Smartphone within Rs 25000

Want to buy a android smartphone within Rs 25000 having a great camera and full hd video recording and a crisp display.Preferably a 5 incher. Till now have shortlisted two phones the Lenovo K900 and the Sony Xperia ZL. Was interested about the LG Nexus 5 too but the bad press about its camera is a deterrent. Please help me out if you guys have better options in mind.Budget can be stretched a bit if its worth it.

ZL is good but the screen is washed out.. low contrast..

Ok any other better option? How about the Nexus 5 ?

N5 is a great phone but the camera is at best average.

So what do you suggest? The S3 and Note 2 are also an added option now.How are they?

The Incinerator said:
So what do you suggest? The S3 and Note 2 are also an added option now.How are they?

Camera and screen wise great but software and hardware wise,well that's personal opinion.
If you are not gonna flash custom ROMs then go with Note 2 as it same as S3 but with 2gb ram and with S-Pen

Nexus 5 too has good camera performence after latest update

+1 for N5

any one from LG E975/Optimus G Pro/Note 2

P.S: Note II has Wolfson DAC if it counts

Also check out Huawei Ascend P6 which also has a good camera and screen and is quite slim too lol

R

I think you should go for N5 for its one hand usability if you are not so fond of Note II's huge display. S-pen usage is pretty subjective and so do not consider it as a "feature". Overall, N5 now is a wiser choice of phone.

sushovan said:
any one from LG E975/Optimus G Pro/Note 2

P.S: Note II has Wolfson DAC if it counts

Woah it definitely counts brother!

ZTR said:
Camera and screen wise great but software and hardware wise,well that's personal opinion.
If you are not gonna flash custom ROMs then go with Note 2 as it same as S3 but with 2gb ram and with S-Pen

Two votes for Note 2 then. Im not too much in to phones so ROM flashing or rooting not for me,will stay stock. Hence I will stick with your suggestion of Note 2. Im a very Sony person when its Phones . How is the ZR or should I stretch and go for the Z,but those screen crack issues do scare me.

ankush28 said:
Nexus 5 too has good camera performence after latest update
+1 for N5

Thanks for the information.

rakesh_ic said:
I think you should go for N5 for its one hand usability if you are not so fond of Note II's huge display. S-pen usage is pretty subjective and so do not consider it as a "feature". Overall, N5 now is a wiser choice of phone.

Really looking at it in a big way,but at Rs 28K the ZR and the Z are equally tempting,bit of a Sony/HTC fanboy,but not blindly though.N5 is really tempting except for the absence of the memory card slot.

R

The Incinerator said:
Really looking at it in a big way,but at Rs 28K the ZR and the Z are equally tempting,bit of a Sony/HTC fanboy,but not blindly though.N5 is really tempting except for the absence of the memory card slot.

The screen on ZR is a let down for such a price. Having said that there is no comparison to the SAMOLED's samsung supplies and they are the best in class.

But do consider what i said about the huge size factor of Note II. Not all can manage it. And if u are a high time user of mobiles outside home, its always a factor to be considered.

Apart from that, the expandable slot on Note II can be of use if you click a lot of pics and videos and put a dump of songs on your mobile. N5 has a 32 GB version too for 5K more (I know it goes above your budget).

If you can live with average screen quality then you can go for ZR or Z
Or perhaps wait for Z1 mini but that will be above 30k I think

rakesh_ic said:
The screen on ZR is a let down for such a price. Having said that there is no comparison to the SAMOLED's samsung supplies and they are the best in class.

But do consider what i said about the huge size factor of Note II. Not all can manage it. And if u are a high time user of mobiles outside home, its always a factor to be considered.

Apart from that, the expandable slot on Note II can be of use if you click a lot of pics and videos and put a dump of songs on your mobile. N5 has a 32 GB version too for 5K more (I know it goes above your budget).

Yes the size ia an issue and coming from the construction industry I am mostly moving around visiting sites and suppliers.Thats way yest the N5 is more convenient sure.N5 is great hardware wise too.But is the Battery issue and Camera solved?

ZTR said:
If you can live with average screen quality then you can go for ZR or Z
Or perhaps wait for Z1 mini but that will be above 30k I think

I find the ZR s screen bit neutral and at the cooler side of things and not as vibrant as a amoled,thats true the ZR fails to excite. Im really confused,Rs 25K is really a confusing budget :razz:

Had it been below 20 I would have gone for the Xperia C and made things easy for me. I Really dont wann go above 30K,but want great video and camera,if I do that I know I will be temted to cross 40K and end up buy HTC One,which Im restricting myself from! I have to save to get a GPU and A pair of Dali or Heco FLRS. God Help me!

