Apple iPhone 8 and 8 Plus have been unveiled in India on 29th September, the pricing for the same starts from INR 64,000 and goes up to INR 86,000. If you can afford these devices, then you are one of the few people who can afford these devices, if not here are the few other iPhones, which can offer similar user experience without drilling at least a 64,000 feet hole on y0ur credit or debit card. To get most out of your budget, wait for sales like Big Billion Day or Amazon Great Indian festival, which can save thousands of rupees.
If you have a budget around INR 20,000 ~ INR 25,000.
As we are strictly speaking about the iPhone, there is no point in considering smartphones based on Android or Windows (by mistake). Apple has discontinued the iPhone 5S, their first smartphone, in fact, the first mass-produced smartphone to feature a fingerprint scanner. The device is still available in India on both offline and online e-commerce sites. The 16 GB storage variant of the Apple iPhone 5S is priced at INR 16,700 for the 16 GB storage variant.
The support for iPhone 5S officially stops after the iOS 11 update, so, this is the last major update that will be seen on the iPhone 5S. Unless your friend is trading his iPhone 5S for less than INR 7,000 there is no reason to buy iPhone 5S. 4 generation old processor, camera and a smaller battery is something that doesn’t impress us. So, stay away from iPhone 5S, even if the device is available for INR 10,000.
If you are into the small form factor with feature-rich specifications, then Apple iPhone SE could be an ideal smartphone. Even if you are porting from Android to iOS, don’t go with premium iPhone 7 or 8. Buy an iPhone SE, see if you like the overall features of iOS if you don’t feel that any difference give it to your parents or nephew and go with the big boy. As the iPhone SE’s price fluctuates around INR 21,000 to INR 18,000 it’s a great buy at that price tag, considering the fact that, the processor and the camera are exactly same as the iPhone 6S (which costs almost double that of the SE).
If you are concerned about the AR capability, camera capacity or battery life, then iPhone SE will impress you for sure. If you think paying an extra INR 5000 (around INR 28,000) you can get an iPhone 6, please don’t consider buying iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have a generation old processor, camera compared to the iPhone SE. Not to forget the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus bendgate issue. So, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is a complete no, unless your only concern is the screen size (4.7-inch versus 4-inch).
Budget between INR 30,000 ~ INR 40,000
This kind of budget opens up a lot more opportunity. At this price, one can easily go with either iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus, depending on the screen size requirements. The iPhone 6S Plus offer a newer design with 7000 series aluminium as well as an improved touch ID (2nd Generation), and an improved selfie camera. The device is also the first model to feature 3D touch, which brought in new dimensions of touch inputs in the smartphone territory. Not to forget the fact that, iPhone 6s or 6s Plus is the most powerful iPhone which offers 3.5 mm headphone jack.
Budget Between INR 40,000 to INR 60,000
I would afraid to recommend iPhone 7 to anyone, as it has barely any updates on par with the iPhone 6s minus the headphone jack. However, on the other hand, iPhone 7 Plus is a great smartphone which offers a dual-camera solution with optical image stabilization. Other than the CPU and GPU improvements, there is nothing new with the iPhone 7.
Budget between INR 60,000 to INR 80,000
This is where you can get your hands on the latest technology from Apple. The tale once again the same, even though the Apple iPhone 8 offers wireless charging as well as glass design, that doesn’t impress us much. In fact, if you have an Apple iPhone 6 or 5S, the iPhone 8 might be an upgrade to look for. On the other hand, iPhone 8 Plus comes with a similar camera technology as of the iPhone 7 Plus (plus improved performance). So, choose accordingly and consider either you are looking for a smaller screen or dual-camera setup. I personally prefer iPhone 8 Plus over iPhone 8, due to its large battery, dual camera and FHD screen.
Budget between INR 80,000 to 102,000
Even though if you have a strict budget of INR 80,000 wait for few months and add up few more thousands and go with the Apple iPhone X (INR 89,000 for the 64 GB variant). The iPhone X is what the tenth generation iPhone intended to be. Bezel-less OLED design, wireless charging, OIS on both camera, Face ID, and the home-button-less design is something that is straight from the sci-fi movie. People might argue that iPhone X is not the first smartphone to feature these specifications, in fact, it’s true. Apple never claims that way as well. Apple products are known for their user-friendly features. iPhones are always on top of the chart because they utilise the existing technology and re-engineer it to get most out of it. The iPhone X (pronounced ten) is not yet available in the market. If you are looking for a premium flagship smartphone with best of the best features, then iPhone X is like water in the sea, there is no competition at all.