With the rapid expansion of 5G technology in India, choosing the right smartphone that supports 5G bands is essential for seamless connectivity. This guide will help you understand how to select the latest 5G smartphone, the key features to look for, and the importance of different 5G frequency bands in India.
How to Select the Best 5G Smartphone
Selecting the right 5G smartphone requires careful evaluation of various factors to ensure you get the best experience. Here are some key points to consider:
1. 5G Band Compatibility
Ensure your smartphone supports the essential 5G bands used in India, including Sub-6 GHz and mmWave bands. The most critical bands include n28 (700 MHz), n77/n78 (3.3-3.6 GHz), and n258 (26 GHz mmWave).
2. Processor Performance
A powerful chipset is crucial for handling 5G speeds efficiently. Look for the latest processors such as Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Apple A18 Pro, or Tensor G3 for optimal performance.
3. Battery Life
5G connectivity consumes more power, so a smartphone with a large battery (ideally 5,000mAh or more) and fast charging capabilities is recommended.
4. Software Updates & Longevity
Regular software updates enhance security and introduce new features. Brands like Google (Pixel series) and Apple (iPhones) promise long-term software support.
5. Display Quality
For the best user experience, opt for a 120Hz OLED display that ensures smooth visuals and vibrant colors.
6. Camera Capabilities
If photography is important to you, choose a smartphone with advanced camera systems, including high-resolution sensors and AI-powered enhancements.
7. Storage & RAM
A minimum of 6GB RAM and 128GB storage is advisable for multitasking and storing large apps and media files.
8. Additional Features
Consider extra features like IP rating for water and dust resistance, wireless charging, and robust build quality for long-term usability.
Latest 5G Smartphones Available in India (2025)
Here are some of the newest 5G smartphones available in India:
- Samsung Galaxy M06 5G – Budget-friendly with a 90Hz HD+ display and Dimensity 6300 SoC.
- Samsung Galaxy M16 5G – Features an FHD+ AMOLED 90Hz display with a 5,000mAh battery.
- Google Pixel 8A – 120Hz OLED display, Tensor G3 processor, and 7 years of software updates.
- Apple iPhone 16e – A18 chip, advanced AI integration, and 48MP camera.
- OnePlus 12R – 120Hz OLED display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and fast charging.
Here is the list of features which must be there in your smartphone
| S.N. | Price Category | Must-Required Features | 3GPP release and Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lower Price Range (<= Rs. 10,000) | VoLTE & ViLTE support in all India auctioned 4G bands with mmTel field, SRVCC & CSFB Support, VoWifi, Lpp support, Voice Codec Support: AMR WB/NB, EVS | Release 12 (March 2015) Release 9 (Dec 2009) for SRVCC/CSFB |
| DL modulation scheme QPSK,16 QAM,64 QAM,256 QAM | Release 8 (Dec 2008) | ||
| UL modulation scheme QPSK,16 QAM, 64QAM | Release 8 (Dec 2008) | ||
| Power class 2 (PC2) in 4G bands | Release 10 (Jun 2011) | ||
| USSI indicator for NI-USSD, mmTel field in IMS registeration, Mandatory PANI(P-Access-Network-Mandatory Info) header | Release 12 (March 2015) | ||
| TTI bundling, RLC UM,Semi persistent scheduling, Short/Long DRX cycle,DRX command MAC control element | Release 8 (Dec 2008) | ||
| ANR & non-ANR related intra/Inter-frequency & iRAT, all measurement based/periodic reporting events | Release 8 (Dec 2008) | ||
| 2 | Middle Price Range (Rs. 10000 – 30000) | All mentioned specs in Lower end category | Same as above |
| LTE Carrier Aggregation DL/UL – F+F, F+T, T+T across all India auctioned bands (Contiguous & Non contiguous) | Release 10 (Jun 2011) | ||
| DL MIMO (4layers) In all India auctioned 4G bands | Release 10 (Jun 2011) | ||
| UL MIMO 2*2 In all India auctioned 4G bands | Release 10 (Jun 2011) | ||
