There are plenty of smartphones out there to pique our interest, but sometimes we just want to know the best ones from the lot that offer the best value for money. What we mean by that is those smartphones that offer an all-round experience and do not just specialise in one aspect. These are phones that come with an appealing design language along with impressive hardware and software experience and dont sacrifice one for the other because they come with affordable price tag.

To make your life just a little bit easier, we have a list of some of the best phones that offer the most bang for the buck. Since we are looking at the most affordable best, we have kept the price bracket between entry-level and near flagship level so that there’s something for everyone. Here are our top five picks.

Redmi 5A: Rs 5,999

Xiaomi’s entry-level smartphone is one that has seen a terrific response, much like any budget handset from the company in recent years. The handset takes everything that made the Redmi 4A work and makes it better. In terms of value-for-money, the Redmi 5A has it all for entry-level consumers looking to make a jump from feature phone to a smartphone and checks all the right boxes that makes it a steal at Rs 5,999.

The Redmi 5A sports a 5-inch HD IPS display and is powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor coupled with Adreno 308 GPU. The dual-SIM phones runs Android Nougat-based MIUI 9 out-of-the-box and supports 4G LTE (VoLTE-ready) connectivity. Optics for the Redmi 5A includes a 13-megapixel camera on the rear with f/2.2 aperture, Phase Detection Autofocus and LED flash. Up front you get a 5-megapixel selfie camera. The handset houses a 3,000mAh battery that the company claims will offer up to 8 days of standby time.

iPhone SE: Rs 18,999

When it comes to any Apple product, one can rarely call it “value for money”. No doubt Apple makes some stellar products, but they often ask consumers to spend quite a sum to be able to obtain them. However, the iPhone SE is one of the rare few devices from the company that is very much affordable. In fact, the iPhone SE is Apple’s cheapest iPhone in the Indian market right now. Despite being close to two years old now, the iPhone SE is still very relevant and continues to offer the best bang for your buck, especially if you’re an Apple admirer looking for your first iPhone.

The iPhone SE sports a much-admired and elegant design language, a compact form factor and an excellent 12-megapixel rear camera. It also sports the same A9 processor seen inside the iPhone 6s, which makes it one of the more powerful handsets in the mid-range market.

Mi A1: Rs 13,999

The Mi A1 is Xiaomi’s first Android One smartphone that ticks all the right boxes if you want a low-end phone to deliver on pure Android experience. But what makes the Mi A1 a value for money buy is that it not only delivers on stock Android, but also comes with good hardware along with a premium-looking design, all for under Rs 15,000. To top it all, the Mi A1 will also be among the first low-end smartphones that will receive Android P.

Xiaomi promised that the Mi A1 will receive Googles next major software update, which makes the Mi A1 future-ready as well. The handset also comes with excellent dual rear cameras and runs Android Oreo as of January. Apart from this, the Mi A1 sports a 5.5-inch full-HD display and is powered by a 2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor clubbed with Adreno 506 GPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage which is further expandable by up to 128GB via a hybrid micro-SD card slot.

It bears dual 12-megapixel sensor, one with a wide-angle lens with f/2.2 aperture and one with a telephoto lens with an f/2.6 aperture. You also get a 5-megapixel sensor on the front with beautification mode. In our review, we found that the portrait mode offered crisp and detailed bokeh shots with little to no blur around the edges.

Galaxy S7: Rs 22,990

Till March 15, Flipkart is holding a promotional sale called Mobile Bonanza where you will find Samsung’s 2016 flagship, the Galaxy S7 for as low as Rs 22,990. Yes, it is a two-year-old Android smartphone, but it is a a flagship smartphone from Galaxy nonetheless. With the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S9 still costing a premium, Samsung fans can still grab the Galaxy S7 which was lauded for its sharp and vibrant display, best-in-class rear camera and a gorgeous metal and glass design among other things. And how about the fact that it is now one of the cheapest smartphones to support wireless charging?

The Galaxy S7 sports a 5.1 Quad HD display Super AMOLED display and is powered by the Exynos 8890 processor paired with 4GB of RAM and a 3,000mah battery. You get 32GB of internal storage which can be expanded via a microSD card and 4G VoLTE support as well. On the imaging front, the phone comes with a 12MP ‘dual-pixel ‘ rear camera with optical image stabilisation and an aperture of f/1.7 alongside a 5MP front shooter for selfies.

OnePlus 5T: Rs 32,999

The OnePlus 5T is just over three months old and has a few more months before it gets overshadowed by the upcoming OnePlus 6. Right now, the OnePlus 5T is perhaps one of the best affordable flagships in the market and there are a few reasons that make it a great choice at Rs 32,999. Not only does the OnePlus 5T offer a full-screen display, but it also features top-of-the-line hardware that are seen in phones higher up the price segment. Add to that, the OnePlus 5T is also among the few that runs on Android 8.0 Oreo, and with Android 8.1 Oreo Oxygen OS Open Beta now out, OnePlus is definitely keeping its promise for timely Android updates.

The 5T sports a bright and vivid 6-inch full-HD+ (1080×2160 pixel) display and is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 835 processor with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. There is also an 8GB + 128GB variant available for Rs 37,999. The dual-SIM smartphone comes with a Face Unlock facial recognition feature as well.

The cameras on the OnePlus 5T have not received a major bump, although OnePlus says that they are better than the OnePlus. The dual camera system on the back comprises of one 16-megapixel Sony IMX398 sensor with 1.12-micron pixels and an f/1.7 aperture, and one 20-megapixel Sony IMX376K sensor with f/1.7 aperture. We reviewed the OnePlus 5T and found that the display is indeed one of its biggest highlights and its design and snappy performance make it the best OnePlus device as of now.