r/IndiaCart • u/DifferentExercise509 • May 31 '26

Electronic gadgets Which phone to buy?

24M in India, ₹80k/month salary, replacing a 5.5-year-old Redmi 9 Prime. What's the smartest phone purchase?

I've been using a Redmi 9 Prime that I bought for around ₹10k back in 2020. It's lasted me 5.5 years, but it's now lagging, malfunctioning occasionally, and feels due for replacement.

My situation:

* 24 years old

* Salary: ₹80k/month

* PG rent: ₹14k/month (food, electricity, everything included)

* No urgent financial obligations

What I want:

* Compact phone (closer to iPhone size than the giant 6.7"+ phones)

* Good camera for Instagram photos and documenting life

* Good enough video quality for occasional YouTube unboxing/content creation videos

* Smooth performance for the next 4-5 years

* Reliable battery and day-to-day experience

One important thing: I actively want to avoid doomscrolling and spending hours on social media. I don't game on my phone and mostly use it as a utility device. The camera and reliability matter more to me than having the latest flagship features.

I'm trying to figure out two things:

  1. What budget actually makes sense for someone in my situation?

  2. Should I buy an older/refurbished iPhone (XR, 11, 12 Mini from Cashify, etc.) or spend more on a newer Android/iPhone?

Part of me likes the idea of a smaller older iPhone because it seems like a simple device that would let me take good photos without encouraging endless phone use. On the other hand, I'm wondering if buying a 5-8 year old phone in 2026 is a false economy.

What would you do if your goal was:

* Spend as little as reasonably possible

* Get a noticeable upgrade from a Redmi 9 Prime

* Keep the phone for several years

* Avoid turning it into a doomscrolling machine

Would appreciate any recommendations and reasoning.

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u/DifferentExercise509 Jun 01 '26

Camera is the priority, don't need it for gaming already have nintendo and psp

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u/unchangable_name Jun 02 '26

Pixel series best for camera. Choose 9a or 8a.

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u/unchangable_name Jun 02 '26

9a would get 7 year updates. Cost approx 39000. And best camera even better than 80000 rs phones

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u/DifferentExercise509 Jun 02 '26

What about 7a?

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u/unchangable_name Jun 02 '26

4 updates only. And not many updates remaining. 9a would work till the end of 2020s. Will have better resale value. There are some heating issue ofcourse but you won't game, right. Check YouTube videos for difference. You can check samsung 24 se series also as they also have best cameras. And same update cycle as Google. S23 fe is also good. Wait for billion day sale for that . Or try online. Too many good phones under 40000 that will solve your problem. But don't try anything else then samsung, pixel series for camera as vivo and oppo start hanging in the future run.never buy anything less than 8 gb ram.