Rs. 50,000 is a very good budget to have if you’re looking for a premium smartphone with flagship-level performance, very good cameras, premium aesthetics, and very quick charging. The most recent additions to this list includes the OnePlus 10T 5G and Google Pixel 6a. Other premium features such as an IP rating are not always guaranteed in this segment, but we do have a few exceptions.
Besides stylish-looking smartphones, you can also find rugged phones. If you are looking for something that can handle a six foot drop several times, a dip in the pool, or a mountain bike ride, HMD Global has its unique Nokia XR20, which happens to be the only rugged smartphone you can officially purchase in India. Indeed, there’s plenty of variety to choose from.
So, here are the best smartphones priced under Rs. 50,000 in India that are reviewed and rated by Gadgets 360, in no particular order.
| Phones under Rs. 50,000 | Gadgets 360 rating (out of 10) | Price in India (as recommended) |
|---|---|---|
| Oppo Reno 8 Pro 5G | 9 | Rs.45,999 |
| Realme GT 2 Pro | 9 | Rs.49,999 |
| Motorola Edge 30 Pro | 9 | Rs. 42,999 |
| Realme GT Neo 3 (150W) | 8 | Rs. 42,999 |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | 9 | Rs. 49,999 |
| Nokia XR20 | 8 | Rs. 41,998 |
| iPhone 11 | 9 | Rs. 43,900 |
| OnePlus 10T 5G | 8 | Rs. 49,999 |
| Google Pixel 6a | 8 | Rs. 43,999 |
Oppo Reno 8 Pro 5G
The Oppo Reno 8 Pro 5G is currently the brand’s most expensive smartphone on sale in India. While it features core hardware that has more in common with mid-range smartphones priced below Rs. 40,000, it makes up for it with its premium build quality and fluid software experience. Design is the highlight here and its quality 120Hz AMOLED panel with razor-thin bezels surely helps it standout. Camera performance, while being up to the mark in daylight, isn’t the best in low light. Gaming performance on the other hand is top-notch. Battery life is one of the strong points of the Oppo Reno 8 Pro 5G and the same goes for charging, which despite being capped at 80W, is quite fast.
Realme GT 2 Pro
The Realme GT 2 Pro is the most premium smartphone you can buy in Realme’s lineup. Priced from Rs. 49,999 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB variant, you get a unique paper-like back that’s derived from renewable sources, with the white and green versions. Design aside, there’s a high-quality 2K AMOLED LTPO panel with a 120Hz refresh rate that is good for viewing videos and playing games. The phone packs in Qualcomm’s top-tier Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, which means that there’s enough processing power for some hardcore gaming as well. The cameras are quite good for a smartphone at this price point and so is battery life thanks to the 5,000mAh battery. All in all, it’s hard to go wrong with the Realme GT 2 Pro, and it manages to exceed expectations given its price.
Motorola Edge 30 Pro
Motorola Edge 30 Pro is also a top contender in the sub-Rs 50,000 segment and it achieves this by offering incredible value for money and good performance. The phone is available in a single 8GB RAM and 128GB storage configuration but at a competitive price of Rs. 44,999. This flagship Moto phone has an AMOLED display with a 144Hz maximum refresh rate, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, two 50-megapixel cameras on the back, and a 60-megapixel selfie camera on the front. There’s a large 4,800mAh battery to alleviate your battery anxiety, and even an IP52 rating for dust and water resistance. The cherry on top is indeed Motorola’s software which is near-stock with a few Moto customisations thrown in.
Realme GT Neo 3 (150W)
Realme GT Neo 3 (150W) is all about speed. Firstly, it looks the part with racing stripes on the rear panel and then there’s the 150W charger that managed to charge the phone from 0-100 percent in just 16 minutes. Its cameras have also been drastically improved compared to the previous GT Neo 2. While we would like to recommend this smartphone wholeheartedly, its gaming performance wasn’t what we expected it to be and it is a bit overpriced. If you can live with slower charging, the standard Realme GT Neo 3 costs a bit less and has the same core specifications.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Samsung’s Galaxy S21 FE 5G is the successor to the do-it-all Galaxy S20 FE 5G. Upgrades to the S21 FE 5G are mostly incremental, so the difference is mainly down to the new design. It looks more in line with the Galaxy S21 series than the newer S22 models, but still manages to look refreshing. It’s also quite light and thin which makes it good for one-handed use. The big upgrade here is the Exynos 2100 SoC from the Galaxy S21 series and it does a good job with gaming as well. All the good stuff from the S20 FE 5G has been retained on the S21 FE 5G including wireless charging and an IP68 certification for dust and water resistance. All in all, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G offers great features, but seems to offer less value than its predecessor which is still on sale online.
Nokia XR20
The Nokia XR20 takes all those memes about the Nokia 3310’s durability to a whole new level. In terms of design, the Nokia XR20 looks as though it could take quite a beating. While most rugged smartphones look chunky at best, with pseudo-military styling, HMD Global has made this phone look unique and modern. It isn’t “bulletproof” but can withstand multiple drops from a height of 6 feet or a dip in a pool and works better than most phones with water over its display. In short, it’s built to survive and perform in all kinds of weather conditions. However, performance is not its strong point and its cameras are below average at best. The Nokia XR20 caters to a very niche audience indeed, but we are glad it exists for those who need it.
iPhone 11
Apple’s official starting price for the iPhone 11 has come down to Rs. 49,900, but you can often find it on sale online at or even below Rs. 46,999. This is just for the base 64GB variant, but it’s an iPhone and not a very old one either. The iPhone 11 introduced an ultra-wide camera to Apple’s non-Pro models and features the powerful A13 Bionic SoC. Since this is an iPhone, you should expect to receive timely software updates for a few more years at least. The cameras are great, battery life is excellent, and it’s available in a variety of colours.
OnePlus 10T 5G
The OnePlus 10T 5G is a good choice for certain niche buyers – those who want bragging rights, those who are crazy about gaming, and those who suffer from severe battery-level anxiety. It will also be a solid upgrade from an older OnePlus phone if you want to stay within the family. The company has promised three years of major Android updates and an additional year of security updates which is a decent duration. There’s more than enough performance to keep this phone relevant for at least that long, and if you buy the 12GB or 16GB RAM versions you shouldn’t have any trouble at all even with heavy upcoming games. Fans of the brand will miss certain iconic features such as the Alert slider, and given the price, we feel the cameras could have done a much better job.
