Realme has upped its mid-segment game with the launch of a new series, the P series. The first two phones to be released in the new series, the Realme P1 5G and the Realme P1 Pro 5G, have just hit the market. While the Realme P1 is more for those on a slightly tight budget, the P1 Pro targets those with mid-segment budgets but looking for a taste of the premium phone life. 


The Realme P1 Pro, which starts at Rs 21,999, therefore comes with premium touches like a curved 6.7-inch AMOLED display with full HD+ resolution and 120 Hz refresh rate, stereo speakers, a main 50 megapixel Sony LYT-600 Camera with OIS, and a large 5,000mAh battery with support for 45W charging. 


It also comes in very striking designs with a large circular camera unit and shades of Phoenix Red and Parrot Blue. Some corners have been cut, though. The processor powering the phone is a slightly old Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1, and while the main 50-megapixel sensor is impressive, the 8-megapixel ultrawide accompanying it and the 16-megapixel selfie sensor are routine for this segment.


All of this makes the Realme P1 Pro a very good prospect at Rs 21,999, but not an unchallenged one. These five phones give it a good run for its money, and should be considered by anyone looking to spend something in the vicinity of Rs 22,000 on a new smartphone:  


OnePlus Nord CE 4: Latest Core Player From Nord Side 



Price: Rs 24,999 onwards 


There is a new OnePlus Nord in town - the OnePlus Nord CE4. The CE series is known for focusing on core experience, and the Nord CE 4 is an absolute wizard in that zone, delivering some great features at a very affordable price. 


Yes, it is a little more expensive than the Realme P1 Pro, but for those extra bucks, you get the spanking new Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chip loaded with AI potential, and a larger 5,500mAh battery with support for much faster 100W charging. You also get a 6.7 inch AMOLED display with full-HD+ resolution and 120 Hz resolution, although not curved, and like the P1 Pro, a  50-megapixel Sony LYT600 sensor with OIS, and a similar 8-megapixel ultrawide and 16-megapixel selfie combo. 


Round that off with Android 14 with OxygenOS, support for memory cards (yes!), stereo speakers and a very striking Celadon Marble design and this Nord has all it takes to let the new Realme never settle. 



Nothing Phone 2a: The Different, 'Lit' Phone 



Price: Rs 23,999 onwards


The most affordable Nothing phone ever is a headache for every phone around Rs 25,000, simply because there is nothing like it (pun intended) in the segment. The phone comes with Nothing's now-trademark transparent back, minimal bezel aesthetic, LEDs on the back (the famous Glyph UI that lights up in different patterns) in a slightly different design, and twin cameras arranged like a pair of eyes. 


That different design contains some very good specs - a 6.7-inch AMOLED full HD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate, twin 50-megapixel cameras (a main sensor with OIS and an ultrawide), a 32-megapixel selfie sensor, stereo speakers and a large 5,000mAh battery with support for 45W charging.  


The phone runs on the very capable MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro chip with the super clean NothingOS on top of Android 14. The camera performance was a little inconsistent initially but has improved with updates, and while some might miss a charger and case in the box, the Nothing Phone (2a) remains irresistible for those seeking a truly different phone.



Oppo F25 Pro: The Style Maestro 



Price: Rs 23,999 onwards


The Oppo F25 Pro is pretty much the most stylish-looking phone in the sub-Rs 25,000 segment. Very slim at 7.54 mm, it has a very beautiful Lava Red shade which switches from light to dark on the phone's polycarbonate resin and glass fibre back, depending on how light falls on it. There is some spec substance with that style too. 


It has a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, and while its MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chip is not the most powerful in this list, the phone compensates with a great 64-megapixel main sensor (although the 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel macro with it are not the greatest) and a very good 32-megapixel camera for selfies. 


And that slim frame also manages to accommodate a large 5,000mAh battery that charges at 67W, with a charger in the box. 


A feature-rich ColorOS on top of Android 14 keeps things ticking smoothly on this sub-Rs 25,000 style icon.



Realme Narzo 70 Pro: In Your Pro Zone, Bro



Price: Rs 19,999 onwards


It is a Pro as well and it comes from Realme too. Such is the profusion of devices being released by Realme in recent times that it is hardly surprising that one of the phones standing in the way of the P1 Pro, is its brother from the same Realme mother, the Realme Narzo 70 Pro. 


And thanks to its much lower price, the Narzo 70 Pro has what it takes to rattle the cage of its sibling. The phone comes with a dual-tone design with a similar circular camera unit on the back and a brilliant 6.67-inch full HD+ AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate. It runs on the mid-segment MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chip but comes with the flagship level 50-megapixel Sony IMX890 sensor with OIS, accompanied by a relatively ordinary 8-megapixel ultrawide and 2-megapixel macro (why even bother?). 


The phone is one of the few to not only come with stereo speakers but also a 3.5 mm audio jack, and packs in a large 5,000mAh battery, with support for 67W charging. And of course, you also get RealmeOS on top of Android 14. Great value for money, we think. 



Poco X6: For The Spec Lovers Out There



Price: Rs 20,999 onwards


If you are looking for great specs at a price in the vicinity of the Realme P1 Pro, then the Poco X6 5G boasts one of the best spec sheets that much money can buy, although it does look a little on the plain side. 


It runs on the much newer Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor and has a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and a higher 1.5K resolution, as compared to the full HD+ of the Realme P1 Pro, and is also one of the few phones in this range to come with Gorilla Glass Victus protection. 


Photography numbers are decent too - with most of the photography being handled by a good 64-megapixel main sensor with OIS, with the option to use a handy 8-megapixel ultrawide, and less handy 2-megapixel macro camera, and selfies being entrusted to a handy 16-megapixel snapper.  


The Poco X6 has stereo speakers as well as a 3.5 mm audio jack and is kept running by a slightly larger 5,100mAh battery, with support for a very fast 67W charging. It comes with Android 13 with MIUI 14 out of the box but is set to get updated to Xiaomi's HyperOS. 


Those specs at that price make it the spec warrior in the path of the Realme P1 Pro.