Top 10 smartphones under Rs 45,000 (2024)

If you don’t feel like splashing more than Rs 1 lakh on a premium flagship smartphone, you can easily get a device that offers a similar performance while costing less than half that amount. Traditionally referred to as ‘flagship killers’, these smartphones are priced under Rs 50,000 and feature some of the best chipsets around. On top of that, their photography performance can go toe-to-toe with some of the best smartphones around. So, without further ado, here are the top 10 smartphones priced under Rs 45,000 that you can buy in India right now.

Read Also: Top 10 ways to find out the model name or number of your laptop (2024)

Samsung Galaxy A55

Key Specs

Samsung’s A series caters to the midrange segment and offers good value for the price. The upper midrange Galaxy A55 flaunts a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display This display has a 120Hz refresh and supports HDR10+. It can reach a peak brightness of 1,000 nits. Under the hood, the A55 is powered by Samsung’s in-house Exynos 1480 chipset. The smartphone’s triple rear camera setup comprises a 50MP primary shooter, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and a 5MP macro sensor. For more details, read our review of the Samsung Galaxy A55.

Pros

• Superb display
• Versatile camera performance
• Battery life

Cons

• Exynos 1480 isn’t meant for high-end gaming

Buy for Rs 45,999 on Amazon

Google Pixel 8a

Key Specs

Every year, Google puts out a midrange, affordable alternative to its flagship Pixel smartphone. This year’s Pixel 8a packs a 6.1-inch OLED display with HDR support, 120Hz refresh rate, and 2,000 nits of peak brightness. It is powered by Google’s in-house Tensor G3 processor and comes with Android 14 out of the box. Google has promised 7 major OS upgrades for the smartphone. The rear camera array of the Pixel 8a has a 64MP primary shooter and a 13MP ultrawide lens. The 4,492mAh battery pack can power it for a day.

Pros

• Great camera performance
• Smooth display
• Round form factor

Cons

• Slow charging

Buy for Rs 43,999 on Flipkart

Xiaomi 14 Civi

Key Specs

Launched in June 2024, the Xiaomi 14 Civi has quickly cemented its position as one of the best midrange smartphones priced under Rs 45,000 in India. It is powered by the new Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset which matches its flagship sibling in many facets of its performance. The 6.55-inch AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. The rear camera system of this smartphone comprises a 50MP primary shooter, a 50MP telephoto lens, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. One of the unique things about this smartphone is that it has a 32MP ultrawide selfie camera alongside the regular 32MP wide selfie lens.

Pros

• Bright display
• Dual selfie cameras
• Powerful processor

Cons

• Battery life could be better

Buy for Rs 40,849 on Amazon

OnePlus 12R

Key Specs

OnePlus’ flagship killer in 12R is one of the best smartphones you can buy under Rs 45,000 in India right now. This smartphone is powered by last year’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. Its 6.78-inch LTPO4 curved AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach up to 4,500 nits of peak brightness. This display is integrated with Aqua Touch tech, allowing you to operate it even when it’s wet. The rear camera panel of the 12R houses a 50MP primary shooter, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 2MP macro sensor. It packs a 5,500mAh battery pack and supports 100W wired charging. Read our OnePlus 12R review to learn more about the smartphone.

Pros

• Bright display
• Powerful chipset
• Fast charging

Cons

• Needs a telephoto lens

Buy for Rs 42,999 on Amazon

iQOO Neo 9 Pro

Key Specs

The iQOO Neo9 Pro is one of the best gaming smartphones priced under Rs 45,000. It is powered by last year’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC and iQOO’s Supercomputing Chip Q1. This dual chipset arrangement delivers a strong gaming performance. On top of that, its 6K VC liquid cooling system ensures that the internal heat doesn’t throttle its gaming performance. The smartphone’s 6.78-inch AMOLED display has a 144Hz refresh rate and can reach 3,000 nits of peak brightness. Its rear camera panel consists of a 50MP primary sensor and an 8MP ultrawide lens. The Neo9 Pro packs a large 5,160mAh battery and supports 120W fast charging. Read our iQOO Neo9 Pro review to know the ins and outs of the smartphone.

