India’s top and most popular smartphones

India is widely regarded as the fastest growing smartphone market in the world. With phones ranging from Rs. 2000 ($33) to Rs. 73000 ($1200), there is every type of market segment in the country. The estimated number of smartphone users at the end of last year was 117 million and this number is expected to rise to about 200 million by the end of 2014. It is safe to conclude that about 15% of country’s 1.25 billion population and 25% of its 800 million active mobile subscribers will soon be part of the smartphone revolution. This article takes a look at the most coveted and relatively affordable smartphones in India. Some of these are best-selling while others have earned top reviews from customers. To keep the comparison consistent, phones have been divided into medium and higher range. Assuming 1 USD = Rs. 61 per current exchange rate, the two ranges can correspond to phones below and above $400. Prices have been sourced from popular Internet retailers in India and could vary from one seller to the other, given the current festive season. Sometimes they change in a matter of minutes. Consider them latest as of this writing on October 6, 2014 for the cheapest model of a particular phone. For the sake of variety, only 1 phone has been picked from each brand. Earlier today, reports surfaced in the Indian media about the pricing and availability of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Apple’s phones are always sought-after, but starting at Rs. 53500, they remain too expensive for most people in the country. Thus they have been excluded from this analysis. Similar is the case of Sony Xperia Z3. It is a recently launched wonderful phone, but is very heavy on the pocket.

So here are some of India’s best smartphones –

MEDIUM RANGE

       HTC Desire 816

Pros

Brilliant 5.5 inch 720 x 1280 HD display.
13 MP primary camera that takes crisp pictures.
Superfast Qualcomm 1.6 GHz quad-core processor.
Excellent audio quality with loud front-facing speakers.

Cons

Slippery and glossy back.
Big screen size not for everyone and makes phone difficult to operate with one hand.
Non-removable battery that drains fast.

Price

Flipkart: Rs. 22149
Amazon India: Rs. 23790
Snapdeal: Rs. 21999

 

 

Micromax Canvas Nitro A310

Pros

1.7 GHz octa-core processor and 2GB RAM ensure superior performance with no lag.
Decent 5 inch 720 x 1280 HD display.
Simple and non-fancy design appeals to many users.
Good value for money.

Cons

Mediocre photo quality despite the 13 MP primary camera.
Lack of high-speed LTE network support.
Micromax needs to improve its after-sales customer service.

Price

Flipkart: Rs. 12499
Amazon India: Rs. 12699
Snapdeal: Rs. 11084

 

 

      Moto G (2nd Gen)

Pros

Curved edges and matte finish panel provide good build quality with comfortable grip.
Sharpest 5 inch 720 x 1080 HD display in its class.
8 MP primary camera shoots warm, high quality pictures.
Nearly unbeatable value for money.

Cons

Average hardware specifications may lead to performance degradation over time.
Non-removable battery could require daily charging.
Lack of high-speed LTE network support.

Price

Flipkart: Rs. 12999
Amazon India: Not available
Snapdeal: Not available

 

 

      Nokia Lumia 1320

Pros

Large 6 inch HD display makes it a true phablet.
Windows interface brings freshness for regular Android and iOS users.
Solid, durable and smooth body design.
Stellar battery lasts 2 days with moderate usage.

Cons

Really big phone for a regular user.
Under-performing 720 x 1080 display for this screen size.
Heavy and bulky with 220 g weight.

Price

Flipkart: Rs. 16504
Amazon India: Rs. 17985
Snapdeal: Rs. 16217

 

           Xiaomi Mi3

Pros

Feels like a premium device with a solid metallic frame and classy design.
5 inch 1080 x 1920 HD display brings vivid and sharp colors with high pixel density.
MIUI, the Xiaomi version of Android, is a highly customizable OS with attractive themes.
Powerful Qualcomm 2.3 GHz quad-core processor with 2 GB RAM.

Cons

Lack of high-speed LTE network support.
13 MP primary camera delivers only average performance.
Limited stock and sporadic availability in India.

Price

Flipkart: Rs. 13999
Amazon India: Not available
Snapdeal: Not available

 

Image Courtesy: Flipkart

My recommendation – Moto G (2nd generation). In the price conscious Indian market, the latest version of Moto G offers the right combination of features and affordability. It should be available widely in the country in the next few months.

