Journalism of Courage
Mother's Day is here, and if you've been waiting to give your mom a smartphone, we'd say there's no better time than now. The market is full of options from ranging from the affordable segment to high-end phones. We've picked the best smartphones in the budget, mid-budget and high-end bring band. First up, there's LeEco. Le 1s (Eco), that comes with Supertainment package on-board. Read more here
LeEco Le 1s (Eco) could be good option, right now, as the company has tied-up with Hungama, Eros and YuppTV for its own range of entertainment services. LeEco's Le 1s(Eco) is a software enhanced version of its previous budget offering Le 1s. The smartphone also comes with LeVidi app on-board, which aggregates videos from across the internet. You will, however have to wait to buy Le 1s (Eco), which will be available via flash sale on may 12. The Supertainment package costs Rs 10,899 which includes Le 1s(Eco) priced at Rs 9,999. Read more here
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is another great option in the affordable price segment. Redmi Note 3 starts at Rs 9,999 for 2GB+16GB variant and Rs 11,999 for 3GB+32GB version. It features a rear fingerprint scanner that is quick and highly responsive. As far as battery is concerned, the Redmi Note 3 boasts of a large 4050mAh battery. The Redmi Note 3 is now available on open sale on Mi.com, where it can be bought without registrations. Read our review of Redmi Note 3 here
Moto G (Turbo Edition), makes for an excellent option as, apart from great specs, it comes with IP67 certification, while Moto G (3rd gen) has IPX7 certification. Moto G Turbo can thus withstand both dust and water. The smartphone can be bought at Rs 12,499 from Flipkart and Amazon. Read our review of Moto G Turbo Edition here
Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus is priced attractively at Rs 8,499, and is Flipkart exclusive. Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus features a 5-inch full HD IPS display. On the camera front, Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus features a 13-megapixel primary camera with autofocus and LED flash. The front camera is a 5-megapixel one that is decent for selfies and video calling. Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus features a aluminium metal casing which sure looks attractive. Read our review of Lenovo K5 Plus here
Moving on to the mid-budget segment, our first pick is Motorola Moto X Play. In our review of the Moto X Play, we called the device a killer smartphone under Rs 20,000. Moto X Play offers a 5.5-inch 1080p Full HD display, which should delight you. The battery life of the device is again better than others in this price range. So, if you are looking for a stylish smartphone, with a battery that lasts long, this is the phone. It is available for Rs 16,999 on Flipkart. Read more here
Next in the mid-budgent category is Lenovo Vibe X3. In our review of the smartphone, we noted if you are looking for a phone that offers you all that you would want for this price, then the Lenovo Vibe X3 ticks all the right boxes. This is one of the best value for money phones in the market at the moment. Vibe X3 also supports VR Threatre Max, and the company says the phone offers one of the best sound experiences on a smartphone in the industry. Lenovo Vibe X3 has a 21 megapixel rear camera and an eight megapixel front camera with the ability to record 4K videos. The device is priced at Rs 19,999 and is Amazon exclusive. Read more here
Xiaomi Mi 5, the premium flagship smartphone will be available on flash sale on May 11 for Rs 24,999 for 3GB+32GB storage. From a design perspective, Mi 5 looks very good; the curved 3D glass back, the metal frame on the side, the way Xiaomi has managed to keep this phone feeling incredibly thin and light are all points in its favour. Also the call quality on the Xiaomi Mi 5 is the best among in all the phones from the Chinese tech start-up that we've used so far. On the battery front, tests showed that it will last around 12 hours, which is good. Read more here
OnePlus 2, which has received quite a few price-cuts recently, is also a good option in the mid-budget segment. In our review, we found that this is the best overall Android smartphone in India at the moment. OnePlus 2 comes with a 5.5-inch full HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage space. It has a 13-megapixel rear camera and five-megapixel front camera. This is a dual-SIM device with a USB Type-C connector. Read our review of OnePlus 2 here
If you are feeling a bit more generous, and want to gift your mom a top-end smartphone, here are the best ones. Recently launched Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, is probably the most stylish smartphone available, and has the best Android camera in any smartphone right now. In our review, we called the smartphone and Android perfection. Plus, it comes with the concierge services in the My Galaxy app, which is in the form of an on-call personal assistant powered by Haptik Inc available from 10 am to 6 pm every day along with a chat service with longer timings. Read more here
In the Apple devices league, we have iPhone 6s (16 GB), which starts at Rs 41,999 on Flipkart. Infibeam is selling iPhone 6s (64 GB) for Rs 52, 4999. The iPhone 6s has a 5 megapixel front camera. So if your mom is a selfie fan and wants an Apple device, then 6s is a good deal right now. Read more here Go for iPhone 6s Plus, if you don't mind spending that extra buck to make your mom happy with a smartphone that we called 'Mr Dependable', in our review. It is retailing for Rs 76,999 (128 GB) on Infibeam. Read our review of iPhone 6s Plus here
Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge might be a year old, but the devices still offer a great value for money. While the S6 (32 GB) is available for Rs 33,900 on Amazon India, the S6 edge can be bought for Rs 40,900. The S6 features a 5.1-inch QHD sAMOLED display features a 16 megapixel rear camera. In our review, we noted that this is definitely one of the top bets in the top-end Android smartphone category. Read our review of Samsung S6 here The screen size in Samsung Galaxy S6 edge is the same and it comes with with Gorilla Glass 4 for protection. The 16 megapixel rear camera comes with 4K video recording and the front 5 megapixel camera with Full HD video recording. This one has heart rate monitor and fingerprint scanner too. Read our review of Samsung S6 edge here
Samsung Galaxy Note 5, which was launched in October last year, is still one of the best Android smartphones to buy. The 32 GB version is available for Rs 50,280 on Snapdeal. The biggest advantage that differentiates it from the S6 series is the stylus, and is a great option for those who love to doodle. The smartphone has a large 5.7-inch Super AMOLED screen, a 16 megapixel rear camera and a five megapixel front camera. Read our review of Samsung Galaxy Note 5 here
