Top 10 Android phones in India

Top 10 Android phones in India

It's raining Android phones and while you are spoilt for choice, it is also about finally zeroing on the perfect handset that gives you your money's worth. With a vast range from multiple vendors and each claiming to offer a better, smoother and nicer Android experience, getting to the cream of the crop is surely a task, and we enjoyed doing so.

Digit's Top 10 Android phone listing provides information on the key specifications of devices that have just been released in the Indian market.

The pricing of the Top 10 Android phones have been taken from popular and dependable online stores.

 1. Samsung Galaxy S II (I9100)
Price: Rs 32,890

Awarding the Samsung Galaxy S II as the best Android device, without a thorough lab review was not an easy call, thanks to the device itself and the brief encounter we had during a reviewers meet, we have no doubt that Samsung has nailed it perfectly.

The Samsung Galaxy S II certainly delivers and keeps up with all that hype and is the best Android phone for sure; it perhaps is the best overall smartphone today.

While we eagerly wait for our review unit, we urge you to read the international reviews to get some idea of what the device is capable of while we continue to pursue a review unit from Samsung.

What makes the Galaxy S II even more tempting in India is the price-point; the S2 is delightfully priced lower than its international pricing. With an MRP of Rs 32,890, the S II should soon settle around the Rs 30K mark in the market. While Rs 30K is a lot of money, but when you consider the fact that most of the other high-end android devices are priced around the 25K mark, 30K for a phone that is far, far ahead of the rest of the pack in every department is clearly justified in our books.

2. HTC Incredible S
Price: Rs 26,399

The Incredible S is HTCs current top-end offering in India; it is superbly built, has the HTC Sense UI and offers a very fluid Android 2.3 experience.

With a 4-inch screen, the Incredible S is sized perfectly, striking a good balance between screen-size and handling. With 1 GHz Qualcomm processor and 768MB RAM, the Incredible S is well specced, offering a stutter free overall experience across the interface, apps and multitasking (especially after the Android 2.3 update).

Key specifications and features:

    Android 2.3.3 with HTC Sense UI 2.0
    4.0-inch SLCD display
    Slim, ruggedised body with excellent build
    1.0 GHz Qualcomm MSM 8255 CPU
    768MB RAM
    8MP Camera with Autofocus
    720p video capture@30fps
    Gorilla Glass Display

 3. Google Nexus S
Price: Rs 26,900

The Nexus S is a 'Google' phone, which offers a massive advantage over other Android phones with respect to receiving Android updates. Any minor update or a newer version of the OS itself that the hardware qualifies for will be first seen on the Nexus S.

The Nexus S ships pre-loaded with the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) version and it does not come with any customised UI, giving you the 'RAW' Android experience. If you are one of those purists wanting the core Android experience, the Nexus S is certainly your best bet today.

The 4-inch SuperLCD display of the Indian version is sharp, bright and visibly vibrant, and while it doesn't compare to the SuperAMOLED of the original, it is still one of the best displays out there.

Key specifications and features:

    Android 2.3.4
    4-inch SAMOLED display
    Well-built with contoured screen
    1.0 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor
    512MB RAM
    5MP Camera with Autofocus
    WVGA (800x480 pixels) video@30fps
    Gorilla Glass Display

 4. LG Optimus 2x (P990)
Price: Rs 26,990

The only other dual-core processor phone available in India, apart from the Galaxy S II, the LG Optimus 2x sports the popular 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 processor onboard, and in fact, holds the title of the world's first dual-core smartphone.

Running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, the Optimus 2x has a 4-inch IPS LCD screen, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of inbuilt storage; an 8MP rear camera and 1.3MP front-facing camera, as well as GPS/A-GPS connectivity.

At its price, all this makes the phone a great value for money proposition. It's also one of the few phones in the market to offer 1080p HD video recording.

Key specifications and features:

    Android 2.3
    4-inch IPS LCD display (800x480 pixels)
    World's first dual-core smartphone
    1GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor with ULP GPU
    512MB RAM
    8MP Camera with Autofocus and LED flash
    1080p HD video@24fps
    Gorilla Glass Display

 5. Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc
Price: Rs 27,499

Announced back at CES 2011, the Xperia Arc is Sony Ericsson's current flagship phone, and is one of the thinnest phones in the world, measuring just 8.7mm at its thinnest with a beautiful contoured form factor.

Bearing a 4.2-inch LED-backlit Reality Display powered by a Mobile Bravia Engine, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 512MB of RAM, and an 8.1MP camera powered by an Exmor R sensor capable of 720p HD recording.

It runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread out of the box, with Sony Ericsson's Timescape UI, and an Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread update has been released for it as well.

Key specifications and features:

    Android 2.3 (2.3.3 update available)
    4.2-inch Reality Display (854x480 pixels)
    Super-slim and elegant, contoured design
    1GHz Scorpion processor with Adreno 205 GPU
    512MB RAM
    8MP Camera with Autofocus and LED flash
    720p HD video@30fps

6. Sony Ericsson Xperia Play
Price: Rs 29,999

The long-awaited PlayStation Phone arrived earlier this year with much fanfare and excitement. Officially called the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, the device is a one-of-a-kind product in the global and Indian market today, with its slide-out hardware gamepad that's inspired by the PlayStation controller, with a D-Pad, two touch-based 'analog' sticks, and the PlayStation buttons.

