A spec-heavy smartphone doesn’t necessarily have to cost a lot of money. You can easily find something that suits your usage without crossing the Rs 40,000 bracket. Of course, this means making a few tradeoffs. Phones with exquisite cameras in this segment may not have the best processors. On the other hand, gaming smartphones may not take the best portraits. However, if you’re clear on what you want, there are some hidden gems in this segment waiting to be picked up. Here are the top 10 smartphones priced under Rs 40,000 in March 2026.
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In This Article
Nothing Phone (4a) Pro
The Pro model in the newly-launched Nothing Phone (4a) series packs the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset under its hood. Its 6.83-inch AMOLED display has a 144Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 5,000 nits. The smartphone has an aircraft-grade aluminium unibody. Its camera plateau has a see-through design. It houses a 50MP primary shooter, an 8MP ultrawide lens, a 50MP telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom, and the Glyph Matrix. The 5,400mAh battery pack supports 50W wired charging.
Pros
- Metal unibody
- Bright display
- Glyph Matrix
Cons
- Not the best processor in the segment
Nothing Phone (4a)
The base variant in the Nothing Phone (4a) series looks a lot like its predecessor. The see-through design language extends to the entirety of the back panel. The Glyph lighting has been restricted to a small bar next to the pill-shaped camera cutout. At the heart of the device lies the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chipset. Software duties are handled by the Android 16-based Nothing OS 4.1. The 6.78-inch AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 4,500 nits. The camera cutout on the back panel houses a 50MP primary shooter, a 50MP telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom, and an 8MP ultrawide lens. The 5,400mAh battery pack supports 50W wired charging.
Pros
- See-through design
- Smooth display
- Clean OS
Cons
- Not the best processor in the segment
Google Pixel 9a
Last year’s Google Pixel 9a remains one of the best smartphones you can buy under Rs 40,000 in 2026. It is powered by Google’s in-house Tensor G4 chipset and runs Android 15 out of the box. Its 6.3-inch compact P-OLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 2,700 nits. One of our favourite things about this smartphone is that it doesn’t have a camera bump. Instead, it gets a bigger 5,100mAh battery. There is support for 23W wired and 7.5W wireless charging. The rear camera array of the smartphone comprises a 48MP primary shooter and a 13MP ultrawide lens. Read our Google Pixel 9a review to learn more about its everyday performance.
Pros
- Compact form factor
- Good cameras
- Wireless charging
Cons
- No telephoto lens
Samsung Galaxy A36
Samsung’s A series midrange is powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset. It runs the Android 15-based One UI 7 out of the box. Samsung has promised 6 major OS upgrades for this device. The 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1,900 nits. The triple camera array on the back panel comprises a 50MP primary shooter, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 5MP macro sensor. The 5,000mAh battery pack supports 45W wired charging. Dive into our Samsung Galaxy A36 review to learn more about its everyday performance.
Pros
- Fluid display
- Lightweight
- Good cameras
Cons
- Heats up while gaming
Vivo V60
Photography enthusiasts must check out the V60. Its camera island flaunts a 50MP primary shooter, a 50MP periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and an 8MP ultrawide lens. All of these lenses are tuned by Zeiss. At the heart of the smartphone lies the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset. The 6.77-inch AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 5,000 nits. There’s IP68/69 protection on board against dust and water. The 6,500mAh Si/C battery pack supports 90W wired charging. Check out our Vivo V60 review for a detailed analysis of its cameras.
Pros
- Good cameras
- Bright display
- IP68/69 rating
Cons
- UFS 2.2 storage
OnePlus Nord 5
OnePlus Nord 5 is powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC. It runs the Android 15-based OxygenOS 15 out of the box. Its 6.83-inch Swift AMOLED display has a 144Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 1,800 nits. Much like OnePlus’s flagship device, the Nord 5 also gets a Plus key that can be used to save stuff to the Mind Space. The vertical camera cutout on the back panel houses a 50MP primary shooter and an 8MP ultrawide lens. The 6,800mAh battery pack supports 80W wired charging. For more details, read our review of the OnePlus Nord 5.
Pros
- Cool design
- Plus key
- Big battery
Cons
- Does not have an IP67 rating
Realme 16 Pro
The Realme 16 Pro draws power from the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Max chipset. Software duties are handled by the Android 16-based Realme UI 7. The smartphone has been promised 3 major OS upgrades. Its 6.78-inch AMOLED display has a 144Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 6,500 nits. The rear camera panel houses a 200MP primary shooter and an 8MP ultrawide lens. The 7,000mAh Si/C battery pack supports 80W wired charging.
Pros
- Bright display
- Good main camera
- Big battery
Cons
- Mediocre chipset
Redmi Note 15 Pro+
The top-spec Pro+ model in Redmi’s Note 15 series is powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chipset. It is rated IP68/69K for protection against dust and water. Its 6.83-inch AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 3,200 nits. The rear camera panel houses a 200MP primary shooter and an 8MP ultrawide lens. The 6,500mAh Si/C battery pack supports 100W wired fast charging. Read our Redmi Note 15 Pro+ review for more details.
Pros
- Good main camera
- IP69/69K rating
- Fast charging
Cons
- Not the best chipset in the segment
Poco F7
The Poco F7 is a top-notch gaming smartphone under Rs 40,000. It is powered by the amazing Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset and runs the Android 15-based HyperOS 2 out of the box. Its 6.83-inch AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and 3,200 nits of peak brightness. The camera cutout has a split layout and houses a 50MP primary shooter and an 8MP ultrawide lens. The 7,550mAh battery pack supports 90W wired fast charging. Read our Poco F7 review to find out how it held up to our gaming tests.
Pros
- Cool design
- Powerful processor
- Big battery
Cons
- Portrait shots could be better
iQOO Neo 10
Ending this list is the iQOO Neo 10. This gaming smartphone is also powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 SoC. iQOO’s in-house Supercomputing Chip Q1 works in tandem with Qualcomm’s processor. The internal heat is managed by the 7000mm² vapour chamber. The 6.78-inch AMOLED display has a 144Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 4,400 nits. The camera island on the back panel comprises a 50MP primary shooter and an 8MP ultrawide lens. The 7,000mAh Si/C battery pack supports 120W wired charging. Read our iQOO Neo 10 review to learn more about the smartphone.
Pros
- Powerful processor
- 144Hz display
- Big battery
Cons
- Lacks IP67 rating
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Final Thoughts
These are the top 10 smartphones priced under Rs 40,000 in March 2026. If you have some more room in your budget, check out our best smartphone picks under Rs 50,000. Got any questions? Let us know in the comments!