R

The Incinerator said:
Yes the size ia an issue and coming from the construction industry I am mostly moving around visiting sites and suppliers.Thats way yest the N5 is more convenient sure.N5 is great hardware wise too.But is the Battery issue and Camera solved?

I find the ZR s screen bit neutral and at the cooler side of things and not as vibrant as a amoled,thats true the ZR fails to excite. Im really confused,Rs 25K is really a confusing budget

Had it been below 20 I would have gone for the Xperia C and made things easy for me. I Really dont wann go above 30K,but want great video and camera,if I do that I know I will be temted to cross 40K and end up buy HTC One,which Im restricting myself from! I have to save to get a GPU and A pair of Dali or Heco FLRS. God Help me!

Well said. 25K is on a tricky side. But I think if your start ruling out from your options, you will get a better picture. Keep your options open as per your requirement and not as per what a phone can offer.

Having said so, the battery issue is not because of any major challenge in the S/W side of the release but the hardware itself. They have packed a 2300mah battery which is on the lower side considering the huge 5" screen. The history with android states that manufacturers (in N5's case, it must be google themselves) has gone to tweaking their OS patches so that battery usage of the background processes are put under check to get a better backup. I am not sure if google does this for N5. But for now its just 11 - 12hrs ish backup is wat that you can expect.
Camera issues are said to be solved with the latest patch. I am not a first hand user to comment on it much though.

I won't recommend N5 as a camera phone. Xperia ZR would be better for photography, my opinion or Xperia ZL(better screen than ZR). Another good option would be Note II if you can handle a phablet(check its live model in Samsung smartphone cafe). Note that Xperia ZL has worse battery life among the 3. ZR & Note II have better battery life..........

Nexus phones are not for general public, who would love the features given by other manufacturers.....
I suggested S4 Mini to my friend recently, over Xperia SP due to Samsung's software features & great battery life of S4 mini

Nexus 5 will not be that useful for you buddy. Its more suited for people who love to fiddle and play with the dev stuff on the phone.
Not saying that it can't be used by public but its just that the beauty of nexus 5 lies in a different world , not camera.

You can go with Note II. The only disadvantage being the huge size. Other than that its okay.
I hate the look of samsung phones though.
In my opinion Sony Z should be a good buy too.

Rishi. said:
Nexus 5 will not be that useful for you buddy. Its more suited for people who love to fiddle and play with the dev stuff on the phone.
Not saying that it can't be used by public but its just that the beauty of nexus 5 lies in a different world , not camera.

You can go with Note II. The only disadvantage being the huge size. Other than that its okay.
I hate the look of samsung phones though.
In my opinion Sony Z should be a good buy too.

+1 to this.

Even I absolutely hate the way Samsung looks. The Note 2 is going dated too when pitted against the N5 and the size is a deterrent also comparatively.
The ZL which I completely missed is so tempting but again the battery is not great as pointed out by our friend here.

So filtering out how is the S3, though dated? Or are there any other option that would be great for my requirement?

Hows LG G Pro?

G Pro might be perfect for you as it has a great screen and a great camera and its not a Samsung lol
Also a shootout between Note 2 and G Pro:
*www.gsmarena.com/lg_optimus_g_pro_vs_samsung_galaxy_note_ii-review-911.php

Wow interesting read and so its almost settled if Im stretching or will...forget it Ill stretch!

Do note that LG are known not to update their phones and even the G Pro is stuck on 4.1 while Note 2 is on 4.3.

^^ Now thats another big problem then.Painful. Aint there nothing that covers my needs?

why don't u get a used GS4... ?

Little averse to used phones.

I am on the same boat for long time...I am going to check Xperial ZL today

Well nexus 5 is what you should check out since the phone is well built and good ergonomics ad well and now to mention the latest update.

Nexus 5 has got the most pathetic battery amongst all flagships.

And I dont get why so much fuss is being made out of "Official updates". There are plenty of devs for all these phones over at XDA for god's sake. What is the use of the so called official updates when The phone itself fails to provide sufficient screen time (nexus) or the updates themselves bring more bugs than ever before (Sony). Moreover, the companies are themselves releasing AOSP ROMs to encourage devs nowadays.

If someone spends this much for a smartphone and later depends only on Official Updates, then he is better off buying a WP phone.

I don't agree with you on this note. A single charge is able to make through the day ( by day I mean plug out the phone by 8 am) and about 30 to 35% battery remains till 5 pm. Mostly able to make it through the day and yes though the roms are there but there is still fun getting before any one could. The phone is good ergonomically and 5 inch do not look that big compared to note 2 or Lg G2.

G2 is actually a compact phone for its screen size as its the size of S4 but with a bigger screen

G2 over N5 any day... just because of better screen & mammoth battery.

