Top 5 smartphones under Rs 40,000 in 2025: Specs, pros and cons

The OnePlus 15 and iPhone 17 series may have revitalised the flagship smartphone market, but you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get the best smartphone experience. For a budget under Rs 40,000, you can actually get smartphones that offer a great display, excellent battery life, useful camera features, and reliable performance. If you are looking for a new phone, here are the top 5 smartphones under 40,000 in 2025.

Best smartphone under 40000

The sub-Rs 40,000 price segment has become the battle zone for mid-range flagships that balance performance, cameras, and battery life. Here are five of the strongest contenders for the best smartphone under 40000 in India in 2025.

– OnePlus 13R
– Vivo V60 5G
– Nothing Phone 3a Pro 5G
– Google Pixel 8a 5G
– OnePlus Nord 5 5G

OnePlus 13R

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the brand that made the flagship killer popular has one of the best smartphones under Rs 40,000. The OnePlus 13R launched alongside the OnePlus 13 at a starting price of Rs 42,999, but is now available for Rs 39,999. At that price, it offers flagship features at a discounted price. The key specs include a 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, 12/16GB RAM, and 256GB or 512GB storage.

It features a triple rear camera setup with a 50MP main camera, 50MP telephoto camera, and an 8MP ultrawide camera. A 16MP selfie camera, under-display fingerprint sensor, a 6,000mAh battery with 80W charging, and OxygenOS make this an easy choice.

Pros:
– Top-tier performance
– Smooth and reliable OxygenOS experience
– Fast charging and excellent battery life

Cons:
– Cameras aren’t the best
– Reported heating issues

Vivo V60 5G

If you are looking for a camera-centric mid-range smartphone, then Vivo V60 5G is the one. Vivo has nailed the Zeiss experience so well that it has brought that photography to the V-series as well. With the Vivo V60 5G, you are getting a superior portrait camera with its 50MP main camera and 50MP periscope telephoto camera, combining to deliver a multifocal portrait experience.

There is an 8MP ultrawide camera, a 50MP selfie camera, a 6.77-inch display, a Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chip, up to 16GB RAM and 512GB storage, a 6,500mAh battery with 90W fast charging. The base model with 8GB RAM and 128GB is available for Rs 36,999, and you can step up to the 256GB storage option by paying just Rs 2,000 more.

Pros:
– Excellent portrait and camera experience
– Lightweight build with excellent display
– Solid battery life

Cons:
– Average gaming experience
– Funtouch OS has a poor software update track record

ALSO READ: Apple iPhone 17 first impressions

Nothing Phone 3a Pro 5G

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro 5G is for those wanting to stand out from the crowd. It has a 6.77-inch AMOLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip, 8/12GB RAM, 128GB/256GB storage, a 50MP primary camera, a 50MP periscope telephoto camera, an 8MP ultrawide camera, a 50MP selfie camera, and a 5,000mAh battery with 50W wired charging support.

Pros:
– Transparent design with Glyph interface
– Fast and fluid user experience
– Consistent battery life

Cons:
– The camera is still a work in progress

Google Pixel 8a 5G

The Pixel 8a 5G is the best compact smartphone under Rs 40,000 and the ultimate camera phone in this segment. With a 6.1-inch OLED display, 8GB RAM, 128GB/256GB storage, Google Tensor G3 chip, 4,492mAh battery with 30W charging, the Pixel 8a is not trying to win any competition, but its magic lies in computational photography. 

The Pixel 8a 5G has a 64MP main camera with f/1.9 aperture and dual pixel PDAF and a 13MP ultrawide camera. These cameras produce contrasty images in Pixel style, and the AI features elevate the experience.

Pros:
– Fast Android updates
– Best-in-class computational photography
– Compact form factor

Cons:
– Slower charging than the competition
– Not for gaming

OnePlus Nord 5 5G

The OnePlus Nord 5 5G is an affordable alternative to the OnePlus 13R. It features a 6.83-inch AMOLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip, 8GB/12GB RAM, 256GB/512GB storage, 50MP + 8MP dual rear camera setup, a 50MP front camera, and a 6,800mAh battery with 80W SuperVOOC charging. It is difficult to find a phone with that level of performance and battery life with a starting price of Rs 31,999.

Pros:
– Smooth UI with OxygenOS
– Reliable battery life with fast charging support

Cons:
– Low-light camera performance could be better

Smartphone under 40000

There are a number of great smartphones under 40,000 available right now. The OnePlus 13R leads the pack with impressive all-around performance while the Vivo V60 is a clear winner with its selfies and portrait experience. If photography is your top priority, then Pixel 8a is unbeatable. With Nothing Phone 3a Pro 5G, you get a distinctive design, while the OnePlus Nord 5G offers more bang for your buck.