India’s Favorite Smartphones Awards 2026, Powered by Flipkart: Full Winners & What They Mean For Consumers

The first India’s Favorite Smartphone awards, powered by Flipkart, just wrapped up. And what a stellar night it was. Instead of the usual jury picks, this one was decided by people. Users voted for their favorite smartphones, and the results are actually pretty interesting. If you missed it, here’s everything you need to know.

Cameras Segment Winners

There was a time when smartphone cameras were just okay. Good enough to take photos in the day, but once the light subsided, so did the quality. Well, that’s not the case anymore. Different smartphone makers excel at various things. Portrait photography, for instance, is clearly a battleground. Phones like the vivo V60 (Best Smartphone for Portraits Under ₹40,000) and the Google Pixel 10 (Best Smartphone for Portraits Above ₹40,000), which won in their respective segments, show how much brands are focusing on skin tones, edge detection, and that DSLR-like look.

Selfies have also made a comeback as a serious category. With devices like the Motorola Edge 60 Pro (Best Smartphone for Selfies between ₹20K – ₹30K) and OPPO Reno14 5G (Best Smartphone for Selfies between ₹30K – ₹40K), it’s clear that front cameras are no longer an afterthought, especially in a creator-first world. Still, the most important thing when it comes to smartphone photography is nighttime shots, and here the vivo X200T took the night photography crown in the above 40K budget. Unsurprisingly, it was Apple that bagged the best video award with the iPhone 17 Pro Max. On the other hand, the best videos award in the 30K-40K segment was won by the vivo T4 Ultra.

Rounding up the camera section, the best smartphone for photography between the 20K-30K was the Motorola Edge 70 Fusion. The same award, but between 30K-40K, was awarded to the vivo V60e. Last but not least, the overall best flagship phone for camera was OPPO Find X9 Pro.

Battery & Performance Winners

For all the talk about AI and cameras, most people still care about two things: battery life and performance. That’s exactly why budget battery champs like the realme P4 Lite 5G (Best Battery Life Smartphone under ₹10K) and realme P4x 5G (Best Battery Life Smartphone between ₹10K-₹20k) matter. These aren’t flashy devices, but they solve a real problem: getting through the day without constantly looking for a charger.

Gaming, on the other hand, has become its own category entirely. Phones like the OPPO K13 Turbo 5G (Gaming Smartphone of the Year Between ₹20K-₹30K) and POCO X8 Pro Max (Gaming Smartphone of the Year Between ₹30K-₹40K) highlight how performance today isn’t just about benchmarks, it’s about sustained performance, thermals, and real gameplay stability.

Beyond gaming, the other thing that makes or breaks the phone is the software experience. While most phones today have good software, the winner in this category was absolutely clear: Nothing. The Nothing Phone (4a) and CMF by Nothing Phone 2 Pro swept the stage, winning the best software experience both under the ₹20K and ₹30K categories.

But if you just want the best overall performance and a mix of software and gaming, then the iQOO Neo 10R 5G is the way to go in the ₹20K-₹30K category. Build quality is also getting more attention. Devices like the vivo T5x and Motorola Edge 60 Fusion stand out for their in-hand feel and durability. That’s something buyers are starting to notice more than before.

Value & Design Awards

Despite all the innovation happening at the top end, the core of the Indian smartphone market hasn’t really changed. Categories like Best Value 5G and Best All-Rounder exist for a reason. Phones like the Moto G57 Power 5G (Best Value 5G Smartphone Between ₹10K-₹20K) and realme P4 Power 5G (Best All-Rounder Smartphone ₹20K-₹30K) aren’t trying to be the best at one thing.

Smartphone design has remained the same for the better part of a decade. But Nothing has been changing that trend slowly but surely, with unique designs and lighting. As expected, the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro won the Chromatic Disruption Award. On the other hand, the Motorola Edge 70 Fusion took home the Color Material Finish (CMF) award. At the same time, the iPhone 17 Pro winning for trendsetting design is a reminder that consistency and familiarity still carry a lot of weight.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 series (Capture the night right award) being recognized as the “Smartest Smartphone” says a lot about where things are going. It’s less about raw power now and more about how intelligently a device can adapt and assist. Similarly, phones like the vivo X300 Pro (Future of Smartphone Photography) show how AI is playing a bigger role in photography, not just enhancing images, but defining how they’re captured in the first place.

Full List of Winners