The OnePlus Nord is a mid-range phone with an AMOLED screen and 5G. (Image credit: OnePlus/Twitter)
In the midst of coronavirus pandemic, mobile phone companies continue to launch new smartphones in India. In the past week alone, we saw the launch of at least five new smartphones from top phone makers across different price brackets. While the Asus ROG Phone 3 is targeted at the pro level mobile gamers, OnePlus returns to the mid-range segment with the Nord. Meanwhile, Redmi Note 9 and Realme 6i are still fantastic phones, especially at lower prices. Then there is the Vivo X50 Pro, which brings a gimbal-style stabilisation to phones for the first time.
These are five new smartphones that recently hit the Indian market.
OnePlus Nord
Price: Rs 24,999 onward
Sale date: August 4
It is hard to overlook the Nord, a mid-range phone that marks a return to OnePlus’s roots. Think of the OnePlus Nord as a premium phone for a discounted price. The new Nord is perfect for those people, especially OnePlus fans, who do not have the cash to buy the OnePlus 8 or OnePlus 8 Pro. For its suggested retail price of Rs 24,999, the OnePlus Nord undercuts many smartphones in the competition. For that price, you get a premium-looking phone with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G processor, the same 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor as the flagship OnePlus 8, an edge-to-edge 6.44-inch AMOLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate, and a 4115mAh battery. The 5G-ready phone comes in three versions, with either 6GB RAM and 64GB storage, 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage or 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, priced at Rs 24,999, Rs 27,999 and Rs 29,999. If you want a high-performance phone with clean software and flagship-like specs, the OnePlus Nord is an incredibly powerful Android smartphone. Read our first impressions of OnePlus Nord here.
Redmi Note 9
Price: Rs 11,999 onward
Sale date: Already available
The Redmi Note 9 is perfect for people who want an affordable Android phone from Xiaomi without the bells and whistles of its high-end models. It has a big, vibrant 6.53-inch FHD+ display that’s almost edge-to-edge. You also get 6GB RAM, with either 64GB or 128GB of storage options, a headphone jack, a microSD card for extra storage, and a 5020mAh battery that supports 22.5W fast charging. Performance isn’t compromised, either. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 chip which should be good enough to run most apps and games. Of course, Xiaomi has trimmed edges to keep the price of the phone down, like the plastic back over a glass rear. All said and done, the Redmi Note 9 is competitively priced at Rs 11,999. Read our review of Redmi Note 9 here.
Asus ROG Phone 3
Price: Rs 49,999
Sale date: August 6
If you want the most powerful gaming smartphone in the market, the Asus ROG Phone 3 is your best bet. The ROG Phone 3 isn’t made for regular folks. Instead, the ROG Phone 3 is pitched at pro-level mobile gamers who want their phones to be future proof. It has got a mammoth a 6.59-inch OLED HDR screen with a 144Hz refresh rate, an overclocked Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset, up to 12GB RAM, beefy 6000mAh battery, dual USB-C ports, and triple camera systems. Being a gaming-focused smartphone, the ROG Phone 3 has an over-sized copper heatsink, redesigned vapour chamber inside the device, and pressure-sensitive touch sensors and of course, an RGB light-up rear logo. It’s no small device, though, weighing 240g and 10mm thick. The ROG Phone 3 is a powerful Android smartphone that undercuts the iPhone 11 Pro in specs and features, although many people will still prefer the latter phone for its experience. Read our first impressions of Asus ROG Phone 3 here.
The headline feature of the Vivo X50 Pro is a ‘gimbal-style’ camera. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Vivo X50 Pro
Price: Rs 49,990
Sale date: Already available
The X50 Pro is Vivo’s most ambitious smartphone to date. The reason? Well, the flagship phone has s gimbal-styled stabilisation system. Simply put, the new camera system promises excellent photos in low-light conditions and video recording. There are four cameras on the back of the X50 Pro. A 48-megapixel shooter with a gimbal-styled stabilisation system, a periscope zoom lens, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 13MP portrait telephoto snapper. Otherwise, the X50 Pro is a premium mid-range smartphone from inside. It packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset, 8GB RAM, and 256GB of internal storage. It also has a large, 6.56-inch AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. It has a stellar battery as well. In terms of looks, the 5G-ready phone is a good looking device that measures 7.49mm. Give the X50 Pro a try if you are a professional Vlogger or a camera enthusiast. Read our review of Vivo X50 Pro here.
Realme 6i competes against the Redmi Note 9.
Realme 6i
Price: Rs 12,999 onward
Sale date: July 31
At Rs 12,999, the Realme 6i could be worth looking at. For that price, you get a phone that has a 6.5-inch full HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate. There is a MediaTek Helio G90T processor inside with either 4GB RAM or 6GB RAM or 64GB storage. Sure the Helo G90T won’t match high-end chips but it will fast to run most games and popular apps. You also get a microSD card slot to add more storage and a headphone jack. The phone also comes with a quad-camera setup with a 48MP primary snapper. Finally, a 4,300mAh battery with support for the 30W flash charge should provide enough juice to go all day.