Pros

• Excellent gaming performance
• Big battery
• Fast charging

Cons

• Lacks IP67 rating

Buy for Rs 36,999 on Amazon

Oppo Reno12 Pro

Manish Malhotra Limited Edition of Oppo Reno12 Pro

Key Specs

The Oppo Reno12 Pro has a clean design, a smooth display, and an interesting set of cameras. It is a great midrange pick for casual users. The 6.7-inch AMOLED display curves towards the edges. It has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach 1,200 nits of peak brightness. Under the hood, the smartphone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Energy chipset. It runs Android 14 out of the box. Oppo has promised 3 major upgrades for this smartphone. Its rear camera panel comprises a 50MP primary shooter, a 50MP telephoto lens, and an 8MP ultrawide lens. The smartphone also features Oppo AI tools.

Pros

• Curved display
• Nice form factor
• Oppo AI

Cons

• Could’ve used a more powerful processor

Buy for Rs 33,474 on Amazon

Vivo V40

Key Specs

The camera specialist, Vivo V40, has a lot of things going on for it. Its 6.78-inch curved AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach 4,500 nits of peak brightness. The smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 SoC. Its famous rear camera panel has a 50MP primary shooter and a 50MP ultrawide lens. This camera panel also rocks an ‘Aura’ light which essentially acts as a mini ring light for portraits. We reviewed the Pro variant of the V40 earlier this year and were very impressed by it.

Pros

• Excellent camera performance
• Aura light
• Cool design

Cons

• Contains bloatware

Buy for Rs 34,999 on Vivo.com https://www.vivo.com/in/products/v40

Samsung Galaxy S23

Key Specs

Last year’s Samsung Galaxy S23 is available at a very affordable price right now. One of the advantages of getting this smartphone over this year’s Galaxy S24 is that it is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 utilises the Exynos processor. The Galaxy S23 has a 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display that can reach a peak brightness of 1,750 nits. Its triple camera layout features a 50MP primary shooter, a 10MP telephoto lens, and a 12MP ultrawide sensor. It packs a 3,900mAh battery and supports 25W charging.

Pros

• Powerful processor
• Smooth display
• Good cameras

Cons

• Slow charging

Buy for Rs 44,184 on Amazon

Google Pixel 8

Key Specs

Google’s 2023 flagship, Pixel 8, is still a very good deal at Rs 42,999. If you like rounded edges and frames on your smartphone, this is the one to get. The smartphone features a 6.2-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 2,000 nits of peak brightness. The smartphone ships with Android 14 out of the box and is promised to receive up to 7 major OS upgrades. The camera visor at the back of the smartphone holds a 50MP primary shooter and a 12MP ultrawide lens. Read our Google Pixel 8 review to learn more about the smartphone.

Pros

• Unique design
• Form factor
• Exquisite cameras

Cons

• Slow charging

Buy for Rs 42,999 on Flipkart

OnePlus Nord 4

Key Specs

The OnePlus Nord 4 is one of the best midrange smartphones to come out this year. Its metallic back brings a whole new feel to the device, something that other smartphones cannot boast about. Its 6.74-inch Fluid AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach 2,150 nits of peak brightness. The smartphone is powered by Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 under the hood. Its dual rear camera setup comprises a 50MP primary shooter and an 8MP ultrawide lens. The smartphone packs a 5,500mAh battery and supports 100W charging. Check out our OnePlus Nord 4 review.

Pros

• Metal body
• Good cameras
• Fast charging

Cons

• Contains bloatware

Buy for Rs 29,999 on Amazon

Read Also: Nu Republic Cyberstud X2 Review: Audio tech that you can wear

Final Thoughts

These are our top 10 picks for the best smartphones priced under Rs 45,000 in India. In the next couple of months, Samsung and OnePlus will come out with new midrange offerings, so make sure you keep watching this space for updates. Think there’s we missed a smartphone that deserves to be on this list? Let us know in the comments!