Christmas 2023: Best smartphone gift options for loved ones

Apple iPhone 15 series, Galaxy S23, OnePlus Open, and Pixel 8 series are some of the best premium smartphones worth gifting to loved ones in India this Christmas festival.

Christmas is celebrated with great fervour all around the world. As per the tradition, it is customary for family members and even friends, as a mark of gratitude and care, to gift new things to their loved ones ahead of the new year.

Now, smartphones are good thoughtful gift options to present to dear family members and well-wishers.

Here are some of the best smartphones worth buying in India:

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

The latest iPhone 15 Pro Max comes with Apple's 3nm class A17 Pro chipset, touted to be the most powerful chipset on a phone in the industry.

It also boasts an all-new triple-camera module with great improvements in all aspects including low-light photography, portrait, optical zoom, and close-up macro shots.

Also, for the first time ever, Apple has used titanium in the making of an iPhone. And, inside, most of the components including magnets and printed circuits on the motherboard are made of recycled materials. Its price starts at Rs 1,56,900.

OnePlus Open

In its first attempt, OnePlus has done an amazing job with the Open series foldable phone. It comes with remarkable premium build quality.

The cover display with a 20:9 aspect ratio is perfect for one-handed usage. It should be noted that the OnePlus Open boasts a newly designed hinge and the foldable display is sturdy. The latter doesn’t show any discernible crease in the middle like we see in conventional foldable phones.

OnePlus has used several patented technologies to reduce the number of components required to just 69 parts, compared to the 100 plus components typically required for standard folding hinge designs. Its price starts at Rs 1,39,999.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

It has one of the best display and camera hardware in the industry. Thanks to Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 silicon, it delivers amazingly smooth performance too. Also, with S Pen, offers a unique user experience and adds great value in terms of improving productivity. Users can instantly start taking notes right on the lock screen. Also, it supports several third-party tools and user can even complete a PPT for work on the go, with less hassle. Its price starts at Rs 1,06,999.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5

The latest premium Samsung flip phone boasts a bigger 3.4-inch cover display compared to the 1.9-inch on the Flip4. Now, users can be able to see full messages and directly reply right from the cover display. Also, it is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and can deliver a full day battery life with normal usage. Its price starts at Rs 99,999.

Oppo Find N3 Flip

Oppo's Find N3 Flip is a really good clamshell-based foldable smartphone. It has a bigger cover display to reply to messages, receive calls, and take photos with ease. Also, the foldable display quality is great. Its price starts at Rs 94,999.

Apple iPhone 15 Plus/iPhone 14 Plus

If you are looking for a powerful phone with amazing battery life. The latest iPhone 15 Plus series. Also, it boasts a dynamic island display that offers a unique user interface with apps that offer live updates such as sports-related scores, real-time cab arrival status or live food delivery status. Its price starts at Rs 89,900.

Even the 2022-series iPhone 14 Plus is a good option to buy, as it has a really good pair of cameras on the back. It has powerful Apple silicon and delivers amazing battery life. Also, it assures that get at least five years of software updates. Its price starts at Rs 79,999.

OnePlus 11

OnePlus 11 boasts big upgrades over the predecessor. Also, it is a powerful phone with hardly any issues to complain about. The camera does a fine job in all light conditions and the 120W fast charging is big value addition, which most of the rival premium branded phones lack in its segment. Its price starts at Rs 56,999.

Google Pixel 8/8Pro

If you are looking for the best camera phones in the market, look no further than Google's latest Pixel 8 series. They have amazing artificial intelligence-power computational photography features, which no phone in the industry comes close to delivering such camera performance. Pixel 8 series price starts at Rs 75,999.

Also, with the recent December 2023 firmware, they are getting more photography features, and also the Gemini AI update coming to the Bard AI chatbot, to take the smart assistant experience to the next level. The Pixel 8 Pro price starts at Rs 1,06,999.

OnePlus 11R

This is a fine premium phone which delivers more than its asking price. It shines in terms of performance, the camera is on par with rival brands and the battery life is amazing too. It also boasts super fast charging too. Its price starts at Rs 39,999.

Nothing Phone 2

The new Phone 2 improves upon the first-generation model. The Glyph interface continues to be unique and with the addition of more LED lights on the back, the company has made improvements. Now, users can track their food delivery/Uber cab arrival status just by looking at the LED light on the back. Even the camera and performance are great on the Phone 2. Its price starts at Rs 39,999.

Google Pixel 7a

If you think the Pixel 8 series is expensive, the Pixel 7a is the best alternative. It has all smart camera features with a few exceptions such as it lacks the latest Magic Editor, Best Take, and Audio Eraser features. In other aspects, it does a fine job and delivers a full day battery life with normal usage. Its price starts at Rs 39,999.

Honor 90

It features a 6.7-inch full HD+(2664×1200p) OLED 120Hz quad curved display, supporting up to 1,600 nits peak brightness.

It comes with Qualcomm's 4nm class Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Accelerated Edition, which can clock CPU speed up to 2.5 GHz. It is backed by Adreno 644 GPU, Android 13-based MagicOS 7.1 (two years OS updates), 8GB/12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 256GB/512GB UFS 3.1 storage, features triple-camera module--main 200MP camera (1/1.4-inch sensor, f/1.9) + 12MP ultra-wide camera (f/2.2, support macro) + 2MP depth sensor ( f/2.4) with LED flash, a 50MP (f/2.4) sensor on the front and a 5,000mAh battery with up to 66W charging speed. The company offers a 30W charger separately for free with the phone. Its price starts at 37,999.

