range smartphone and charging is quite fast, going from zero to 100 percent in about 35 minutes.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is priced way lower than the Galaxy Z Fold 3, but it’s still an expensive phone and sits in proper flagship territory. The big design change is the new dual-tone look and the larger outer display or cover screen. The main 6.7-inch display is a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with the same resolution as the previous model, only now it has a 120Hz maximum refresh rate.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC. Some of the OneUI software tricks that we saw on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 have been modified for the Galaxy Z Flip 3. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is definitely more manageable than the Galaxy Z Fold 3 in your hand. Games look and run great on this phone. If you give the sensors adequate light, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 can capture good details and colours.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 makes a strong style statement and feels refined enough for everyday use. If you don’t fuss about the cameras or battery life too much, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 could be a fun little smartphone to add to your digital life.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is the company’s most ambitious, productivity-centric smartphone yet. This phone is a little bit slimmer than its predecessor when unfolded and the overall weight is a bit lower at 271g (vs 282g), but it’s still just as chunky in its folded state. The outer display or ‘cover screen’ on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is more or less the same as it was on the Galaxy Z Fold 2, except that it now supports an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate. The main attraction is of course the folding 7.6-inch AMOLED display which has a higher resolution of 2,208×1,768, along with HDR10 playback and a 120Hz refresh rate.

You get a top-tier Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC plus ample RAM and storage. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 also supports Samsung’s S Pen ‘Fold Edition’ and the new S Pen Pro. It’s also now IPX8 rated for water resistance. Samsung’s own apps are already optimised for multi-window use but the company has also collaborated with others including Spotify for better experiences on the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

If you’re someone who wants to live on the bleeding edge of tech, then the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is possibly the most refined foldable in the market right now.