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The smartphone industry in India is one of the most happening and crowded place. I remember the first mobile phone that came to our house was a Samsung R210. Back then it was the only blue back-lit phone in the market. And the mobile phone market in India had only three major players – Nokia, Samsung and Motorola to an extent. Fast forward to 2020, there is sea of smartphones manufacturers. However with the recent tensions between India & China has prompted users to look for non Chinese smartphones to buy in India.
Recently one of my friends too reached out to me for a non Chinese smartphone suggestion. And frankly, there are only a handful non Chinese smartphone brands in India. The whole purpose of this blog post is to list out all the non Chinese smartphone that one can buy. This ultimate list is made for various price bands – starting from the as low as ₹10,000 up to a ₹1,00,000.
Approach to make this Ultimate non Chinese Smartphone list
The approach here was simple – any brand that is Chinese or has roots to China even with complete manufacturing in India is excluded. Also the so called Indian brands that are almost non-existent – Micromax, Lava, Karrbonn etc. don’t find themselves in this list of non Chinese smartphones. On the outset, the entire smartphone market is dominated by Chinese brands like Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, RedMi, RealMe, Poco, OnePlus to name a few. I do understand that there are people who wouldn’t mind getting one of these phones (and I don’t judge them for that) but this list has only non Chinese smartphone brands in India.
Non Chinese Smartphone Brands in India
Price Range: ₹5000 – ₹10,000
The lower end of the smartphone market is where most of the Indian brands like the ones mentioned above play. However, they aren’t quite popular thanks to the Chinese brands we now have. The two smartphones that I found best in this category are :
- LG W10 | Price ₹9,999 : The W10 is a good entry level phone which has an octa core processor powered by Mediatek processor couple with 3GB RAM and 32 GB internal memory. Comes with a 13 MP and 5 MP dual camera setup with ability to record videos in 1080. A decent 4000mAh battery and an expandable memory makes this a good choice. More about LG W10
- Panasonic Eluga I8 |₹9,199: The Panasonic Eluga I8 has similar specifications of that of the LG W10. However this comes with a single 13 MP camera and a 3000mAh battery. More about Panasonic Eluga I8
Price Range: ₹10,000 – ₹15,000
This is the price point where most of the Chinese smartphone brands come in. They offer some of the flagship level features at a very budget price. Though there are many brands in this price range, I’ve picked only one model from Samsung. There are multiple flavors by Samsung in this range.
- Samsung Galaxy M21 | Price ₹13,999: Samsung M21 is at latest phone launched in March 2020. The phone has a large & bright 6.4″ screen with Gorilla Glass 3. Though mostly plastic body, the Samsung M31 is powered by Exynos 9611 octa core processor and coupled with 4GB RAM. Has a triple camera setup with 48 MP main sensor, along with a 8 MP ultra wide and 5 MP depth. Ability to record 4K videos along with the best battery capacity of 6000 mAh. More about Samsung Galaxy M21
Price Range: ₹15,000 – ₹20,000
Samsung’s M series has become quite popular in India. It has so many variants that I’m sure that anyone would fine their requirement fulfilled by any of these. Also the large 6000 mAh battery is what Indians love, after all “kitna deti hai” is always on our mind 😉
- Samsung Galaxy M31 | Price ₹17,499 : Samsung M31 is an upgrade over the Samsung A21 mentioned in the earlier section. This one has similar specifications like that of the A21. However it defers in the camera department. This phone comes with only 6GB RAM variants and no 4GB option. Also, it has a quad camera setup 64 MP main sensor, 8 MP ultra wide, 5 MP macro and 5 MP depth along with a 32 MP front facing camera. With 6000 mAh battery, this is a great choice ! More about Samsung Galaxy M31.
Price Range: ₹20,000 – ₹25,000
Samsung is dominating this segment as well. However, their A50s is an older phone and the M31 is the above segment is much better than this. Hence ditching that. Picking up the LG V30 Plus instead.
- LG V30 Plus | ₹24,999 : The LG V30 is the only non Chinese smartphone that comes with a Snapdragon processor. Powered by the Snapdragon 835 chip set and coupled with 4GB RAM, on paper it looks modest. But the processor is one of the good ones out there. Comes with a dual camera setup, expandable memory, quick charge and wireless charging. More about LG V30 Plus
Price Range: ₹25,000 – ₹30,000
This is the price point where there are many smartphones with some of the best in the segment performance. Samsung finds itself here too along with the Google Pixel 3a.
- Samsung A51 | Price: ₹25,520 : Launched in 2019, A51 still is one of the better performing non Chinese smartphone in the market. Powered by Exynos 9611 coupled with 4GB,6GB or 8GB RAM options. Quad camera setup with 48 MP main sensor, 12 MP ultra wide, 5 MP depth and 5 MP macro. Capable of recording 1080 at 120fps. Fast charging and optical finger print sensor. More about Samsung A51.
- Samsung A70 | Price: ₹28,000 : This I’d say is the Snapdragon variant of the Samsung A51. Comes with the Snapdragon 675 processor with upto 8GB RAM. Triple camera setup with 64 MP main sensor, 8 MP ultra wide and 5 MP depth. 4500 mAh battery with 25W quick charge. More about Samsung A70
- Samsung Galaxy S9 | Price: ₹24,999 : One of the best flagship of it’s time, Samsung Galaxy S9 still hold good today. Comes with an amazing screen and a smaller 5.8″ screen size. Powered by Exynos 9819 couple with 4GB of RAM. A single 12MP camera and a dual front facing camera. Though this is a flagship, I don’t recommend buying this now as this is an old phone and not a good investment considering improvements in cameras and apps getting heavier. More about Samsung Galaxy S9.
