Best 5G Smartphones That Won't Break the Bank: Top Picks Under 30,000

5G networks have mushroomed in India over the last one year and due to the domino effect, there has been a significant boost in demand for 5G smartphones. With 5G, download speeds have become much faster. While the technology is capable of offering speeds over 1GBPS, it entirely falls to our humble smartphones to be able to support those speeds. In its early stages, 5G in India is mostly limited to sub-6GHz kind of 5G which allows manufacturers to bring 5G to the masses in affordable and mid-range smartphones.

Today, we are taking a look at some of the best 5G smartphones that you can buy for less than Rs. 30,000. Mind you, this is not an easy task considering that almost all the options available in this range support 5G connectivity. In cases like these, it’s even more crucial to choose a smartphone with the best chipsets, offering a reliable and fast 5G modem. At the same time, these 5G smartphones need to be efficient and they need to work with the various flavors of 5G networks that Reliance Jio and Airtel. Hence, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the best 5G smartphones that you can buy in India under Rs. 30,000 in India.

From Samsung to OnePlus and iQoo, check out the best-selling 5G smartphones under Rs 50000 here

1. Best overall: iQOO Z7 Pro 5G Specifications: Display: 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED | SoC: MediaTek Dimensity 7200 | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 128/256GB

For those who want a faster 5G experience and a powerful performance, then the iQOO Z7 Pro could be the best option. This mid-range gaming smartphone offers peak download speeds of up to 4.7GBPS. The 4,600mAh battery is just enough to last an entire day with continuous 5G usage but the saving race is a much faster 66W wired charging solution. We also like the iQOO Z7 Pro for its curved edge display measuring 6.7 inches and 64-megapixel primary rear camera. Not to forget, it’s one of the prettiest phones in this segment.

Users’ review: Users liked the eye-catching design along with the processors that is capable to handle almost everything thrown at it.

• The iQoo Z7 Pro is the slimmest and most lightweight phone launched in 2023
• It looks stylish
• The phone comes with support for 66W battery

Pros:

• Great performance
• Faster 5G experience
• Curved display

Cons:

Specifications: Display: 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED | SoC: Snapdragon 782G | RAM: 8/12GB | Storage: 128/256GB

The OnePlus Nord CE 3 5G is another one of the finest 5G smartphones in this segment and that’s primarily down to its Snapdragon 782G chipset which comes with the Snapdragon X53 5G modem. It offers download speed of upto 3.7GBPS and uploads speed of up to 1.6GBPS. Paired with OnePlus OxygenOS 13 based on Android 13, this phone is one of the finest ways to experience the blazing fast speed of 5g at a reasonable price. Additionally, the presence of a 5,000mAh battery ensures that even with 5G speed enabled, your phone can easily last an entire day. Overall the Nord CE 3 is worthy recommendation in this segment.

Users’ review: Users liked the smooth display, capable camera system, and a clean Android experience.

Pros:

• Clean Android experience
• Decent camera system
• Good battery optimization

Cons:

Specifications:Display: 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED | SoC: MediaTek Dimensity 7050 | RAM: 8/12GB | Storage: 128/256GB

Other than being the most stylish phone in this segment, the Realme 11 Pro 5G offers one of the most stable 5G experiences. The phones use the Mediatek Dimensity 7050 chipset with an integrated 5G modem supporting two 5G SIM cards at once. The chipset also offers decent mid-range performance paired with Realme UI 4.0 based on Android 13. The 5,000mAh battery offers an all-day stamina with 5G usage and thanks to its 67W SuperVOOC fast charging, you don’t have to wait long at the sockets.

Users’ review: Users loved the stand-out design as well as the overall performance of the phone.

• Stylish design
• 12GB virtually expandable RAM
• Great camera

Cons:

Specifications:Display: 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED | SoC: MediaTek Dimensity 8200 | RAM: 8/12GB | Storage: 128/256GB

The iQOO Neo 7 5G is a truly fast smartphone considering connectivity speeds and overall performance. Its MediaTek Dimensity 8200 5G chipset with its integrated 5G modem allows download speeds of up to 4.7Gbps, thereby offering one of the best connectivity experiences in this price segment. Its 5,000mAh battery is also able to last an entire day despite using 5G mobile data and thanks to its 120W fast charging, the battery fills up in no time. Mobile gamers will also like the raw performance that can be tapped from this gaming smartphone.

Users’ review: Users have loved the overall performance but they are disappointed with the poor battery management.

Pros:

• AMOLED display
• Up to 12GB RAM
• Decent camera

Cons:

Specifications: Display: 6.2-inches FHD+ LCD | SoC: Snapdragon 695 | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 128/256GB

The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite is an entry-level offering from OnePlus but when it comes to delivering 5G speeds, it’s no slouch. Its Snapdragon 695 5G chipset comes with the Snapdragon X51 5G modem that offers peak download speeds of up to 2.5Gbps and peak upload speeds of up to 1.5Gbps. Paired with a 5000mAh battery, you can easily extract an entire day’s worth of battery stamina with this phone. Some of the other highlights of the Nord CE 3 Lite include a 108-megapixel main rear camera, a 67W wired fast charging and a 120Hz refresh rate IPS LCD.

Users’ review: Users liked the 5G compatibility that it offers at a pocket-friendly price.

• The phone offers a balanced user experience with decent battery life and performance
• It sports a 108-megapixel main rear camera
• The 120Hz refresh rate makes the animations look smooth

Pros:

• Good camera system
• Great battery and charging capability
• Budget-friendly price

Cons:

Specifications: Display: 6.5 Super AMOLED display | Processor: Exynos 1280 processor | RAM: 6GB/8GB | Storage: 128/256GB

For those wanting a wholesome 5G experience, the Samsung Galaxy M34 5G is the most well-balanced option that you can buy in the category. Its Exynos 1280 chipset offers decent 5G performance, offering download speeds of up to 1.28Gbps. As far as raw performance is concerned, you will get a fairly mid-range performance from the phone. However, the massive 6,000 mAh battery ensures that even after using 5G data continuously, the phone should easily last an entire day and leave some juices for the next day. Furthermore, the phone ships with a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with FHD+ Resolution, offering an immersive viewing experience. It is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

Users’ review: Based on users' feedbacks, the build quality of the phone is very poor making it prone to physical damages.

• 4-years OS update
• Clean UI
• 6,000mAh battery

Cons:

Specifications: Display: 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED display | Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 7050 | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 256GB

The Lava Agni 2 5G is an even more affordable way to enjoy a fairly fast 5G downloads speed. With its MediaTek Dimensity 7050 SoC, the smartphone delivers decent 5G speed regardless of whether you subscribe to Sub 6GHz or Jio mmWave 5G. The phone is backed by a 5,000mAh ensuring that even after 5G mobile data, you can still get an entire day of power and a 66W wireless charging ensures a quick refill. In addition to this, the phone also offers a decent camera setup comprising a 50-megapixel quad-camera setup.

Users’ review: The camera quality is not good, however, users loved the curved screen experience.

• Curved display
• Fast charging
• AMOLED display

Cons:

Yes, most of the 4G devices are equipped to handle 5G speeds. However, not all the 4G handsets offer the 5G support. It is recommended to get a 5G handset for better connectivity.

All the products listed above are the best 5G smartphones under 30,000 and are ranked in order of their popularity and other factors. You can choose any one of them based on your needs.