The festival of lights, Diwali, will be celebrated this week. And, this is the time of the year in which people go on a shopping spree to buy clothes, decorative things for homes and gifts for loved ones. Nowadays, smartphones have become a popular gift choice as it brings family members closer despite the distance.
Here we have listed the top-rated mid-range smartphones which offer great value-for-money in terms of latest hardware and features.
Redmi Note 5 Pro:
The Redmi Note 5 Pro made its debut early in the year and the rival brands are yet to match up to the Xiaomi phone's standard particularly in terms of camera and battery life.
It houses feature-rich dual camera— a primary 12MP snapper with Sony IMX486, 1,25µm pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, PDAF (Phase Detection Auto Focus) and a 5MP secondary shooter with Samsung sensor, 1.12µm, f/2.0 aperture. They are assisted by dual-tone LED flash in low-light condition.
On the front, it features a 20MP with Sony IMX376 sensor, f/2.2 aperture, full HD (1080p) and LED flash.
Under the hood, it comes packed with powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 octa-core backed by Android Oreo-based MIUI 9 OS (new MIUI 10 released), 4GB/6GB RAM, 64 GB storage and 4,000mAh battery, which is more than enough to run the phone for a whole day easily under mixed usage.
Besides the camera and the battery, Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro is one of the most visually appealing phones. It sports a stunning 5.99-inch full HD+ (2160x1080p) FullView screen having 18:9 aspect ratio and boasts high-grade metallic shell on the back. It not only brings stability to the structure but also exudes a premium feel when held in hand.
Mi A2 Android One:
I have used the Mi A2 for close to a month and have to say, it is the best Android One phone of 2018. It has a wonderful camera, which can put some devices costing close to Rs 30,000 to shame.
Xiaomi Mi A2 (review) houses feature-rich dual cameras—one 12MP (Sony IMX486 sensor) and a 20MP (Sony IMX376 sensor).
The 12MP primary camera has 1.25µm large pixels and an F1.75 aperture, which allows Mi A2 to take photos with beautiful Bokeh effects in AI portrait mode. The rear 20MP camera features the same Super Pixel-enabled sensor with a large F1.75 aperture, which results in clearer, vibrant photos even in low-light conditions.
Another unique aspect of Mi A2 is a manual selection of the rear lens -- the 20MP or 12MP rear camera, according to environment lighting. For example, switching to the 20MP sensor when shooting in low-light situations takes advantage of the large 2.0µm pixels for brighter photos.
Xiaomi Mi A2 can be bought for as low as Rs 1,749 during the ongoing Amazon Great Indian Sale.
Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M1):
Asus Zenfone Max Pro (review) is one of the most feature-rich phones in mid-segment. It has a massive 5,000mAh battery, which can keep the phone running for more than two days under mixed usage.
Another notable aspect of the Asus phone is that it comes with pure Android Oreo with no bloat wares and will soon get Google's latest Android Pie software. It is backed by time-tested Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 octa-core processor with 4GB/6GB RAM and 64GB/128GB storage.
The top-end (128GB) model comes with 16 MP + 5 MP dual camera on the back and a 16 MP front snapper as compared to generic models which come with 13 MP + 5 MP rear sensors and an 8 MP front shooter. It is available with lucrative deals on Flipkart with prices starting at Rs 9,999.
Honor 8X:
Huawei's Honor 8X comes with the vividly colourful glossy shell on the back and it is one of the best-looking phones in the mid-range segment. On the front, it features 6.5-inch full HD+ FullView display having iPhone X-like notch on top.
Under-the-hood, it comes with 2.2GHz HiSilicon Kirin 710 octa-core backed by 4GB RAM, 64GB storage and a 3,750mAh battery, which is sufficient to run the phone for one and half day easily.
It also boasts feature-rich photography hardware. It houses 20MP+2MP dual AI camera on the back and a 16MP AI front snapper. Thanks to the AI-based algorithm, the phone can automatically detect the scene type and make the necessary optimisation to get the best picture. It is available on Amazon with lucrative deals with prices starting at Rs 14,999.
Motorola Moto One Power:
Motorola's latest Android One phone comes with a massive 5,000mAh battery and can last more than two days under mixed usage. I have used the Motorola phone for close to two weeks and it really lives up to the long battery-life hype.
I also loved the pure Android experience of the Moto One Power (review). It is simple to understand the interface even for the first-time smartphone user. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 octa-core, 4GB RAM and 64GB storage (expandable up to 256GB).
It features a dual 16MP + 5MP camera module with LED flash, full HD video recording, Bokeh effect, Google Lens integration, 4K video recording and a12MP front snapper with 1.25µm pixel size, selfie portrait mode, auto HDR, Beauty mode and Professional mode. It is available on Flipkart with prices starting at Rs 15,999.