- Google Pixel 3a | Price: ₹29,999 : If you want a camera phone, the Google Pixel 3a is your best bet. Doesn’t have the best specifications on the paper neither multiple cameras, it does fantastic post processing of images. 5.6″ OLED screen powered by Snapdragon 670 with 4GB RAM. Single 12.2 MP camera but can do wonders. Modest 3000 mAh battery with 18W fast charging. More about Google Pixel 3a.
Price Range: ₹30,000 – ₹35,000
If you are an Apply fan boy, the Apple iPhone 7 is the cheapest iPhone you can get at this price. Apart from iPhone there’s the Samsung Galaxy A31. I left out the A80 and LG G6 because they are older phones.
- Samsung Galaxy A71 | Price: ₹32,999 : The Samsung Galaxy A71 released in 2020. Dual SIM hybrid phone comes with a 6.7″ super AMOLED screen. Powered by Snapdragon 730G octa core processor and available in 6 and 8GB variants. Also, it has a quad camera setup 64 MP main sensor, 12 MP ultra wide, 5 MP macro and 5 MP depth along with a 32 MP front facing camera. 4500 mAh battery with 25W fast charging. More about Samsung Galaxy A71.
- Apple iPhone 7 (32GB) | Price: ₹31,500 : This is the cheapest iPhone you can get in India. Powered by Apple A10 and coupled with 2GB RAM. Still it is better than many of 6GB RAM Android phones out there. 12 MP single camera & 7 MP front facing camera. Batter is just 1960 mAh but the optimization by Apple is amazing. More about Apple iPhone 7.
Price Range: ₹35,000 – ₹40,000
At this price point, you can get some of the entry level flagship phones out there that are non Chinese smartphones. Many of the year old flagships are still great performing and selling like hot cakes.
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite | Price: ₹39,999 : The Note 10 was a successful phone from Samsung. It was a loved phone by the working executives. Thanks to the power and ability to multi task. The lite variant is a stripped down version but with modest features. 6.7″ Always on AMOLED display. Exynos 9810 processor paired with 6 and 8GB RAM options. Triple camera setup with 12 MP main sensor, 12 MP ultra wide and 12 MP telephoto. The camera quality has been deemed good. 4500 mAh battery with 25W fast charging. Still one of the best out there. More about Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite.
- LG G7 ThinQ | Price : ₹36,990 : The G7 ThinQ comes with the Snapdragon 845 chipset which can run virtually anything. Upto 6GB RAM and 128 GB storage, makes this a good choice. Dual 16MP camera setup with main and ultra wide sensor. Has a 3000 mAh battery with 25W fast charging and support for wireless charging.
Price Range: ₹40,000 and above
I’ve decided to categorize everything above ₹40,000 in one single category. Most of the phones in the segment are the best in the market and some are great value for money. Instead of deep diving into each of the non Chinese smartphone listed here, I’ll just mention the model, price and the link to know more about it. Also note that all the Samsung smartphones listed below come with Exynos processor and not Snapdragon. It is fine for daily use but heating issues with Exynos are quite common.
- LG G8 ThinQ | Price: ₹48,000 – Know More.
- Samsung Galaxy S10 | Price: ₹49,999 – Know More.
- Apple iPhone XS Max(64GB) | Price: ₹69,900 – Know More.
- Samsung Galaxy S20 | Price: ₹70,499 – Know More.
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10 | Price: ₹73,600 – Know More.
- Google Pixel 4| Price: ₹81,990 – Know More.
- Apple iPhone 11 (256GB)| Price: ₹84,100 – Know More.
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra| Price: ₹97,999 – Know More.
- Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max (64GB)| Price: ₹1,17,100 Know More
Ultimate List of non Chinese Smartphone in India
And that is the end of the ultimate list of non Chinese smartphone in India. One thing is clear that Samsung is present in every segment and is offering diversified range of products. A similar strategy is followed by the Chinese brands like Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo and the likes. Nokia didn’t find mention in this list because they didn’t have quite good phones when it comes to the price point they are playing in. So for everyone looking to purchase a non Chinese smartphone in India, this is what you need. Hope this helps you. Share your thoughts in the comments below or tweet to me at @Atulmaharaj or DM me on Instagram.
I was looking for a durable and latest phone for my wife. As she is an android lover so choices are endless. We found this blog and zeroed in on M31 after doing some more research. Thanks for giving such important feedback
Thanks a lot Mithunji, M31 is indeed a very good phone. I hope it will do justice to your requirements 🙂
valuable information.
Thank you Rekhaji
What a lovely thought. And I must say, you’ve really provided people with the best options whether old or new models. Good one buddy!
Thanks. The idea was to have a list with best value for money phones for wach price band.
My first smart phone was a Sony and I switched to Samsung when it started giving me trouble. I loved this brand and got a Xiaomi just because of the hype around it. About time I go back to Samsung again!
Sony used to make some amazing phones. I loved their Walkman series. They have launched a few new phones in the high segment, let’s see how it goes. Thanks for dropping by 😇
Thank you so much for this detailed post, Atul . Really appreciate that you have simplified things enough for a non-tech person like me to understand.
After going through your list, I am zeroing in on the Galaxy M 31.
Thanks Mayuriji. M31 is one of the best ones in the market. Total paisa vasool I’d say. I’m fact I saw about 4 people buy it at my workplace before the lockdown started.