Diwali Gifting Guide: Best smartphones to gift your loved ones this festive season (under various price brackets)

It is common knowledge that smartphones make the best gifts. With 2022 seeing a lot of incredible releases across different categories, deciding the perfect smartphone to gift someone can be a confusing task. We’ve been keeping a watch on all the releases this year and have curated a well-rounded list of phones to buy, with picks from different categories. If you’re looking to gift someone a smartphone to a loved one this festive season, you certainly need to look at this Diwali gifting guide.

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iPhone 14 Pro

Price: Rs 1,29,990

Not many smartphones make a better gift than the iPhone. The newly launched iPhone 14 Pro comes with a new display and updated cameras. The notch on the display has been changed to a pill-shaped cutout which now houses the ‘dynamic island’. The camera unit also receives one of the biggest upgrades in recent years, in the form of a 48 MP quad-pixel main sensor. The A16 Bionic processor is an improvement over the already impressive A15 chipset. On top of that, you get new features like car crash detection and satellite connectivity. The iPhone 14 Pro could very well be the best smartphone in the market right now. We go into the deeper details in our review here.

Google Pixel 7 Pro

Price: Rs 84,999.

Google’s flagship offering finally makes its way back to India after four long years. Unsurprisingly, it is better than ever before and gives other flagships like iPhone 14 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S22 a run for their money. The camera performance of the Pixel 7 Pro is certainly the best out of any Android smartphone on the market, and many believe that it even surpasses the iPhone 14 in that regard. For Android loyalists who need a smartphone with fresh looks and powerful performance, the Google Pixel 7 Pro will make for an excellent gift. We would also suggest looking into the Google Pixel 7, which is priced Rs 25,000 less than the Pro variant and doesn’t miss out on a lot of the distinguishing features.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4

Price: Rs 89,999.

Snappy, smart, and a definite head-turner, there aren’t many smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 around. Arguably the best-looking smartphone on this list, the Flip 4 backs up its aesthetics with a powerful performance, all thanks to the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset. The 12 MP primary and ultrawide lens in the camera unit produce the great images that you expect from Samsung’s flagships. The 1.9-inch cover display offers a lot of functionalities which you wouldn’t need to open the phone for. These include reading notifications, controlling the music player, and adding widgets for an alarm clock, step counter, weather, and more. Definitely, one of the best gifts you can give to your loved ones this Diwali. Read our review here.

iQOO 9T

Price: Rs 49,999.

The iQOO 9T is the perfect smartphone for users who are looking for flagship-level specs and performance at a mid-range price. Granted, the iQOO 9T is slightly more expensive than your regular mid-range offerings, but it punches way above its weight and rivals the flagship products of other brands. The iQOO 9T gets the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset along with the Adreno 730 GPU. It even boasts a Vapor Chamber Cooling system that is ideal for maintaining the temperature of the smartphone while gaming. On top of that, you get super-fast charging, with the smartphone taking just under 25 minutes to fully charge. We were quite impressed by the camera unit as well, which you can see for yourself in our review here.

Nothing Phone 1

Price: Rs 32,999.

While we’re on the subject of eye-catching aesthetics and interesting smartphone designs, the Nothing Phone 1 deserves a fair shout. Not many smartphones are able to create a buzz like the Nothing Phone 1 did, especially in their debut year. At a time when the mid-range category is filled with repackaged smartphones across different brands, the Nothing Phone is a breath of fresh air. The see-through back panel design and the Glyph LED interface give the smartphone a retrofuturist look, something you’d see in a science fiction movie of the past. The performance holds up nicely too, as the Nothing Phone runs on the Snapdragon 778G+ chipset. The dual rear camera arrangement produces great results, which you can see for yourself in our review here. One of the best smartphones you can gift a loved one this Diwali.

