The year 2021 kick-started with a bang-for-buck smartphone from Xiaomi and an entry level smartphone from Samsung. Later, Lava, the long lost Indian Brand, finally reinvented itself with a host of new phones. And then arrived the Samsung Galaxy S21 series, which changed the way we looked at truly high end smartphones. Also, we saw a bunch of offline market centric smartphones in the Y series from Vivo. Meanwhile, Realme delayed the launch of its much awaited X7 series to February.
Here’s a monthly roundup of smartphones launched in January 2021.
Also Read: Oppo Reduces Price Of Its Smartphones – See All Discounts Here
1. Samsung Galaxy M02s
Samsung launched its new entry-level smartphone, the Galaxy M02s, in the first week of the month. Though it is powered by a 4-year-old chipset, the overall smartphone is a decent upgrade over its predecessor.
The device has a large 6.5 inch HD IPS display, with a teardrop notch on the top. Under the hood, the Galaxy M02s has got the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC coupled with 3 or 4GB of RAM.
In terms of optics, the smartphone possesses a triple rear camera setup. The primary sensor is a 13MP lens, while the other sensors include a 2MP depth sensor and a 2 MP lens for Macro shots. On the front, the device has a 5 MP front camera for selfies. The smartphone derives its power from a massive 5000mAh battery.
It is available to purchase in 3 color options, viz Black, Blue, and Red. The base variant of the device, which offers 3 GB of RAM, costs Rs. 8999, whereas the 4GB variant is priced at Rs. 9999.
2. Mi 10i
The Mi 10i is a rebranded version of the Redmi Note Pro 5G which was launched in China in late December 2020. The device is priced at Rs. 20999 for the base variant i.e. 6+64 GB, and goes up to Rs. 23999 for the 8+128 GB variant.
On the front, the phone has a 6.67-inch FHD IPS display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The Mi 10i is a 5G ready smartphone because it is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G chipset. While most brands are ditching Glass sandwich designs, the Mi 10i boasts of Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the front as well as on the rear.
The device’s biggest highlight is its 108MP Primary sensor, which is arguably one of the best in the segment. Other rear cameras include an 8 MP ultrawide angle lens, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 2MP macro lens. The device also boasts a pair of dual stereo speakers. In terms of battery, the Mi 10i packs a 4860 mAh battery along with 33W fast charging. The fast-charging brick is also included in the box.
3. Lava Z1
The Lava Z1 was among the most interesting devices to launch in January. It is a military-grade certified smartphone, which is priced at Rs. 5499. It is aimed at the entry-level segment in India and offers a decent value for money proposition for the price.
The phone comes with a 5.00-inch HD IPS display. The phone doesn’t look like a 2021 smartphone, thanks to the huge bezels around and the dedicated Navigation buttons on the chin.
The Lava Z1 is powered by a quad-core MediaTek Helio A20 processor. It comes with 2GB of RAM. The Lava Z1 runs on the latest Android 10 Go Edition and is powered by a 3100mAh battery.
As far as the cameras are concerned, the Lava Z1 on the rear packs a 5-megapixel camera. In terms of camera the device sports a 5-megapixel camera on the front for selfies. There’s only one variant available for the device, which comes in 2+16 GB storage configuration.
4. Lava Z2
The Lava Z2 is a huge upgrade over the Z1, mainly because it has a modern styled screen on the front.
The device features a large 6.5 inch HD display with a standard 60Hz refresh rate. The Lava Z2 based on Android 10 and packs 32GB of inbuilt storage. As far as the battery is concerned, the device boasts of a large 5000mAh battery, along with standard 10W charging. You also get a fingerprint sensor on the back for security.
The phone drives power from the Mediatek Helio G35 chipset that is present on board. As far as the cameras are concerned, the Lava Z2 on the rear packs a 13-megapixel primary camera and a second 2-megapixel camera. It sports an 8-megapixel camera on the front for selfies.
The price of Lava Z2 in India starts from Rs. 7,000
5. Lava Z4
The Lava Z4 shares many similarities with the Z2. It has a 6.5 inch HD IPS display protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3.The smartphone is almost identical to the Lava Z2, except for the camera setup.
The Lava Z4 on the rear packs a 13-megapixel primary camera; a second 5-megapixel camera and a third 2-megapixel camera. It sports a 16-megapixel camera on the front for selfies. The device packs 64GB of internal storage, and 4 GB of RAM.
It is available at Rs. 8999 on Lava’s official website.
6. Lava Z6
Lastly, the Lava Z6 is the costliest device in the new smartphone lineup.
Although it is an incremental upgrade over the Z4, the device is still a decent offering from the Indian Brand. It is powered by the Mediatek Helio G35 SoC paired with 6GB of RAM. On the front, it has got a 6.5-inch HD display.
The Lava Z6i is packed with a 5000mAh battery unit with support for 10W charging support via a Type-C port. The device sports a quad-camera setup, with the primary sensor being a 13 MP lens with f/1.79. Other sensors include a 5MP depth sensor and another 2 MP lens. There’s a 16MP waterdrop notch camera on the front for selfies, including support for AI features.
