Best phones to buy under ₹40,000 in January 2025: OnePlus 13R, iQOO Neo 9 Pro and more

With a plethora of smartphones available to buy under the sub ₹40,000 price segment, it can become hard to choose the right device that matches your specific needs. In order to help make the buying choice easier, we have compiled a list of top smartphones in this range with many notable brands in the reckoing including OnePlus, Realme, iQOO, Vivo and Motorola.

Best phones under ₹40,000 in January 2025:

1) OnePlus 13R:

OnePlus 13R features the 6.78-inch 120Hz ProXDR AMOLED display with LTPO 4.1 technology and 4,500 nits of peak brightness as last year. The new ‘performance flagship’ from OnePlus comes with a flat display – from a curved display on the 12R- and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i on both the front and back.

OnePlus 13R features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, the same processor found on the OnePlus 12 launched last year. It comes with 12/16GB of LPDDR5x RAM and 256GB/512GB of UFS 4.0 storage.

For optics, OnePlus 13R features a 50MP Sony LYT-700 primary shooter, 50MP 2x Samsung JN5 telephoto lens and 8MP ultra-wide angle lens. On the front, there is a 16MP Sony IMX480 selfie shooter. While the rear cameras can record videos at up 4k 60fps, the front sensor is limited to 1080p recording at 30fps.

Much like its elder sibling, OnePlus 13 also comes with a 6,000mAh but with 80W of SUPERVOOC charging and no support for wireless charging. The smartphone also runs on OxygenOS 15 based on Android 15 and the same promised update policy as the OnePlus 13.

2) iQOO Neo 9 Pro:

iQOO Neo 9 Pro features a 6.78-inch 1.5K AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and support for 3,000 nits of peak brightness. Interestingly, the smartphone is capable of a 144Hz refresh rate for certain games.

The iQOO phone is powered by the tried-and-tested Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2 chipset, which was also seen in many of last year’s flagship phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and OnePlus 11, as well as the recently launched OnePlus 12R. There is also an Adreno 740 GPU for gaming and graphics-intensive tasks. The iQOO Neo 9 Pro comes with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage.

In terms of optics, there is a dual camera sensor at the back with a 50MP Sony IMX 920 sensor with support for OIS and an 8MP ultra wide angle lens. There is also a 16MP front-facing shooter for selfies and video calls.

3) Realme GT 6:

Realme GT 6 features a 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display with 6,000 nits of peak brightness and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection. It runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset with Adreno 735 GPU for handling graphics-heavy tasks. There is support for up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB 4.0 storage.

For optics, there is a triple camera setup including a 50MP Sony LYT 808 shooter, a 50MP Sony JN5 telephoto lens and an 8MP Sony IMX355 ultra-wide angle lens. For selfies and video calls, there is a 32MP Sony IMX615 shooter that supports up to 4K video recording.

4) Vivo T3 Ultra:

Vivo T3 Ultra 5G boasts a 6.78-inch 3D curved AMOLED screen with a resolution of 1.5K (2800 x 1260). The display supports a 120Hz refresh rate and can render up to 1.07 billion colours. It operates on Funtouch OS 14, which is based on Android 14.

In terms of performance, the Vivo T3 Ultra is driven by the MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ chip, paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Vivo claims that the T3 Ultra 5G has achieved a score exceeding 16,00,000 on Antutu. The device is equipped with a 5500mAh battery that supports 80-watt fast charging.

For optics, the Vivo T3 Ultra features a dual-camera system on the rear, including a 50MP Sony IMX921 primary sensor with optical image stabilization and an 8MP ultrawide lens. The front camera is a 50MP shooter designed for selfies and video calls. Additionally, the phone includes Vivo’s signature Aura Ring Light.

5) Motorola Edge 50 Pro:

Motorola Edge 50 Pro is powered by the powerful Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, featuring an octa-core processor setup that includes a 2.63 GHz single core, 2.4 GHz tri-core, and 1.8 GHz quad-core configuration.

The phone’s 6.7-inch FHD+ P-OLED display boasts a 144 Hz refresh rate, which promises smooth and immersive visuals, ideal for both gaming and streaming. Photography enthusiasts will appreciate the device’s 50 MP + 13 MP + 10 MP triple-camera array, while a 50 MP front camera caters to high-quality selfies. A 4500 mAh battery, coupled with Turbo Power Charging and a USB Type-C port, ensures efficient power management and swift charging.