The year 2017 is coming to end and as we look back at the top smartphones in the market, one will find that the mid-range segment was probably one of the most-talked-about categories. We saw that many mid-range smartphones were giving a tough fight or at some point vanquished the so-called flagship devices.
This year we came across brands like OnePlus coming out with devices that give a flagship killer specs at half the price of what other top-notch players are offering. We also saw brands like Motorola bringing back the modular concept with their own twist.
But in this sea of options, it becomes a mountainous task to choose the best from the rest. But you need not have to worry, as to make things simpler we have handpicked the devices which are priced from Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000. So without wasting any more time, we present you the best mid-range smartphones of 2017.
Honor 8 Pro
It is safe to say that Honor 8 Pro was one device that gave OnePlus 5 a run for its money. The smartphone, which was launched at Rs 29,999, packs some really impressive hardware and design was again the strong point of the device. The dual camera setup on this one comprises of an RGB sensor and a Monochrome sensor. Also, the screen on the Honor 8 Pro is Quad HD which translates into better pixel density and more sharpness.
The major highlight of Honor 8 Pro is the dual rear cameras. The camera comes with a combination of 12-megapixel Sensors with one being used to capture RGB( colour), while other captures details in monochrome. The smartphone also supports 4K recording at 30 frames per second and comes with an 8-megapixel front camera for selfies and video calling.
As per the specifications are concerned, the device will feature a 5.7-inch QHD LTPS LCD display with a screen resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and a pixel density of 515ppi. The device is powered by company’s in-house Kirin 960 octa-core processor and is backed by a 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, which can be further expanded up to 128GB via microSD card slot. The device runs on Android 7.0 Nougat and is juiced by a 4000mAh battery.
Motorola Moto Z2 Play
Motorola Moto Z series has been known for its sleek design and modular concept, which is a rarity these days. The same is reflected in this year’s Moto Z2 Play smartphone, which can be considered as one of the slimmest smartphone available in the market right now with just 5.99mm thickness. At the back, you 16 magnetic pins through, which one can easily connect different Moto Mods.
Another area where the Moto Z2 Play does a pretty decent job is the battery department. In spite of packing a 3000mAh battery, the phone delivers impressive battery backup. Coupled this with Stock Android experience, which ensures timely updates, the Moto Z2 Play has more ticks than crosses.
The Moto Z2 Play comes loaded with a 5.5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED Display with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels coupled with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection and a pixel density of 401 ppi. On the inside, we get the latest Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 626 Chipset which is clocked at 2.2 GHz along with Adreno 506 GPU. The phone comes with 4GB RAM and 64GB Internal storage which is further expandable up to 256GB via a dedicated microSD card slot. The performance of the device is good in most of the departments. Overall, with a price tag of Rs 27,999, the smartphone can be considered as a pretty good choice.
On the camera front, the device features a 12-megapixel rear camera with 1.4-micron pixels, f/1.7 aperture, dual LED flash and laser and dual Autofocus lens. For the front, there is a 5-megapixel shooter with f/2.2 aperture, wide-angle lens and a front flash. On the connectivity front, it include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/g/b/n, Bluetooth 4.2, USB Type-C, Headphone jack, NFC, FM radio, and GPS/ A-GPS.
Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro
The Galaxy C9 Pro’s design does grab some important points in this category. Despite coming with a huge 6.0-inch display, the device doesn’t feel that big. The smartphone offers some respectable performance and it probably one of the best devices for those who love watch movies and video content on a smartphone. Another major highlight of the Galaxy C9 Pro is the battery. The phone gives a decent battery backup, which is an important aspect when we look at a new smartphone.
Jumping straight to the specifications, the Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 653 (4 x 1.95GHz + 4 x 1.44GHz) processor and Adreno 510 GPU. The phone has a 6GB RAM, a 64GB Internal Memory which is further expandable up to 256GB via microSD card. The smartphone runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow operating system and is backed by a 4,000 mAh battery with Fast charging technology. The smartphone features a metal unibody and a 6-inch display with full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) AMOLED display.
The smartphone has a 16-megapixel shooter on the back with dual-tone LED flash, f/1.9 Aperture and a 16-megapixel selfie camera. On the connectivity front, the device offers Dual SIM, 4G LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, NFC and a USB Type C. The handset measures 162.9 x 80.7 x 6.9 mm and weighs 185 grams. The device also features a fingerprint sensor in the home button.
Honor 9i
The Honor 9i has brought the latest trend, which is only restricted to the premium segment, at an affordable price tag. The major highlight of the smartphone is the FullView immersive display along with two rear and two front-facing cameras, which is a first in a smartphone, especially, at this price range. The smartphone comes with a price tag of Rs 17,999 and it will be available in Platinum Gold, Midnight Black and Navy Blue colour options.
It was also awarded as the ‘Smartphone of the Year’ in the mid-range category during Device World 2017 conference. The smartphone garnered maximum votes in the Consumer Devices Survey 2017, which was jointly released by The Mobile Indian and TeleAnalysis.
On the specification front, the Honor 9i features a unibody metal design and a 5.9-inch FullView Full HD+ (2160 x 1080 pixels) 2.5D curved glass display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by a 2.36 GHz Octa-core Kirin 659 processor coupled with 4GB RAM.
The device has a 64GB internal memory and has an expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD. The smartphone runs on Android 7.0 Nougat operating system and has the EMUI 5.1 on top of it. There is a 3340 mAh battery on this phone. It also features a fingerprint sensor on the back of the device below the dual camera setup.
The Honor 9i offers four cameras compromising of two rear and two front cameras. It has a 16-megapixel sensor with dual-tone LED flash coupled with a 2-megapixel sensor. For the front, there is 13 megapixel with soft LED flash and 2-megapixel sensors. Besides, the smartphone offers Hybrid Dual SIM, 4G LTE with VoLTE, WiFi (802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.2, GPS/A-GPS, NFC. The handset measures 156.2 × 75.2 × 7.5mm and weighs around 164 grams.
Oppo F3 Plus
The smartphone sports a 6-inch Full HD display with Corning Glass 5 protection and a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The device is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 653 processor along with Adreno 510. The phone is backed by a 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, which can be expanded up to 256GB via microSD card slot. There is also a fingerprint sensor embedded in the home button, which is equipped with a hydrophobic membrane making it water-resistant.
The main highlight of the device is the dual front-facing camera setup which includes a 16-megapixel camera with 1/3 inch sensor, aperture f/2.0 and an 8-megapixel 120-degree wide-angle lens with a 6P lens. The front camera also comes loaded with Beautify 4.0. For the rear, the smartphone boasts a 16-megapixel shooter with Sony IMX398 sensor, aperture f/1.7 and dual PDAF focusing technology, which basically doubles the area of the sensor’s pixel making it 40 percent faster focus speeds.
On the downside, the phone still runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow with company’s ColorUI 3.0 running on top of it. The smartphone gets its power from a 4,000mAh battery along company’s in-house VOOC Flash Charge. On the connectivity front, the device supports 4G, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1 and hybrid dual-SIM. The phone measures 163.63 x 80.8 x 7.35mm and weighs about 185 grams.