The phone is meant for both hardcore and casual gamers who are sick of touchscreen games, with their lack of accurate, responsive control and over-use of display real estate.

The Xperia Play comes with exclusive PlayStation games, and a whole section dedicated to it in the app store.

Key specifications and features:

    Android 2.3.3
    4.0-inch LED-backlit LCD display (854x480 pixels)
    A bit bulky, the Xperia Play still fits comfortably in your pocket and hand
    1GHz Scorpion processor with Adreno 205 GPU
    512MB RAM
    5MP Camera with Autofocus and LED flash
    WVGA (800x480) video@30fps

 7. HTC Desire S
Price: Rs 26,999

The Desire S is a refresh of the popular 2010 Android device, the HTC Desire, and brings notable new features, the new Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS with HTC Sense UI 2.0, while maintaining the old styling.

It sports the same 3.7-inch SuperLCD display, the same 5MP camera capable of 720p HD video recording, and the same distinctive aluminium unibody.

The HTC Desire S has some useful newer components, justifying the product refresh -- more RAM, at 768MB, and the new 1GHz Scorpion processor and Adreno 205 GPU. It also sports better connectivity options, like Wi-Fi b/g/n with DLNA, and HSDPA 14.4Mbps/HSUPA 5.76Mbps.

Key specifications and features:

    3.7-inch SuperLCD (800x480 pixels)
    Sturdy well-built aluminium frame
    1GHz Scorpion processor with Adreno 205 GPU
    768MB RAM
    5MP Camera with Autofocus and LED flash
    720p HD video@30fps

 8. Samsung Galaxy S I9000
Price: Rs 22,900

The Samsung Galaxy S might just be the most popular Android phone ever, having sold millions of units worldwide. With it, Samsung derived many variants, enough to inspire a Galaxy S family of devices.

Bearing a 4-inch Super AMOLED display, the Samsung Galaxy S currently ships with Android 2.2 Froyo, but is easily upgradable to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. It comes in 8GB and 16GB variants.

While it has a slightly aging chipset when compared to the competition, the 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor and PowerVR SGX540 GPU still hold their own against many modern speed demons.

With excellent build quality, a great display, snappy performance, and a highly responsive touchscreen, the Galaxy S remains one of the best Android phones today.

Key specifications and features:

    Android 2.2 (2.3 update available)
    4-inch SuperAMOLED (800x480 pixels)
    Solid yet lightweight build
    1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor with PowerVR SGX540 GPU
    512MB RAM, 2GB ROM
    5MP Camera with Autofocus and LED flash
    720p HD video@30fps
    Gorilla Glass Display

 9. Samsung Galaxy S I9003 (Galaxy SL)
Price: Rs 19,990

The low-priced version of the Galaxy S, the Galaxy S I9003 is a great value for money proposition, with the exact same specifications as the Galaxy S, excepting a few minor cost savings -- an impressive SuperLCD screen instead of a SuperAMOLED, and 4GB inbuilt storage for the base model.

Neither of these things detract from the other qualities and overall performance of the phone, and Samsung has a winner on its hands in the segment, with consumers incredulous at the technology they are getting for less than Rs 20,000

Key specifications and features:

    Android 2.2 (2.3 update available)
    4-inch SuperLCD (800x480 pixels)
    Solid yet lightweight build
    1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor with PowerVR SGX540 GPU
    512MB RAM, 2GB ROM
    5MP Camera with Autofocus and LED flash
    720p HD video@30fps
    Gorilla Glass Display

10. HTC Desire Z
Price: Rs 24,835

The HTC Desire Z is a sleek QWERTY-slider, one of the best the Android platform has to offer. It's a feature rich phone with great performance, boasting of a 3.7-inch SuperLCD display with a 480x800 resolution, an 800MHz Scorpion processor and Adreno 205 GPU, and 512MB of RAM.

It has a surprisingly capable 5MP camera that can also record 720p HD video, a well-designed QWERTY keyboard and responsive touchscreen, and an excellent battery life. It comes with a document editor onboard, perfect for enterprise users.
Key specifications and features:

    Android 2.2 (2.3 update available) with HTC Sense UI 2.0
    3.7-inch SuperLCD (800x480 pixels)
    Sturdy, lightweight with well-built keypad
    800MHz with Adreno 205 GPU
    512MB RAM, 1.5GB ROM
    5MP Camera with Autofocus and LED flash
    720p HD video@30fps
    Gorilla Glass Display


The market for Android devices in India has been burgeoning ever since Samsung brought its Galaxy 3 and 5 phones to the country, and today, be it low-cost device or a top-end smartphone, the availability and demand for Android products is high. We're beginning to also see manufacturers treat India with importance, bringing in products quite shortly after their international launches.

All this bodes well for you, the end user.