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G

It has visually appealing design language, amazing build quality, and also, boasts a really good quality display. It is a decent performer and the camera is on par with any premium phone. It can deliver a full day battery life under normal usage. Its price starts at Rs 36,999.

OnePlus Nord 3

It features a 6.7-inch full HD+ (2412×1080p) AMOLED screen, supports 120Hz refresh rate, an in-display fingerprint sensor, and dual SIM slots.

Inside, it comes with a 6nm class Qualcomm Snapdragon 782G processor, Adreno 642L GPU, 8GB/12GB LPDDR4X RAM with 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 storage, Android 13 with OxygenOS 13.1, triple camera module-- main 50MP (with Sony IMX890 sensor, f/1.8, OIS: Optical Image Stabilisation) + 8MP 120-degree ultra-wide camera (with Sony IMX355 sensor, f/2.2) + 2MP macro camera (f/2.4) with LED flash on the back, a 16MP (f/2.4) camera on the front and a 5,000mAh battery with 80W SuperVOOC fast charging. Its price starts at Rs 33,999.

Vivo V29e

In the mid-range segment, it is the best-looking smartphone. It does a fine job repelling the sweaty fingerprint smudges. Also, the company offers a free cover case and charger along with the Type-C data cable.

The camera is good too and the battery life too, it can easily last a full day. Its price starts at Rs 25,999.

iQOO Neo7

It features a 6.71-inch HD+(1650 x 720p) display, fingerprint sensor on the back, triple slots (nano SIM-1, nano SIM-2 and microSD card), and comes with IP52 dust-and-water splash resistant rating.

It runs Android 12-based MIUI 13 OS, 12nm class MediaTek Helio G85 octa-core processor, 1000MHz ARM Mali-G52 2EEMC2 GPU, 4GB/6GB RAM LPDDR4X RAM with 64GB/ 128GB eMMC 5.1 storage (expandable up to 512GB), dual-camera module—50MP(f/1.8) + 2MP(f/2.4) depth sensor with LED flash on the back, a 5MP front camera and a 5,000mAh battery with 10W charge. Its price starts at Rs 24,999.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite

It features a 6.72-inch full HD+ (2400 x 1080p) LCD display with a 91.4 per cent screen-to-body ratio.

It comes with Qualcomm's 6nm class Snapdragon 695 octa-core (2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold x 2 cores + 1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver x 6 cores). It comes paired with Adreno 619L GPU, Android 13-based OxygenOS 13.1 OS, 8GB LPDDR4X RAM with 128GB/256GB (UFS 2.2) storage, triple camera module--108MP (Samsung HM6 sensor, f/1.75) backed by 2MP depth-assist camera and 2MP macro lens with LED flash on the back, an 16MP front camera and a 5,000mAh battery with 67W SuperVOOC fast charger support. Its price starts at Rs 21,999.

Redmi Note 12

It sports a 6.67-inch full HD+ (1080×2400p) super AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, supports 1,200 nits peak brightness, and the screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 shield and IP53 water splash-resistant rating.

Inside, it houses a 6nm class Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 CPU with Adreno 610 GPU, Android 12-based MIUI 13 OS, 4GB / 6GB LPDDR4X RAM with 128GB (UFS 2.2) storage (expandable up to 1TB), triple-camera module--main 48MP (f/1.8) + 8MP ultra-wide camera (f/2.2) + 2MP macro camera (f/2.4) with LED flash, 13MP (f/2.0) camera and a 5,000mAh battery with 33W charger in the box. Its price starts at Rs 16,999.

Motorola Moto G54 5G

It comes with a 6.5-inch full HD+ (2400×1080p) LCD screen, supports 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 560 nits peak brightness.

It also features a 6nm class MediaTek Dimensity 7020 octa-core processor with IMG BXM-8-256 GPU, Android 13-based My UX OS, 8GB/12GB LPDDR4x RAM with 128/256GB UFS 2.2 storage (expandable up to 1Tb), dual-camera module00 50MP (with OIS) + 8MP ultra-wide camera with LED flash, a 16MP (f/2.4) fron and a 6,000mAh battery with 30W Turbocharging. Its price starts at Rs 14,999.

Tecno Pova 5 Pro

The Pova 5 Pro boasts a 3D-textured design language with an Arc LED Interface feature at the back. Like in the Nothing Phone series, whenever the Pova 5 Pro receives any notifications or calls, a synchronized light flash is triggered on the black flashes.

Users also get the option to set the light flash sequence. Its price starts at Rs 14,999.

Redmi 12C

It sports a 6.71-inch HD+(1650 x 720p) display, fingerprint sensor on the back, triple slots (nano SIM-1, nano SIM-2 and microSD card), and comes with IP52 dust-and-water splash resistant rating.

It comes with Android 12-based MIUI 13 OS, 12nm class MediaTek Helio G85 octa-core processor, 1000MHz ARM Mali-G52 2EEMC2 GPU, 4GB/6GB RAM LPDDR4X RAM with 64GB/ 128GB eMMC 5.1 storage (expandable up to 512GB), dual-camera module—50MP(f/1.8) + 2MP(f/2.4) depth sensor with LED flash on the back, a 5MP front camera and a 5,000mAh battery with 10W charge. Its price starts at Rs 7,999.

Get the latest news on new launches, gadget reviews, apps, cybersecurity, and more on personal technology only on DH Tech.