| Support for various channel bandwidths (1.4 MHz, 3 MHz, 5 MHz, 10 MHz, 15 MHz, 20 MHz). | Release 8 (Dec 2008) | ||
| Device must support both SA and NSA technology in all 5G bands | Release 15 (Jun 2018) | ||
| Device should support all auctioned LTE bands as anchor support for all 5G bands in India in NSA technology | Release 15 (Jun 2018) | ||
| Device must support both SA and NSA technology in all 5G bands with DSS(Dynamic Spectrum sharing) | Release 15 (Jun 2018) | ||
| 4G DL/UL CA with 5G NSA 2CC 4G CA among all anchor LTE bands auctioned with all 5G NSA bands as mentioned in point 1(for ex: B1+B40A+n78 & so on) 5G DL/UL NSA CA 2CC 5G NSA CA with all anchor LTE bands auctioned (For ex. B1+n3+n78 & so on) 5G DL/ULSA CA 2CC 5G SA CA with all India 5G bands (For ex: n1/n3+n78) | Release 15 (Jun 2018) | ||
| Both SIM slots supporting VoLTE(4G & 5G NSA) & VONR(5G SA) across all acutioned 4G and 5G bands Codec Support, AMR WB/NB, EVS | Release 15 (Jun 2018) | ||
| VONR Slot aggregation, NR Dynamic Slot aggregation, NR Robust header compression VONR coverage extension by codec rate adaptation | Release 16 (Jul 2020) | ||
| Backward compatibility with USIM (SA Registration with USIM/ 5G SIM, 5G authentication with null SUPI, 5G authentication with SUPI and with NAI as well) | Release 15 (Jun 2018) | ||
| UL MIMO 2*2 In all India 5G bands | Release 15 (Jun 2018) | ||
| Power class 2 (26dBm) for all 5G bands | Release 15 (Jun 2018) | ||
| Dynamic power sharing between 4G & 5G in NSA | Release 15 (Jun 2018) | ||
| UAI Power Savings: drx-Preference-r16 in ENDC, SA and NRDC | Release 16 (Jul 2020) | ||
| 1. 5G RRC_inactive state 2. Connected Mode DRX (Voice & Data) 3. BWP support in both Freq & time domain | Release 15 (Jun 2018) | ||
| 3 | Higher Price Range (> Rs. 30000) | All mentioned specs for 4G in Lower category and 5G Middle category | Same as above |
| 4Rx in all 5G bands n78,n1,n3,n40,n8,n5,n28 | Release 15 (Jun 2018) | ||
| Slicing Support : URSP(NSSAI based) | Release 15 (Jul 2018) | ||
| 1. Device to send N1 mode supported during VoWiFi request during SA network 2. CNI support with 4G/5G Cell ID(VoWiFi Registration) | Release 16 (Jul 2020) | ||
| UL Tx Switching(2Tx in TDD & 1Tx in FDD) | Release 15 (Jun 2018) | ||
| Network-assisted GNSS methods | Release 16 (Jul 2020) | ||
| 1. Prach Preamble format 0, longest PRACH preamble & Long PUCCH support 2. PUCCH format 2 support 3. DFT Uplink (SC-FDMA) | Release 15 (Jun 2018) | ||
| DMRS with OCC (orthogonal cover code) and SGH (sequence group hopping) disabling Trigger type 1 SRS (aperiodic SRS) transmission (Up to X ports) PDSCH TM9 when up to 4 CSI reference signal ports are configured PDSCH TM9 for TDD when 8 CSI reference signal ports are configured Measurement reporting trigger Event A6 SCell addition within the Handover to EUTRA procedure Trigger type 0 SRS (periodic SRS) transmission on X Serving Cells Time domain ICIC RLM/RRM / ICIC RRM / ICIC CSI measurement sf restriction for the serving cell / neighbour cells Relative transmit phase continuity for spatial multiplexing in UL UE supports using crossCarrier Scheduling ConfigRelease | Release 15 (Jun 2018) | ||
| DL MIMO 4*4 & 8*8 | Release 15 (Jun 2018) | ||
| UL MIMO 2* 2 & 4*4 | Release 15 (Jun 2018) | ||
| 4G DL/UL CA 3CC 4G CA among all LTE bands as mentioned in point 1(for eg, B1+ B40+B40 etc) 4G DL/UL CA with 5G NSA 3CC 4G CA among all anchor LTE bands auctioned with all 5G NSA bands as mentioned in point 1(for eg: B1/B3+B40C+n78/n1/n3 & so on) 5G SA DL/UL CA 3CC 5G SA CA with all 5G bands as mentioned in point 1 (For ex: n1+n3+n78,n1+n78+n258) | Release 15 (Jun 2018) | ||
| 1. Independent Gap support for NR SA and NR-DC 2. Support for 60KHz & 120KHz SCS | Release 16 (Jul 2020) |
With above listed features, here is the list of smartphones available in the Indian market below Rs 10000 and more
