Best phones under Rs 40,000 (Feb 2025): Realme GT 6, Google Pixel 8a to Honor 200 Pro 5G

Once again, we have a great bunch of smartphones under Rs 40,000 this month. In fact, some of their top variants with 512 GB storage can also be purchased in this budget now. These phones offer excellent performance and value. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip has been a game-changer in this segment, providing a flagship grade processing muscle. Of course, all phones have some high quality cameras too to complement the power and storage. Time to look at the very best under 40K in India currently.

Best phones to buy under Rs 40,000 in India

Realme GT 6

This good looking smartphone offers some great features and performance at an even better price now. The Realme GT 6 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC and you can choose a variant with either 8 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage or double the RAM and storage. It has a 6.78-inch QHD+ 10-bit LTPO AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate and up to 6000 nits of peak brightness. The HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliant display is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2.  

The camera department here is equally impressive, featuring two 50MP cameras at the back with the primary module sporting Sony’s LYT-808 sensor and OIS, while the other is a telephoto unit that offers 2X optical zoom. You also have an 8MP ultra-wide camera to complete the pack. The 50MP cameras do an excellent job in different modes and lighting and the 32MP front camera will appeal to the selfie crowd.  

A 5500 mAh battery keeps the phone powered for over a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 120W fast charger juices it up fully in just half an hour. The Realme GT 6 runs Android 14 with Realme UI 5.0, and the company has promised three major OS updates going ahead.  

Realme GT 6 price in India: Rs 33,999 for 8 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage; Rs 37,999 for 16 GB RAM/ 512 GB storage

Honor 200 Pro 5G

The Honor 200 Pro 5G is a great option for camera enthusiasts in this budget, and it looks good too. This phone has an attractive glass design that is eye-catching and comes with IP65-rated ingress protection. It sports a 6.78-inch 10-bit OLED HDR display with higher than Full HD resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate and 4000 nits peak brightness. This phone too is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC with 12 GB RAM and 512 GB internal storage. It runs MagicOS 8.0 based on Android 14.

The photography department is one of its key selling points. It is handled by three cameras at the back starting with a 50MP primary camera with OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide snapper with auto-focus and a 50MP telephoto camera with OIS that provides 2.5X optical zoom. And that’s not all; you also get a 50MP + 2MP selfie camera combo up front to please the selfie enthusiasts with some quality portrait shots. The Honor 200 Pro 5G has a 5200 mAh battery that keeps it going for a day and a half of moderate use and supports 100W fast charging as well as 66W wireless charging.

Honor 200 Pro 5G price in India: Rs 39,998 for 12 GB RAM/ 512 GB storage

Xiaomi 14 CIVI

The Xiaomi 14 CIVI is another phone powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC, and you get its 8 GB RAM and 256 GB UFS 4.0 storage variant in this budget. It has a 6.55-inch AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 2750 x 1236 pixels. It is HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliant, with a peak brightness of 3000 nits and support for up to 68 billion colour shades. It is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2.  

The cameras on this phone have been designed in collaboration with Leica. You get three modules at the back comprising a 50MP primary camera with OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide shooter with 120-degrees FOV and a 50MP telephoto camera that provides a modest 2X optical zoom. This phone targets the selfie enthusiasts with two 32MP front cameras that are quite good at solo as well as group selfies.  

The phone’s 4700 mAh battery lasts well over a day of moderate use, and the bundled 67W fast charger promises to juice it up fully in less than 45 minutes. The Xiaomi 14 CIVI runs Android 14 with the company’s HyperOS UI.

Xiaomi 14 CIVI price in India: Rs 38,999 for 8 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage

OnePlus Nord 4 5G

We thought long and hard about the OnePlus 12R but eventually opted for the OnePlus Nord 4 5G for a better value proposition. The 12R does offer a faster processor and a LTPO4 display but that wasn’t enough to justify the near 10K price difference (also check the Pro tip below). In fact, the Nord 4 has faster storage too (UFS 4.0 vs UFS 3.1). It sports an aluminium unibody which lends it sturdiness and style both, while keeping the thickness of the phone down to 8 mm. It also has an IP65 rating for dust and splash resistance.  

The phone is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chip, and you get 8 GB or 12 GB RAM with 256 GB internal storage. The Nord 4 has a 6.74-inch Fluid AMOLED display with a resolution of 2772 x 1240 pixels. The HDR10+ compliant screen supports 10-bit colour depth, 120 Hz refresh rate and 2150 nits peak brightness. In the photography department, the 50MP primary camera with OIS does a very good job and is supported by an 8MP ultrawide camera with 112 degrees FOV and a 16MP front camera.

Its 5500 mAh battery lasts well over a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 100W charger promises to take it from empty to full in less than 30 minutes. The OnePlus Nord 4 5G runs OxygenOS 14 based on Android 14, and the company has promised 4 years of OS and 6 years of security updates going ahead, which will keep this phone relevant and secure for long.

OnePlus Nord 4 5G price in India: Rs 29,999 for 8 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage; Rs 32,999 for 12 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage

Pro tip: With the right credit card, you can squeeze in the 256 GB variant of the OnePlus 13R just under 40K. That is an excellent phone in this budget.

Google Pixel 8a

The Google Pixel 8a is another great option, however, you will have to make do with its 128 GB variant in this budget. The phone is powered by Google’s previous flagship Tensor G3 chip that also powers the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, and you get 8 GB RAM with it. It sports a compact but sharp 6.1-inch Full HD+ OLED HDR display with 120 Hz refresh rate and 2000 nits peak brightness. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and the phone has IP67 rated ingress protection.

As with all Pixel phones, you get the purest version of the latest Android 15 with the Material You design language, and Google has promised 7 major OS updates for this device. Other than speedy OS updates, Pixel phones are known for their camera capabilities, and the Pixel 8a is no different. It delivers admirably in that department courtesy of two cameras at the back. You get a 64MP primary camera with OIS and a 13MP ultra-wide camera with 120-degrees FOV. They do a great job in different lighting and modes. The 13MP front camera clicks some neat selfies too.

Google Pixel 8a price in India: Rs 37,999 for 8 GB RAM/ 128 GB storage