Best Basic Mobile Phones for Everyday Use

Want to buy a sidekick for your primary device? Or just looking to gift a simple phone to a loved one? Even though you call them basic mobile phones, they still need to pack some features such as a decent snapper, a long battery life, and, of course, tons of storage. There’s a huge market in India looking for simplicity, sleekness, and reliability in their mobile devices. Basic mobile phones, a.k.a feature phones, cater to this market by packing these essential features in affordable smartphones. If you are looking for long battery life, ease of use, and durability, get on with our list of the best basic mobile phones of 2024 in India.

For individuals looking to disconnect from the constant pings of app notifications or for those who need a sturdy device that can handle rough conditions, basic mobile phones are an excellent choice. Additionally, these phones are often sought after by parents seeking a first phone for their children, older adults who desire straightforward technology, and anyone needing a reliable backup phone that won’t break the bank.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G

Camera Capabilities

  • Main Camera: 108 MP with EIS
  • Additional Lenses: 2MP Depth-Assist and 2MP Macro Lens
  • Front Camera: 16MP for high-quality selfies
  • Advanced Features: 3x Lossless Zoom, Nightscape, Panoramic, Portrait, Macro, Time-lapse, Slow-motion, Long exposure, Dual-view video, Text Scanner
  • Video Specifications: 1080p/720p@30fps with video zoom, 720P@120fps slow motion, 1080P@30fps Time-Lapse, Steady Video EIS support

Display

  • Size: 6.72 Inches
  • Refresh Rate: 120 Hz Adaptive
  • Resolution: FHD+ (1080×2400)
  • Color Depth: 16.7 Million colors, 391 ppi
  • Aspect Ratio: 20:9
  • Brightness: 550 nits (typical), 680 nits (HBM)

Operating System

  • Oxygen OS based on Android 13.1

Processor

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G

Battery & Charging

  • Capacity: 5000 mAh
  • Fast Charging: 67W SUPERVOOC Endurance Edition

Redmi Note 13 Pro

Display

  • Size: 6.67 Inches
  • Type: 120 Hz AMOLED 1.5K Display
  • Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
  • Resolution: 2712 x 1220 Pixels
  • Features: Dolby Vision, supports 68.7 billion colors, 1800 nits peak brightness

Processor

  • Type: Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 Mobile Platform
  • Architecture: 4nm technology
  • Configuration: Octa-core (up to 2.4 GHz)

Camera

  • Main Camera: 200MP with Samsung ISOCELL HP3 sensor, OIS + EIS supported
  • Additional Cameras: 8MP Ultrawide and 2MP Macro
  • Front Camera: 16MP with 7P lens

Battery & Charging

  • Capacity: 5100 mAh
  • Charging: 67W TurboCharge Fast-charging
  • Includes: 67W Adapter in-box, Type-C connectivity

Memory and Storage

  • RAM: 8GB
  • Internal Storage: 256GB
  • SIM: Dual SIM (nano + nano)

Realme Narzo 60 5G

Display

  • Size: 6.43-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display
  • Refresh Rate: 90Hz
  • Peak Brightness: 1000 nits
  • Features: High screen-to-body ratio of 90.8%

Processor

  • Type: MediaTek Dimensity 6020 SoC
  • Performance tailored for efficiency and connectivity

Camera

  • Rear: 64MP primary camera with an f/1.79 aperture, supports in-sensor zoom
  • Front: 16MP camera for clear and detailed selfies

Battery and Charging

  • Capacity: 5000mAh
  • Fast Charging: 33W, can charge 50% in 29 minutes

Storage

  • Internal: Up to 256GB
  • Expandable: Yes, via microSD up to 1TB (Hybrid Slot)

Operating System

  • Android v13 based on Realme UI

Connectivity

  • SIM Configuration: Dual SIM (Nano SIM + Hybrid)
  • Network Support: Comprehensive 5G and 4G support
  • Additional: Bluetooth v5.1, USB Type-C, Wi-Fi with 5GHz band support

Additional Features

  • Sensors: On-screen Fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock, and standard sensors like Light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Compass, Gyroscope

OnePlus Nord CE4

Display

  • Size: 6.7 inches
  • Type: AMOLED
  • Resolution: 2412×1080 (FHD+), 394ppi
  • Refresh Rate: Up to 120 Hz
  • Brightness: 1100 nits peak brightness
  • Additional Features: HDR10+ support, 240 Hz touch response rate, 2160Hz PWM dimming

Processor

  • Type: Snapdragon® 7 Gen 3 Mobile Platform
  • Features: Equipped with a Qualcomm® Kryo™ CPU and Adreno™ 720 GPU

Camera

  • Main Rear Camera: 50 MP, Sony LYT600 sensor, f/1.8 aperture, supports EIS and OIS
  • Ultra-Wide Camera: 8 MP, 112° view, f/2.2 aperture
  • Video Capabilities: Up to 4K at 30fps, Super Slow Motion up to 240fps, Time-Lapse, Dual-view video
  • Front Camera: 16 MP, f/2.4 aperture, 1080p video recording

Battery and Charging

  • Capacity: 5500 mAh (Dual-cell design)
  • Charging: 100W SUPERVOOC, capable of rapid charging (29 minutes for a full charge)

Memory and Storage

  • RAM: 8GB LPDDR4x, with virtual RAM expansion options
  • Storage: 256GB UFS3.1, expandable up to 1TB via MicroSD

Operating System

  • OxygenOS 14.0 based on Android™ 14

Connectivity

  • Dual nano-SIM slots
  • Supports Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, NavIC, QZSS
  • LTE and 5G capable

Audio

  • Dual Stereo Speakers, supports Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res wireless

Additional Features

  • In-display fingerprint sensor, face unlock, various sensors like an accelerometer, gyroscope, and pedometer

Realme Narzo 70x 5G

Display

  • Size: 6.72 inches
  • Type: AMOLED
  • Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels, FHD+
  • Refresh Rate: 120Hz
  • Brightness: Up to 950 nits
  • Features: Capacitive touchscreen with multi-touch capability and a high screen-to-body percentage

Processor

  • Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ (6nm)
  • CPU: Octa-core up to 2.2GHz
  • GPU: Mali-G57

Camera

  • Rear: Dual-camera setup with a 50 MP primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture and a 2 MP mono lens with an f/2.4 aperture
  • Front: 8 MP wide-angle lens with an f/2.0 aperture
  • Video Recording: Supports up to 1080p at 30fps for both rear and front cameras
  • Features: Dual Video Recording, HDR, Time-Lapse, Panorama, Slow-Motion

Battery and Charging

  • Capacity: 5000 mAh
  • Charging: 45W SuperVOOC, capable of charging 50% in 31 minutes
  • Type: Non-removable Li-Ion battery

Memory and Storage

  • RAM: 4 GB LPDDR4x
  • Internal Storage: 128 GB (UFS 2.2)
  • Expandable: Up to 2 TB via microSD card slot (Hybrid Slot)

Operating System

  • Android v14 with Realme UI 5.0

Connectivity

  • SIM Configuration: Dual Nano SIM
  • Network: Supports 5G, 4G
  • Bluetooth: v5.3
  • Wi-Fi: Supports 2.4GHz/5GHz, IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
  • GPS: Yes, with multiple global positioning systems
  • USB: USB Type-C

Additional Features

  • Sensors: Fingerprint (side-mounted), Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Light Sensor, Compass
  • Other: IP54 splash-proof and dust-proof, 3.5mm Audio Jack