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Today, we push our smartphone budget to the edge of five digits and look at the best options available under a lakh Rupees in India read more
 "Apple iPhone 15, Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus to Google Pixel 8 Pro")
Image Credit: Firstpost | Mehul Reuben Das
We generally cap our budget for smartphone buying guides at Rs 75,000. But thanks to user demands and requests, from this month onwards, we will push our budget to the edge of five digits and look at the best smartphone options available in India under a lakh Rupees. Let’s proceed.
Best phones to buy under Rs 100,000 in India
Apple iPhone 15/iPhone 15 Plus
You can choose between the 256GB variants of either the Apple iPhone 15 or the iPhone 15 Plus. Both phones have the exact specifications barring the display size and battery capacity. The iPhone 15 has a bright 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a resolution of 2556 x 1179 pixels, 2000 nits peak brightness and HDR10 and Dolby Vision compliance. The Plus has a larger 6.7-inch screen with a higher resolution of 2796 x 1290 pixels. Other display features remain the same.
Both phones sport the Dynamic Island (Apple’s fancy notch) that was first introduced in the iPhone 14 Pro series. As for battery capacity, the iPhone 15 Plus has a significantly larger 4382 mAh battery that lasts a lot longer than the 15’s 3349 mAh unit. The phones are powered by Apple’s A16 Bionic chip and have a USB-C charging port. The iPhone 15 has a better hand fee due to its compact size and lower weight; both phones have IP68-rated ingress protection.
You get a 48MP main camera that offers dual-pixel PDAF and optical image stabilisation (OIS). The secondary 12MP ultra-wide camera has been retained from their predecessors and so is the 12MP front camera. The performance in photography and videography is excellent, as one expects from an iPhone. The Apple iPhone 15 and 15 Plus run the latest iOS 17 with more OS updates to follow over the years.
Apple iPhone 15 price in India:
Rs 82,999 for 256GB storage
Apple iPhone 15 Plus price in India:
Rs 93,999 for 256GB storage
Apple iPhone 14 Plus
If you are looking for a larger iPhone with more storage and at a lower cost, the Apple iPhone 14 Plus is still a very good buy. Yes, you will have to make a few trade-offs like letting go of a USB-C port for a Lightning port, the dynamic island for a standard notch and the Bionic A16 for an A15 (which is still quite potent), but the savings will justify the sacrifice. And of course, you will get a whopping 512GB of storage here.
The Apple iPhone 15 Plus has a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a resolution of 2778 x 1284 pixels and HDR10 and Dolby Vision compliance. This phone too has an IP68 rated dust and water resistance. There are two 12MP cameras at the back with the primary unit offering OIS, and the secondary capable of capturing ultra-wide shots. The performance in photography and videography is still highly competent. The phone now runs iOS 17, with more OS updates to follow over the next three to four years.
Apple iPhone 14 Plus price in India: Rs 85,999 for 512GB storage
Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus is available for just under a lakh Rupees, but with several credit cards, you can get a whopping Rs 18,000 discount on this phone on Flipkart. The phone is powered by Samsung’s Exynos 2400 chip which is almost as powerful as Qualcomm’s current flagship, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. You get 12GB RAM and can choose between its 256GB and 512GB internal storage variants in this budget. Mind you, the price tag goes up by 10K for the extra storage, so we would recommend the former ideally.
Yes, this phone too has IP68-rated dust and fluid resistance along with an Armor Aluminium 2 frame and a glass back with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which also protects the screen. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus has a 6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display with a peak brightness of 2600 nits, HDR10+ compliance and 120Hz refresh rate. The phone runs the latest Android 14 and Samsung’s One UI 6.1 with more updates expected in the future.
The photography department comprises three cameras at the back starting with a 50MP primary camera with dual pixel PDAF and OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide camera with Super Steady video support and a 10MP telephoto camera with OIS for 3X optical zoom. You also get a 12MP front camera with PDAF for selfies and video calls. The camera performance is truly best in class, and can also record videos in 8K resolution.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus price in India: Rs 81,999 (effectively) for 12GB RAM/256GB storage ; Rs 91,999 (effectively) for 12GB RAM/512GB storage
Google Pixel 8 Pro
The official price of the Google Pixel 8 Pro has finally dropped under a Lakh for its 128GB variant. However, with the right credit card, you can get Rs 8,000 off on its 256GB variant, and as a result, make it available within our budget. This phone is powered by Google’s flagship Tensor G3 processor and you get 12GB RAM. It sports an excellent 6.7-inch LTPO OLED HDR10+ display with a resolution of 2992 x 1344 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate and 2400 nits peak brightness. The screen as well as its glass back are protected against scratches by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
This phone too sports an IP68 rating to keep it safe from dust and water ingress. As you expect from Pixel phones, you get the purest version of Android 14 with the Material You design language. Google promises an incredible 7 years of OS and security updates for this phone. Other than speedy OS updates, Pixel phones are known for their camera capabilities, and the Pixel 8 Pro not only delivers in that department but is among the very best camera phones in India at the moment.
You get a 50MP primary camera with laser auto-focus and OIS, a 48MP ultra-wide camera with 126-degree FOV and dual-pixel PDAF that lets you capture some excellent macro shots too in addition to its primary functionality. Last but by no means least, its 48MP telephoto camera with dual-pixel PDAF and OIS is one of the best in the business that provides you with 5X optical zoom. The cameras do a spectacular job across different lighting and modes.
Google Pixel 8 Pro price in India: Rs 97,999 (effectively) for 12GB RAM/256GB storage
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