Vivo V25 Pro

Price: Rs 35,999

If you’re impressed by Nothing Phone’s see-through back panel and LED Glyph interface, you may want to check out Vivo V25 Pro’s colour-changing back. While it is not invisible, it changes colour when placed under direct sunlight. You can even customise the back to create interesting designs with the help of a stencil. Powering the Vivo V25 Pro is the MediaTek Dimensity 1300 SoC processor, which does a lot of heavy lifting on this smartphone. But the real star of this device is the camera unit. The 64 MP main sensor now comes with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) and captures highly detailed images even in challenging lighting conditions. Apart from the primary sensor you also get the 8 MP ultrawide and 2 MP macro lens. For more in-depth analysis, read our Vivo V25 Pro review here. This smartphone will make a great Diwali gift for photography enthusiasts. 

OnePlus 10R

Price: Rs 38,999

Smartphones like the OnePlus 10R make the brand a favourite of tech enthusiasts. The wide, flat frame along with a matte black finish on the rear panel gives the 10R a more premium feel. The 120Hz FHD+ Fluid AMOLED display produces bright and vivid colours that are perfect for gaming as well as media streaming. The OnePlus 10R also gets SuperVOOC fast charging, with the 150W charger capable of replenishing the battery within 30 minutes. The 50MP + 8MP + 2MP rear camera unit and the 16 MP front selfie camera produce crisp, rich images. For more details, read our OnePlus 10R review here. 

Moto G32

Price: Rs 10,999.

Looking for an affordable no-nonsense smartphone that makes no compromises on performance? The Moto G32 will make the perfect Diwali gift for a loved one. The Moto G32 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 SoC processor and uses the Android 12 OS. It also gets a triple camera setup which comprises a 50 MP primary lens, an 8 MP ultra-wide sensor, and a 2 MP macro lens. At the front, you get a 16 MP selfie camera. There are some really impressive specs for a smartphone that costs just Rs 10,999. An 8 MP ultrawide lens is unheard of in this price range. The Adreno 610 GPU can handle graphically demanding games like the Call of Duty Mobile, albeit not at the highest settings. For more details regarding the phone, read our review here.

Redmi 11 Prime 5G

Price: Rs 13,999.

As the 5G rollout commences nationwide, most people are already on the lookout for an effective 5G-enabled smartphone that doesn’t cost too much. The Redmi 11 Prime 5G offers that and more. It has something in it for everyone, from casual users to gaming enthusiasts. Equipped with MediaTek Dimensity 700 and a refresh rate of 90Hz, the Redmi 11 Prime 5G can run games like Call of Duty, Asphalt, and Free Fire Max with ease. It also gets a respectable 50 MP primary lens and an 8 MP depth sensor. The 5,000 mAh battery can easily last you more than a day. Read our review of the Redmi 11 Prime 5G here. 

Nokia C21 Plus

Price: Rs 10,299

Fewer brands are as credible in the Indian market as Nokia. The Nokia C21 Plus reminds its audience that the brand is certainly not a faint nostalgic reminder of the past, but still a strong player in the current smartphone market. At a price of Rs 10,299, the C21 is an absolute bargain. We were amazed by the incredible battery life in our review of the smartphone. The Nokia C21 Plus could make a great Diwali gift for someone that mostly uses their smartphone to watch video content.

Honourable Mention: Poco F4

Price: Rs 27,999.

While we’ve picked the best smartphones across all categories in this list, the Poco F4 deserves a special shoutout. For users that ideally go for smartphones within the Rs 20-30,000 range, the Poco F4 offers a great mix of design, performance, and camera output. With the Poco F4, you get a 6.67-inch FHD+ E4 AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate (along with 360Hz touch sampling rate), Snapdragon 870 SoC, and up to 12 gigs of LPDDR5 RAM. The camera unit offers Optical Image Stabilisation which particularly comes in handy during nighttime photography. Read our in-depth review for more details.

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Conclusion

These are our picks for the best smartphones to gift your loved ones this Diwali. We hope this list will help you cut through the clutter. Before you buy any product, make sure you look up the festive season deals on offer. Keep checking the GadgetBridge website for the latest deals and discounts across the board. If you’re done with Diwali shopping, let us know which smartphones you picked up!