| S.N. | Price Category | Handsets (Device Models) available in the mentioned range | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi | Transsion | Vivo | Oppo | Apple | Motorola | Samsung | |||
| 1 | Lower Price Range (<= Rs. 10,000) | Redmi 14C 5G, POCO M7 5G, Redmi 13C 5G, POCO M6 5G, Redmi A4 5G, POCO C75 5G | Itel Color Pro 5G/P55 5G, Itel A80, Itel A50, Techno Pop 9, Techno Spark 30C 5G, Techno Pop 9 5G, Techno Spark Go 1, Infinix Smart 8, Infinix Smart 8 Plus, Infinix Smart 9 HD | Vivo has not provided list | Oppo doesn’t have models under 10,000 category | Apple doesn’t have models under 10,000 category | Google doesn’t have models under 10,000 category | Moto G04s | Samsung doesn’t have models under 10,000 category |
| 2 | Middle Price Range (Rs. 10000 – 30000) | Redmi Note 14 Pro+ 5G, Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G, POCO X7, Redmi Note 14 5G, POCO M7 Pro 5G, Redmi Pad Pro 5G, POCO Pad 5G, POCO F6, POCO X6 Pro 5G, POCO F5, Redmi 13 5G, POCO M6 Plus 5G, Redmi Note 13 5G, POCO X6 Neo | Techno Pova 6 Pro 5G, Techno Spark 20 Pro 5G, Techno Pova 6 Neo 5G, Infinix HOT 50 5G, Infinix NOTE 40X | Y200 Pro 5G, T3 Pro 5G, V40e 5G | A3 Pro 5G, K12x 5G, F27 5G, F27 Pro+ 5G | Apple doesn’t have models under 10,000-30,000 category | Google doesn’t have models under 10,000-30,000 category | Moto G24 Power, Moto G04, Moto G85 5G, Moto G64 5G, Moto G35 5G, Moto G45 5G, Motorola Edge 50 Fusion, Motorola Edge 50 Neo | All Models of Samsung in middle price range category follow these features |
| 3 | Higher Price Range (> Rs. 30000) | Xiaomi 14, Xiaomi 14 Ultra, Xiaomi 15, Xiaomi 15 Ultra | Techno Camon 30 5G, Techno Camon 30 Premier, Techno Phantom Flip 2, Techno Phantom Fold 2, Infinix NOTE 40 Pro 5G, Infinix NOTE 40 Pro + 5G, Infinix GT 20 Pro, Infinix NOTE 40 5G, Infinix Zero 40, Infinix Zero Flip | X Fold 3 Pro, X200 5G, X200 Pro 5G | OPPO Reno11 Pro 5G, OPPO Reno11 5G, OPPO Reno12 Pro 5G, OPPO Reno12 5G | All Models of Apple in higher price range category follow these features | All Models of Google in higher price range category follow these features | Motorola Edge 50 Ultra, Motorola Edge 50 Pro, Motorola Razr 50 Ultra, Motorola Razr 50, Motorola Edge 50 | All Models of Samsung in higher price range category follow these features |
Understanding 5G Frequency Bands in India
India’s 5G spectrum consists of low-band, mid-band, and high-band (mmWave) frequencies, each playing a crucial role in network performance.
1. 700 MHz (n28) – Low Band
- Pros: Excellent coverage and indoor penetration, ideal for rural areas.
- Cons: Lower speeds compared to mid-band and high-band 5G.
- Used by: Reliance Jio for nationwide 5G rollout. BSNL is using it to roll out its nationwide 4G Saturation project funded by Government of India.
2. 2100 MHz (n1) – Mid Band
- Pros: Good balance of coverage and speed.
- Cons: Slightly lower speed than 3.5 GHz (n78).
- Used by: Airtel and Jio for smooth 4G-to-5G transition.BSNL is using it to roll out its nationwide 4G Saturation project funded by Government of India.
3. 2600 MHz (n41) – High Band
- Pros: Higher speeds and better performance in urban areas.
- Cons: Shorter range than lower bands.
- Used by: Airtel and Jio in select locations.BSNL is using it to roll out its nationwide 4G Saturation project funded by Government of India.
Which Frequency Bands Matter the Most?
If your smartphone supports 700 MHz (n28), 2100 MHz (n1), and 2600 MHz (n41), you can expect:
- Widespread 5G coverage across India.
- Better indoor reception with the 700 MHz band.
- Higher data speeds for streaming and gaming with the 2600 MHz band.
Final Thoughts
To get the best 5G experience in India, ensure your smartphone supports multiple 5G bands, especially n28, n77/n78, and n258. Choosing the right 5G smartphone involves balancing performance, battery life, display quality, and software updates to future-proof your device. With the right choice, you can enjoy seamless, high-speed connectivity wherever you go!