The Lava Z6 price in India starts at Rs. 9,999.
7. Vivo Y12s
Vivo is quite popular in the Indian offline smartphone market. Vivo launched 4 smartphones in their Y series this month. The Y21S was one among them.
Vivo Y12s boasts a 6.5-inches waterdrop notch display with an HD resolution and 270ppi pixel density. The smartphone is powered by a MediaTek Helio P35 processor and is assisted by 3GB of RAM. The device is equipped with a triple camera setup on the rear (16MP Primary, and a single 8MP selfie camera for selfies. The Vivo Y21s runs on Android 10 operating system and is backed by a 5000mAh battery unit.
It has an inbuilt memory of 64GB with an expandable memory option of up to 256GB using a microSD card. The device equips a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and also supports Face Unlock for biometric authentication.
Also Read: Vivo V20 vs OnePlus Nord: Complete Comparison
8. Vivo Y51a
Priced at Rs. 17990 for the 8+128 GB storage configuration, the Vivo Y51a is a decent mid-range smartphone that offers some good features at its price tag.
The phone has a 6.58 inches FHD+ IPS display with a tall aspect ratio. It runs on the latest Funtouch OS 11 based on Android 11. In terms of optics, the Vivo Y51a packs a 48MP triple rear camera setup. On the front, a 16 MP shooter is housed in a dewdrop notch. Currently, it is available in Titanium Sapphire and Crystal Symphony colors. The device also packs a large 5000mAh battery along with standard charging technology.
9. Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung impressed everyone by launching a worthy successor of its widely popular S series of smartphones. The vanilla Galaxy S21 is the cheapest of the bunch and starts at Rs. 69999.
The device features a compact 6.2 inches FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Samsung has ditched the Micro SD card slot this year for all three devices. The smartphone is powered by the all-new Exynos 2100 5G Chipset, which is based on a 5nm process. The primary camera sensor is a 12MP Lens, whereas a 64 MP sensor is present to offer up to 30X zoom. Additionally, there’s a 12MP lens for ultrawide angle shots. It supports wireless charging and is IP68 certified too.
The Galaxy S21 has a decently sized 4000mAh battery paired with 25W fast charging. A power adapter and a pair of earphones need to be purchased separately since they are not bundled in the box for the entire smartphone lineup.
It is available in 3 color options, which are Phantom Grey, Violet, and White.
10. Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus
The Galaxy S21+ shares some common specifications with the Ultra version. It starts at Rs. 81999 for the base variant which offers 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB internal storage.
On the front, the phone packs a large 6.8 inches FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The cameras on the Galaxy S21 Plus are identical to the ones present on the Galaxy S21. However, the back panel of the phone is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, unlike the polycarbonate material of the vanilla S21.
Also Read: Top Samsung Phones Released In 2020
There’s no difference in terms of the performance of the S21+ and S21.The Samsung Galaxy S21+ runs Android on One UI 3.0 which is based on Android 11 and is powered by a 4800mAh battery.
The device supports 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. You can also shoot 8K videos with the entire Galaxy S21 series. The front camera, which is a 10 MP sensor, is housed in a center-aligned punch hole on the front.
11. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
The Galaxy S21 Ultra was the star of the show in the Galaxy Unpacked Event. It is, probably, the best Android Smartphone that you can purchase in India. It is priced at Rs. 105,999 for the 12+256 GB variant.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra, as you would expect, features a QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED Infinity-O display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The device gets power from a massive 5000mAh cell that can be charged wirelessly as well. The major plus point of the S21 Ultra over the other smartphones is its camera setup.
Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
The smartphone has a quad-camera setup, with the primary sensor being a 108MP Samsung HM3 sensor. Other sensors include a 12MP ultrawide lens, a 10MP 3x telephoto lens, and lastly a 10MP 10x telephoto lens for space zoom. On the front, there’s a 40MP AI front camera housed in a center punch hole. The Galaxy S21 Ultra, as in the entire smartphone lineup, is powered by the Exynos 2100 chipset and comes with support for 5G as well.
12. Tecno Camon 16 Premiere
Tecno has been trying to get into a niche in the Indian Smartphone Market. It’s latest offering, the Camon 16 Premiere, is aimed to compete with the likes of the Infinix Zero 8i and the Poco X3. It costs Rs. 16999 for the 8+128 GB variant.
The device comes with a large 6.85 inches FHD+ TFT display with a 90Hz refresh rate and a pixel density of 392 PPI.
Also Read: Infinix Launches Note 8, Note 8i
The smartphone has a great camera setup, with the primary sensor being a 64 MP SONY IMX 686 Lens with f/1.8. Other than that, there are 3 other sensors; an 8MP ultrawide lens, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 2 MP sensor for macro shots.
