Top Mid-Range Smartphones of 2013

1. Gionee Elife E7

So we covered the flagships of 2013, all of which at a very premium price point. Though, never fear, you can get smartphones for a mid range budget. If you're not too brand conscious, there's some fantastic phones that sometimes even give the Flagships a run for their money. With shiny full HD displays, snazzy camera and superfast processors. Note: the average budget for these range from Rs. 17,000 - Rs. 30,000. These are smartphones for a mid range budget, not cheap by any means. But affordable, with all the features of the popular flagships.

You may have seen the Gionee E6 ad's on the telly for the longest time. Now with a good market presence, Chinese manufacturer Gionee has launch the new Elife E7. A fantastic phone with superb specs starting at Rs, 26,999. You get a 5.5 inch full HD screen with Gorilla Glass 3, powered by Snapdragon 800, with 2 GB RAM, 16 GB internal storage with MicroSD support. Though the fun doesn't end there. It's got a 16 megapixel camera with a large camera sensor, as well as a 8 Megapixel front camera for those perfect selfies. The higher end E7 comes with a faster Snapdragon 800 and 3GB of RAM. Though at the 27k pricepoint, this is the perfect phone to get, and it comes in lots of attractive colors.

2. Sony Xperia ZR

The Z series have been gaining massive ground. With the Z and Z1 doing really well. The ZR retails for 26,000 and is a 4.5 inch screen at 720x1280, with a 1.5Ghz Krait CPU built in with 2GB RAM and 16Gb with SD Card support. It also comes with a 13 Megapixel camera. The specs are obviously not as impressive as the E7, but the ZR is got the signature waterproof, dust proof design which is Sony's signature. The phone can withstand immersion upto 30 minutes, and you can even take photos underwater. While we all may not be underwater most of the time, it's a perfect phone to withstand our merciless monsoons.

3. Nokia Lumia 925

In an immense comeback, Nokia is constantly pelting the market with one hit after another. The Nokia Lumia 925 sports some of the smartest looks in this category, looks that have inspired a lot of phones like the E7. While the specs are somewhat lacking at a Snapdragon S4 at 1.5 Ghz and 1 GB Ram and just 16Gb internal memory with no expansion. The screen is a superb 4.5 inch AMOLED display. The phone still wow's with a fantastic 8 Megapixel camera with Carl Ziess Lens. The 925 retails for about Rs. 27,000, and if Windows 8 is your thing, then this is the perfect phone to get. Though there are rumors of a 20 Megapixel version of this phone in the near future.

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4. Micromax Canvas Turbo

Otherwise known as the Hugh Jackman phone. In a stunning move Micromax signed on Wolverine himself to sell the Turbo. Which is a great phone retailing at Rs. 17,000. With a 5 inch Full HD IPS display, powered by a Quad Core 1.5 Ghz processor, 2GB of RAM, and a capable 13 megapixel camera out back and a 5MP selfie front camera. The Turbo has everything you would need at a great price. The build quality too is decent, with an aluminum back cover.

5. Huawei Ascend P6

Chinese smartphones are slowly shedding their "cheap" stereotype, and are getting serious on quality. The Huawei Ascent P6 is stunningly thin with a beautiful build quality, reminiscent of the iPhone 4s, with a metal band ending at a beautifully rounded bottom fold. Featuring a highly themeable Android UI, the Ascent P6 looks fantastic. No two ways about it. Powered by a 1.5 Ghz Quad Core processor, with 2 GB of RAM, a beautiful 4.7 inch screen and an 8 Megapixel camera. The P6 is functional, but at a affordable price point of Rs. 25,000. Though if you love this design, the P6S with an Octa Core processor is in the works and may make it to our shores 2014.