The sub-Rs 40,000 smartphone segment is getting particularly interesting this festive season. Flipkart's Big Billion Days and Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale are bringing several phones that normally sit closer to the Rs 40,000-50,000 range down to more accessible prices, including Google's Pixel 10a and Motorola's Edge 70 Pro, but the interesting part isn't just the discount. These phones take very different approaches to the premium mid-range segment. The Redmi Note 15 Pro+ is pushing camera hardware and fast charging, the OnePlus Nord CE6 is focused heavily on performance and battery life, while the Pixel 10a brings Google's camera processing and long-term software support into the mix.
Here are the phones worth looking out for if your budget is around Rs 40,000 during the sale.
Redmi Note 15 Pro+ 5G
The Redmi Note 15 Pro+ 5G is one of the most specification-heavy phones in this list. Flipkart is showing it at Rs 39,999 during the sale, putting the 8GB + 256GB variant right at the Rs 40,000 mark. The phone comes with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chipset and a 6.83-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The display also supports up to 3,200 nits peak brightness, Dolby Vision and HDR10+. The camera setup is arguably the bigger talking point. Redmi has equipped the Note 15 Pro+ with a 200MP primary camera with OIS, accompanied by an 8MP ultrawide camera and a 32MP front camera. It also gets a 6,500mAh silicon-carbon battery with 100W charging. There is also IP66, IP68, IP69 and IP69K protection, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and four years of OS updates with six years of security updates.
At Rs 39,999, this is the phone to watch if you want a combination of camera hardware, display quality and fast charging rather than simply chasing the fastest processor.
Google Pixel 10a
The Google Pixel 10a stands out for a completely different reason. Flipkart is showing the phone at Rs 39,999, which is a substantial drop from Google's original Indian starting price of Rs 49,999. The Pixel 10a features a 6.3-inch pOLED Actua display with a 60-120Hz refresh rate and up to 3,000 nits peak brightness. It is powered by Google's Tensor G4 chipset and comes with 8GB RAM and up to 256GB storage.
The camera setup includes a 48MP primary camera and 13MP ultrawide camera, with Google's computational photography features doing much of the heavy lifting. The phone also gets features such as Camera Coach, Magic Eraser, Best Take and Google's AI tools. Another major advantage is longevity. Google promises seven years of OS, security and Pixel Drop updates, while the phone also carries an IP68 rating and supports wireless charging.
At Rs 39,999, the Pixel 10a becomes considerably more interesting than it is at its regular price. It isn't the phone to buy if raw gaming performance is your biggest priority, but for camera quality, clean Android and long-term software support, this could be one of the strongest deals in the sale.
OPPO F35 5G
The newly launched OPPO F35 5G is another interesting addition to the sub-Rs 40,000 segment. The phone is priced at Rs 38,999 for the 6GB + 128GB variant.
OPPO is positioning the F35 heavily around selfies. It gets a 50MP ultrawide front camera with autofocus and a 100-degree field of view, alongside a 50MP primary rear camera. The phone also packs an 8,000mAh battery with 80W SUPERVOOC charging, which is considerably larger than what most phones in this segment offer. It uses the MediaTek Dimensity 6360 MAX chipset and has a 6.57-inch 120Hz AMOLED display.
The F35 also carries IP69K water and dust resistance and runs ColorOS 16.5 based on Android 16. The interesting thing about the F35 is that it doesn't try to be a conventional all-rounder. Its 50MP ultrawide selfie camera and 8,000mAh battery make it particularly relevant for buyers who prioritise selfies, social media content and battery endurance.
Motorola Edge 70 Pro
The Motorola Edge 70 Pro is perhaps the most aggressive deal in terms of its advertised discount. Flipkart is showing the 8GB + 256GB variant at Rs 36,999, down from its current Rs 39,999 listing. Motorola has confirmed this sale price for Flipkart Big Billion Days.
The phone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Extreme chipset and features a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate. It also packs a 6,500mAh battery with 90W wired charging. The camera setup includes a 50MP primary camera and a 50MP secondary sensor, along with a 50MP front camera. Motorola also gives the phone IP68/IP69 protection.
At Rs 36,999, the Edge 70 Pro is difficult to overlook. It offers a high-refresh-rate AMOLED display, a relatively powerful chipset, a large battery and a premium design at a price below Rs 40,000. For buyers who want a more performance-oriented phone without moving into flagship pricing, this could be one of the better deals of the sale.
OnePlus Nord CE6
The OnePlus Nord CE6 is the cheapest phone on this particular list, with the sale offer bringing it down to Rs 33,999. The screenshot indicates that this price includes the applicable credit-card EMI bank offer, so buyers should check the offer conditions before assuming Rs 33,999 is the final price for every transaction.
The Nord CE6 comes with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chipset, an 7500mAh battery and 80W charging. It also features a 6.78-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate. The phone gets 8GB RAM and 128GB storage in the variant currently listed on Flipkart, along with a 50MP primary rear camera. The Nord CE6 is therefore less about camera experimentation and more about the fundamentals: performance, display and battery life. At Rs 33,999, it also leaves some money on the table compared with the other phones here, which could make it particularly attractive to buyers who don't want to spend the entire Rs 40,000 budget.
Which Phone Should You Look Out For?
Like any other price point, at this price point too, it is difficult to pick a single obvious winner.
The Redmi Note 15 Pro+ makes the most sense if the camera, display and charging combination is important. The Pixel 10a is the more software-focused option, especially for buyers who value Google's camera processing and seven years of updates.
The Motorola Edge 70 Pro looks particularly aggressive at Rs 36,999 if performance and display quality are the priority, while the OnePlus Nord CE6 offers a strong combination of performance, a 144Hz AMOLED panel and an 8,000mAh battery without touching Rs 40,000.
Then there's the OPPO F35, which takes a different route with its 50MP ultrawide selfie camera and 8,000mAh battery.
The bigger takeaway is that the sale is making the Rs 40,000 segment much harder to define. You can now choose between a camera-centric Pixel, a specification-heavy Redmi, a performance-focused Motorola or OnePlus, and an endurance-focused OPPO without necessarily spending Rs 40,000. Just remember that some of these advertised prices include bank offers, so check the final effective price and the eligible payment method before making the purchase. The sales begins with early access on October 8 and opens to all customers on October 9.