 

 HIGH RANGE

       Google Nexus 5

Pros

Google phone comes with the latest Android software and updates.
Highly rated and brilliant 5 inch 1080 x 1920 True HD IPS+ display.
Ideal for gaming with its advanced hardware specifications.
Multiband LTE support at the given price is rare.

Cons

Average performing 8 MP primary camera.
Less than impressive battery life that lasts a day.
Underwhelming audio and sound quality.

Price

Flipkart: Rs. 27500
Amazon India: Rs. 23807
Snapdeal: Rs. 24999

 

 

      Apple iPhone 5S

Pros

Apple is among the best brands in the world and so are their phones.
Superior hardware performance with 64 bit A7 processor and M7 motion co-processor.
8 MP primary camera with larger sensor and aperture delivers top-notch photos.
Convenient fingerprint scanner or Touch ID for authentication.

Cons

Smaller 4 inch screen lags behind competitors.
Aluminum anodized body is prone to scratches and dents.
One generation old with the recent launch of iPhone 6.

Price

Flipkart: Rs. 44990
Amazon India: Rs. 40990
Snapdeal: Rs. 37163

 

 

               LG G3

Pros

Remarkable Quad HD 1440 x 2560 display.
Feature-packed 13 MP primary camera clicks awesome photos even in low light.
Ergonomically designed clean and flat user interface.
Superior Qualcomm 2.5 GHz quad-core processor with 3 GB RAM.

Cons

5.5 inch screen not easy to navigate with one hand.
Sloppy battery performance because of powerful display.
High price for an LG phone with the given features.

Price

Flipkart: Rs. 38290
Amazon India: Rs. 40999
Snapdeal: Rs. 38729

 

 

     Samsung Galaxy S5

Pros

Arguably the best non-Apple phone in the market.
Near perfect 5.1 inch Super AMOLED 1080 x 1920 screen.
16 MP Isocell primary camera delivers fantastic shots.
Good battery life and a power saving mode.

Cons

Low on external design quality and form factor.
Average performing fingerprint scanner.
Baffling interface and confusing app ecosystem.

Price

Flipkart: Rs. 35489
Amazon India: Rs. 36885
Snapdeal: Rs. 34825

 

 

 

        Sony Xperia Z2

Pros

Rich and vivid 5.2 inch 1080 x 1920 display with Triluminos and Live color LED technology.
Feature-packed 20.7 MP primary camera and 4K video recording lead to beautiful captures.
Powerful Qualcomm 2.3 GHz quad-core processor with 3 GB RAM.
Among the best weatherproof phones that are resistant to water and dust.

Cons

Unappealing bezel heavy design.
Reportedly overheats when using advanced features.
Expensive phone from a manufacturer who has mixed reputation.

Price

Flipkart: Rs. 36799
Amazon India: Rs. 38180
Snapdeal: Rs. 37580

 

Image Courtesy: Flipkart

My recommendation – Samsung Galaxy S5. Personally, I have used iPhones for a while and have liked their user-friendliness, x-factor and durability. But the subsidized US market pricing in exchange of a 2 year carrier contract is a big help. This is not the case in India. So if a customer is fine with the high price and Apple’s unique (but rapidly expanding) ecosystem, I would recommend go for the iPhone 6. If not, check out the Samsung Galaxy S5. The phone would not disappoint you and is still the latest from the world’s biggest phone manufacturer.

Some common features like call quality and storage capacity of a device were not discussed above. These factors are not trivial. It is just that most phones these days have good call quality and if this is not the case, odds are it is a network issue. Also, medium range phones generally provide a minimum 8 GB storage with a micro-SD card slot. The high end ones have at least 16 GB memory. This arrangement is good enough for most users. On the network side, LTE phones are not very relevant in the current telecom landscape in India, but they will be much more important in the next year or two once LTE deployment picks up pace.

Just to be clear, the above data is neither an endorsement nor a disapproval of any smartphone. This article is meant to serve as a guideline for buyers and a source of insight for those who are interested in the vast mobile market of India. It is generally a good idea to visit a physical store to actually gauge the look and feel of a phone before buying it. Buy online later if it is cheaper over there. Personal preferences and biases against or for a particular brand will also be deciding factors.