The Realme Narzo 70 Pro went on sale at the end of March and the base 8/128GB model was going for ₹20,000. Now that same configuration can be had for ₹18,000 and you can double the storage for ₹2,000 more. There’s no memory card slot, so it may be worth it.
The Narzo 70 Pro features a 6.67” 120Hz OLED display (1080p+, HDR10+) and a Dimensity 7050 chipset. It has a 50MP main camera (1/1.56”, OIS) and 8MP ultra wide (112°), plus a 5,000mAh battery with fast 67W charging. While it doesn’t have a memory card slot, it does have a 3.5mm headphone jack and stereo speakers.
The Realme P1 and P1 Pro were unveiled this week and will launch on April 22 (Monday). Flipkart already has the pair up, so you can check out the prices. Both are fairly similar with 6.7” 120Hz OLED displays (1080p+) and 5,00mAh batteries with 45W fast charging.
However, the Pro has the better main camera (larger sensor, OIS) and it has an ultra wide module. Also, it has better dust and water resistance (IP65 vs. IP54). Both have stereo speakers, but only the vanilla model gets a 3.5mm headphone jack. They have different chipsets too – Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 (with more RAM) for the Pro and a Dimensity 7050 for the vanilla model.
The OnePlus Nord CE3 found itself in an awkward position a couple of weeks ago – the CE4 launched and it turned out that both cost the same. Clearly, that couldn’t last and it didn’t, the CE3 is now down to ₹22,500 starting price.
The OnePlus Nord CE4 is staying at ₹25,000 for now. Even with the price drop on the older model, the CE4 might be the one to go for – it has the better chipset (Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 vs. 782G) and a larger 5,500mAh battery with 100W charging (vs. 5,000mAh, 80W). That said, the CE3 has a larger sensor in the main camera (1/1.56” vs. 1/1.95”) and it’s not like the new one improved the ultra wide or selfie cameras.
There’s also the OnePlus Nord CE3 Lite, if you’re looking for a sub-₹20,000 device. With a Snapdragon 695 it won’t impress anyone, but it does offer an alternative screen tech – a 6.72” IPS LCD (120Hz, 1080p+) – and a 108MP main camera (1/1.67” sensor, no OIS). And the 5,000mAh battery charges at 67W.
If you want to go up instead of down, the OnePlus 12R is the one to look at. It’s holding steady at ₹40,000, but it flaunts a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and a large LTPO display – 6.78” 120Hz with 1,264 x 2,780px resolution and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection. Those are some flagship specs. The camera is admittedly not flagship (50MP 1/1.56” main, 8MP ultra wide), but the 5,500mAh does 100W wired charging (no wireless, though).
Finally, a couple of cheap 4G phones. The Samsung Galaxy A05 is just over ₹10,000 and offers a 6.7” IPS LCD with 720p+ resolution. It is based on the Helio G85 and while it doesn’t have a lot of RAM, at least it has expandable storage. The main camera has a 50MP sensor but no companion. The phone has a 5,000mAh battery with 25W charging.
The Realme Narzo N53 is well under ₹10,000, but offers an upgrade – a 6.74” IPS LCD with 1080p+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. This one only comes with 64GB built-in storage, but memory is expandable. Camera-wise, the N53 is in the same boat with a lonely 50MP camera on the back and 8MP on the front. The 5,000mAh battery advertises 33W charging (50% in 31 minutes).
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