I just came from Sony shop and checked Sony ZL and its superb ...much better built then Nexus 4 ...very compact in size...smaller then even galaxy S4 in dimensions ...I am going to get it

(today)

RohanM said:
G2 over N5 any day... just because of better screen & mammoth battery.

+1 million to this :-D

sujoyp said:
I just came from Sony shop and checked Sony ZL and its superb ...much better built then Nexus 4 ...very compact in size...smaller then even galaxy S4 in dimensions ...I am going to get it (today)

ZL has a bad battery as someone mentioned,hence Im keeping away from it.

Now G Pro is 27K and how much is the G2 for?

The Incinerator said:
ZL has a bad battery as someone mentioned,hence Im keeping away from it.

Now G Pro is 27K and how much is the G2 for?

*www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_zl-review-923p3.php
Doesn't seem like a bad battery IMO as its good for a days usage plus Sony's stamina mode increases battery greatly

And G2 is for around 37k which is way above your budget lol

ZTR said:
Sony Xperia ZL review: Off the bench - GSMArena.com
Doesn't seem like a bad battery IMO as its good for a days usage plus Sony's stamina mode increases battery greatly

And G2 is for around 37k which is way above your budget lol

Its super outta budget. I just will never again put in a lot of money in a phone. Loosing them is a pain.

I thought its so easy Ill plonk 25 K and will buy a phone. Had I done that I would have been in a soup. Thank god Im a member of this site and we have such good people lending in there support and advices for noobs like us. Thanks guys.

So the choice is between ZL Edit:G PRO and Nexus 5 now.

sujoyp said:
I just came from Sony shop and checked Sony ZL and its superb ...much better built then Nexus 4 ...very compact in size...smaller then even galaxy S4 in dimensions ...I am going to get it (today)

Sujoy hows the picture and video quality?

My advice would be to get the G Pro.

The Incinerator said:
Little averse to used phones.

Have you checked out a Display screen of Xperia Z/ZL in real life ??? I mean , some things can differ based on one's opinion. Maybe the screen is not that disappointing as per your demands.
I would suggest to have a look at the phones physically once.

I would do that today. Visit a store and check all the phones.

Hello, i am using ZL for some months now and i must tell u i m in love with this phone. Yes battery is not great but it isn't bad either as other people suggesting. You can go with G pro but i must tell u lg rarely update their phones and zl just going to get 4.3 update within 1 week and 4.4 in late January. This phone among the most compact 5 inch phone in market u ever found. And with price decreased it's like butter on ur bread. I bought it in april around 31k and with 26k its most vfm for now. So i can say you can go with zl.

^^ when Kapil bought ZL I was in opposite boat.. opposed it because that time it was around 32k.. in the territory of OP G.. so I had gone for N4 at that time..
But now ZL is for 26k sweet spot..

So +1..

BTW @Kapil, the IR blaster on ZL is two way means can it record any remotes signal for later use like the HTC one ? receiver & transmitter..

@Kapil , howz the ZL for HD videos and how is the Camera? How bad is the battery back up?

^ sujoy also bought ZL , check the section "post ur latest purchase" for 24.5 k.. Sweet deal...

At 24.5 it is definitely a good buy.

+1 for Note 2. Some are telling that N5's camera has got better after 4.4.2 update, you should check a video by fonearena and see what has gone with the OIS

My suggestion for you would be to stay away from LG just because of their slow/no updates.

One more option Grand 2(coming soon) with Android 4.3. The previous Grand is having better camera than S3 and display is getting better this time. Also this would easily fit in your budget. And with the spare money you can buy me gifts without any hesitation

^ grand 2? -_-

RohanM said:
^^ when Kapil bought ZL I was in opposite boat.. opposed it because that time it was around 32k.. in the territory of OP G.. so I had gone for N4 at that time..
But now ZL is for 26k sweet spot..

So +1..

BTW @Kapil, the IR blaster on ZL is two way means can it record any remotes signal for later use like the HTC one ? receiver & transmitter..

Yes there is option it to learn and even tried it once but didn't worked well but its working fine on my 21 year old onida TV.

The Incinerator said:
@Kapil , howz the ZL for HD videos and how is the Camera? How bad is the battery back up?

It have bravia engine 2 which makes colors more vibrant while watching videos n pictures. Camera they say it's not that good but why u need camera much in smartphone. If you want camera then nokia's camera only good in their smartphones which is too much priced. With upcoming 4.3 n 4.4 update it is said that it will improve camera more. Lets see. Buying zl i will recommend with this low price.

ankush28 said:
^ grand 2? -_-

Samsung Galaxy Grand 2.... Isn't that an option too

kaz said:
Samsung Galaxy Grand 2.... Isn't that an option too

I hope you are not serious :shock:

. It has got the shittiest snapdragon (used in Panasonic T11 and Xolo Q500 which cost 7K

).

