Affordable Android phones that combine style with substance

Looks and the choice of material used in the exterior of budget and mid-range smartphones have improved significantly in the last few years. Even though many smartphones sometimes have a very similar fundamental design, there are many subtle design differences that can make a lot of difference to the ultimate user experience. Here are some of the best designed mid-range smartphones which not only look good, but will not disappoint in terms of performance as well.

The Redmi Note 4’s all-metal finish and subtle colour options make it one of the best looking budget phones.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4

Rs10,999 onwards

The Redmi Note 4’s all-metal finish and subtle colour options make it one of the best looking budget phones. The gold variant doesn’t feel too blingy. There is a matte black variant too. The matte finish and flatter side panel means better grip. Despite a 5.5-inch display and a 4,100mAh battery, the phone measures 8.5mm and weighs just 165g. The phone is powered by a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor and runs on Android 6.0 with MIUI 8 over it.

Also Read | Review: 5 reasons to buy Xiaomi Redmi Note 4

Lenovo’s Z2 Plus is a compact smartphone with a shiny glass panel on the back and fibre glass frame along the side panel.

Lenovo Z2 Plus

Rs14,999 onwards

Lenovo’s Z2 Plus is a compact smartphone with a shiny glass panel on the back and fibre glass frame along the side panel. The latter improves grip quality as well as offers better cellular reception. The rectangular-shaped home button, which also serves as the fingerprint sensor, blends well with the phone’s sharp looks. Available in black and white colour variants, the Z2 Plus weighs 149g and is ideal for users with small hands. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core chip with 3GB RAM in 32GB storage variant and 4GB RAM in the 64GB storage variant.

Read more | Review: Lenovo’s Z2 Plus is the ultimate flagship killer

Moto G4 Plus’ sleek form-factor, the metallic frame and the oval-shaped camera module on the back makes it look smart

Moto G4 Plus

Rs13,499 onwards

The Moto G4 Plus doesn’t have a curved back design like the earlier Moto G phones, but retains the mesh-like pattern that offers better grip quality. The phone’s sleek form-factor, the metallic frame and the oval-shaped camera module on the back makes it look smart. The phone weighs 155g, which makes it one of the lightest 5.5-inch screen phones in any price segment. It also happens to be splash and dust resistant. It runs Android 7.0 with clean Android UI and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor.

Also Read | Review: Moto G4 Plus is the new affordable Android champ

The Honor 8 uses metal in its chassis like its predecessor, but with a layer of glass over it

Honor 8

Rs26,490

The Honor 8 uses metal in its chassis like its predecessor, but with a layer of glass over it. This gives both front and back a shiny appearance which looks really good in the phone’s blue colour variant. The phone is also available in gold and colour options. Despite the glass back, the phone fits into small hands comfortably due to its compact and light form-factor. The phone has a screen size of 5.2 inches, it’s 145mm tall and weighs just 153g. The phone runs on HiSilicon Kirin 950 octa-core chip with 4GB RAM and offers two 12-megapixel cameras on the back.

Also Read | Review: Huawei Honor 8

The phone’s metal finish has a soft matte layer over it that feels good in the hands

Nubia Z11

Rs29,999

Nubia Z11’s looks smarter more on account of its borderless screen than the material used on the body. The screen covers the entire front panel on two sides, leaving a little space on the top and base for the phone navigation keys, front camera and earpiece. This gives the Nubia Z11 a sleeker appearance. At 72.3mm, it measures less than any average 5.5-inch smartphone sideways. The phone’s metal finish has a soft matte layer over it that feels good in the hands, making this 162g phone easily manageable with one hand. The Z11 runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor with 6GB RAM.

Also Read: Review: Nubia Z11 lays claim on the flagship killer title

The OnePlus 3T is a good-looking mid-range smartphone with a lustreless metal finish

OnePlus 3T

Rs29,999

The OnePlus 3T is a good-looking mid-range smartphone with a lustreless metal finish. It is available in two sophisticated colour options—gunmetal and soft gold. The slight curve around the edges on the back panel, the flat side panel and the phone’s light form factor makes it quite handy. The phone weighs 158g and is just 7.3mm thick. It is the only sub-Rs30,000 smartphone which runs on Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 821 quad-core chip with 6GB RAM and a 3,450mAh battery. The phone offers 64GB storage and has a very capable 16-megapixel camera.

Also Read | Review: OnePlus 3T redefines Android ‘flagship killer’ phones