I used to have a Redmi phone back in 2020, the one with the pop-up camera. It cost around 25k and honestly, it was exactly what I needed at the time. I really liked it. Unfortunately, I lost it after it got submerged in water.
I had to replace it quickly because I had a meeting the next day and limited money, so I bought a Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G for around 12k. It worked well enough from 2023 to 2025, but over time it started glitching badly. One day after restarting it just failed to boot properly.
Right before joining a new company, I had no time to figure things out so I started using a spare phone from a family member a OnePlus Nord CE Lite 2 5G. They had upgraded to a Samsung Galaxy S25 and I managed with this one from 2025 until now.
At this point though, the phone is falling apart quite literally. I even removed the back cover, it has slipped a couple of times, and now the screen panel is loose. There are also constant glitches. It still works, but it’s far from reliable and I really want to upgrade.
My budget isn’t huge under 50k ideally. Earlier mid-range phones used to offer “flagship killer” performance but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.
I initially considered the Samsung Galaxy S26, but found out the base and Plus models might not use Snapdragon chips. Then I looked at the S25 but it’s around 65k which is above my budget. I also came across reports that recent updates may be causing battery drain issues on Samsung devices which made me hesitant since battery life matters a lot to me.
So I narrowed it down to the OnePlus 13S and a Motorola signature. Specs-wise they seem comparable but I’ve heard concerns about Motorola mainly heating issues and poor after-sales service. Also, their designs feel repetitive and unappealing to me.
On top of that, I read news suggesting integration between OnePlus and Realme, which made me wonder if that could affect software updates or long-term support.
I also briefly considered the Nothing Phone, especially since there’s now a store in Bangalore and I like the design. But I’m unsure because it uses a mid-range Snapdragon 7 series chip and I don’t personally know anyone using it.
My priorities are clear: strong battery life, a good camera, and smooth performance for multitasking and streaming. I don’t game, so that’s not a factor. Design matters too but not at the cost of functionality.
So I’m trying to decide, should I go with the OnePlus 13S, the Motorola signature, or stretch my budget for the Samsung S25? Or is the Nothing Phone a better fit overall?