Samsung's own S3 beats this crap anyday.

sushovan said:
I hope you are not serious . It has got the shittiest snapdragon (used in Panasonic T11 and Xolo Q500 which cost 7K ).

Samsung's own S3 beats this crap anyday.

ooops didn't knew that

will wait for the benchmark results of the 1.2ghz quad then to see how bad it performs

I need the camera because I need it to take snaps and videos in worksite.I do have a dslr but cant anticipate situations for it while the phone is something which is always around. Hence video and Camera is very important. Now many are against the GPro though it looked perfect and then some are against the ZL and everyone has valid points which are technical and nit merely frivolous.

@inci there is nothing better then ZL at 24.5 k

FHD screen is awesome ....cam is good ....y everyone says its battery is bad ...I didnt charge it for 1 full day...no issues ....

If you have any queries or u want any test do tell me ...I must tell you that the handset does not feel a 5 incher but a 4.6 incher

its compact

kaz said:
ooops didn't knew that will wait for the benchmark results of the 1.2ghz quad then to see how bad it performs

DUDE,get your facts right..BENCHMARKS DONT FREAKING MATTER.
And samsung is also know to fake benchmark

^NOt only Samsung LG and HTC too

I didn't find any info about the processor that's why. It was just 1.2ghz everywhere on the web and there are many 1.2ghz processors in the market so i didn't researched further and was waiting for the review.

Nobody suggests anyone Grand phone in this Forum. eol.

Thanks Sujoy if its you who confirms fotos and vids are good then it better be. Pretty much seals the deal

I have the ZR. Its camera is pretty good if you do not zoom in on the captured image later. Less details.

The battery is decent. With heavy use I get 12 hours and 24 hours if I do not play with it much. I keep the screen brightness at 35 - 40 % only. I am happy with the screen.

I am disappointed with the speaker volume though. I feel it is too low even at its maximum because in noisy surroundings I am unable to hear the other party (phone speaker, loud speaker or headset). But another owner of ZR here commented that it is OK, so it is possible that this problem is with my piece only.

Thats good then a 12 hour charge is ok under heavy usage.Great then.Thanks.

@inci if you want actual pic then wait till evening I will upload it for you

That would be awesome....sujoy. Thank you so much.

Posting some shots...direct from Xperia ZL ...no editing done

*farm4.staticflickr.com/3751/11518153076_a67caaf262_z.jpg
DSC_0015 by sujoypackrasy, on Flickr

*farm6.staticflickr.com/5483/11518098605_17aa66bfc6_z.jpg
DSC_0012 by sujoypackrasy, on Flickr

*farm3.staticflickr.com/2830/11518103205_c4fcb9ee6d_c.jpg
DSC_0009 by sujoypackrasy, on Flickr

*farm4.staticflickr.com/3673/11518193956_ca2f43daa8_z.jpg
DSC_0005 by sujoypackrasy, on Flickr

*farm8.staticflickr.com/7309/11518203486_e4bdb53137_z.jpg
DSC_0004 by sujoypackrasy, on Flickr

*farm8.staticflickr.com/7338/11518143414_0205ce0913_z.jpg
DSC_0017 by sujoypackrasy, on Flickr

The pictures look good to me.Thank you very much,Sujoy.

^ pics do look good But I want to zoom them to check the noise... How to ?

just click on the pic and it will open in flickr.com ...then click again on the pic..it will open in full screen ...there is also option to open an actual size or download the actual file

Dat dog and the cat.. Awesome. The second pic seems a bit out of focus though. Eh?

EDIT: Nah, viewed it in the photo viewer, awesome

I am soo glad everyone liked ZL pics

Pics does look good.

Nice shots u took.

Thanks Kapil

Soo inci what did u decide???

ZR or G Pro either of the two,but most and almost the ZR.

I went to Mall on eve of christmas and went in to stores to look at various phones . I saw Xperia Z , Zl and few others.
I didn't found the screen to be that washed out as being hyped , but TBH , it is still noticeable by a bit ( specially when looked from different angle.) , which varies by the level of brightness. Otherwise it's a nice phone. Fast , snappy and Camera was considerably okay.(didn't had time to check out the cam extensively.)

I only found the screen to be a bit bad at certain angles , when compared with other LCD displays. Even the ones on non-flaship phones.

@rishi the screen is not bad considering the fact that almost all the time you will see the screen right from the front...yes if you see from more then 45 degree it starts to get bad

ZR is also nice specially considering it is waterproof and dustproof

sujoyp said:
@rishi the screen is not bad considering the fact that almost all the time you will see the screen right from the front...yes if you see from more then 45 degree it starts to get bad

ZR is also nice specially considering it is waterproof and dustproof

yeah , i mean after a certain angle it starts fading more than what one should expect.
It should be fine , since its not a tv , but a cellphone.