On the front, there’s a 48+8 MP dual punch hole camera for wide as well as ultrawide selfies. Under the hood, the Tecno Camon 16 Premiere is powered by the Mediatek Helio G90T SoC paired with 8 GB of RAM. It currently runs on HiOS based on Android 10. The device is fueled by a 4,500mAh battery unit with support for 18W fast charging.
13. Itel Vision 1 Pro
Itel is primarily known for its feature phones in India. However, the brand occasionally launches smartphones as well. The Vision 1 Pro is one of its latest offerings. The Itel Vision 1 Pro price in India starts at Rs. 6,699.
The phone comes with a 6.52-inch IPS display with HD resolution and an aspect ratio of 20:9. Itel Vision 1 Pro is powered by the Unisoc SC9863A processor. It comes with 2GB of RAM. The Itel Vision 1 Pro runs Android 10 (Go Edition) and is powered by a 4000mAh battery.
As far as the cameras are concerned, the Itel Vision 1 Pro on the rear packs a triple camera setup, which consists of an 8 MP main sensor and two other VGA lenses. The rear camera setup has autofocus. It sports a 5-megapixel camera on the front for selfies, with an f/2.0 aperture.
Itel Vision 1 Pro runs on Android 10 (Go Edition) and packs 32GB of inbuilt storage. It is launched in Gradation Blue and Gradation Green colors. The device can be unlocked by a fingerprint scanner as well as the face recognition feature.
14. Oppo Reno 5 Pro
Oppo’s Reno series of smartphones is quite popular, especially because of its cameras. The Oppo Reno 5 Pro comes loaded with powerful hardware and is rich in features. It is priced at Rs. 35999 for the 8+128 GB variant.
The beautiful smartphone comes with a glass body with a matte texture on the rear panel. The Reno 5 Pro has a 6.55 inches FHD+ AMOLED screen that comes with a 90Hz refresh rate. The smartphone is powered by the Mediatek Dimensity 1000+ SoC which also supports 5G bands. There’s a 4350 mAh battery to fuel the device, and it can be recharged within 40 minutes through a 65W fast charging brick present in the box.
The device sports a quad-camera setup on the rear, with the primary sensor being a 64 MP lens with support for AI Video capabilities. Other sensors include an 8MP ultrawide lens and two other 2MP sensors. The punch hole cutout on the front houses a 32 MP selfie shooter.
The Oppo Reno 5 Pro 5G runs ColorOS 11.1 based on Android 11 and packs 128GB of inbuilt storage.
15. Vivo Y20G
The Vivo Y20G is yet another smartphone in Vivo’s Y series. It is very similar to the Y20 but comes with some changes in the internals. The device is priced at Rs. 14990 for the 6+128 GB variant.
The phone features a waterdrop display with a 6.52-inch HD+ screen with an 8MP selfie camera. There’s a 13MP triple camera setup on the rear, which also includes two other 2MP lenses for depth and macro shots. The smartphone is powered by the Mediatek Helio G80 chipset and comes with 128GB of internal storage. Although the phone has a micro-USB port, it packs a fairly large 5000mAh battery. The device runs on Funtouch OS 11 which is based on Android 11.
16. Vivo Y31
The Vivo Y31 is a stepped-up version of the Y20G. It is priced at Rs. 16490 for the 6+128 GB storage configuration.
The device sports a large 6.58 inch FHD+ LCD with a 20:9 aspect ratio. It also packs a 5000mAh battery along with 18W charging via the Type-C port. Under the hood, the Y31 is powered by the 11nm Snapdragon 662 chipset and comes with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for security. On the optics front, the phone has a 48 MP primary lens with support for EIS, coupled with an 8MP ultrawide lens and a 2MP macro sensor. A 16MP front shooter with f/2.0 is housed in a dewdrop notch on the front.
17. LG K42
LG announced that it is planning to exit the smartphone world due to the tough competition in the market. However, alongside the announcement, the company announced a new smartphone named LG K42. It is a budget-oriented smartphone that comes with military-grade certification. Currently, it is priced at Rs. 10990.
It packs in a 4000mAh battery that can be charged via a Type-C port. It has a 6.6-inch HD+ Max Vision IPS display with a resolution of 720×1280 pixels.
Under the hood, the LG K42 is powered by the Mediatek Helio P22 chipset which is based on the 14nm FinFET process.
In the optics department, the device has a 13MP MP primary sensor, a 2MP depth sensor, and lastly a 2MP macro lens.
On the front, there is an 8MP punch-hole selfie camera with an f/2.2 aperture. The LG K42 comes with MIL-STD-810G certification, which means it can handle extreme environments and is resistant to water damage.
Conclusion
This sums up the list of all the smartphones that were launched in India in the month of January. While January was an interesting month, February, too, is going to be quite interesting. Some major launches scheduled for the next month include Redmi Note 10 series, Realme X7 series and Samsung’s A52 & A72.
Also Read: Samsung Galaxy A32 5G Launched: Price, Specifications
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