Oppo F25 Pro 5G Challengers: OnePlus Nord CE 3, Realme 12 Pro, More

Oppo has been steadily carving a niche for itself in the highly competitive mid-segment of the Indian phone market. While most players in this zone tend to focus on specs rather than style, Oppo has opted to add some flair to the segment with some very well-crafted good-looking smartphones that focus on form as much as function. The latest in this list is the Oppo F25 Pro 5G.​​ The phone sports a very unique Lava Red shade that moves from wine-like shades to slightly brighter ones when light falls on it. Oppo says that the back is made of a polycarbonate resin mixed with glass fibre, and the result is stunning. The phone is also a mere 7.54 mm thin, adding to its flaunting value. It is also one of the few phones in its segment to come with IP65 dust and water resistance. 

On the spec side, it comes with a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chip. It has three cameras on the back — a 64-megapixel main sensor (minus OIS), an 8-megapixel ultrawide, and a 2-megapixel macro, while a 32-megapixel camera in front handles selfies. Keeping it running is the task of a surprisingly large 5,000mAh battery (given how slim the phone is), and a 67W charger in the box gets it charged swiftly.  

All this at a starting price of Rs 23,999 makes the Oppo F25 Pro quite a tempting proposition for anyone who wants a phone to flaunt. However, its stylish appearance does not save the Oppo F25 Pro from some very stiff competition. These five phones stand in its path:

Realme 12 Pro 5G: Another Stylish Operator 

Price: Rs 25,999 onwards 

If a stylish design is what you are seeking, then the Realme 12 Pro runs the Oppo F25 Pro close. The phone comes with a very premium design in partnership with luxury watchmaker Ollivier Savéo, with a vegan leather finished back and a circular camera unit that has a sunburst design with gold highlights. The premium-ness extends to the front which features a curved 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate. 

And that circular camera unit houses one of the most versatile camera arrangements in the segment – a 50-megapixel Sony IMX709 sensor, a 32-megapixel telephoto (very rare at this price)  and an 8-megapixel ultrawide. You also get a big 5,000mAh battery with speedy 67W charging, and Android 14 out of the box. 

The only underwhelming feature on this phone is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chip, which is close to the Dimensity 7050 on the Oppo F25 Pro but is more than matched by others in this list. 

Motorola Edge 40 Neo 5G: An Edge-y Competitor

Price: Rs 22,999 onwards

The Motorola Edge 40 Neo is 7.9 mm slim and comes with a very classy looking vegan leather back, and on the front has a curved pOLED display with a refresh rate of 144 Hz, although it is the smallest of this list (6.55 inches).  

It loses out to the Oppo F25 Pro in the processor department – the MediaTek Dimensity 7030 driving it is a step behind the Dimensity 7050 on the Oppo F25 Pro. But it recovers lost ground with a very good camera combination — a 50-megapixel main sensor with OIS, a 13-megapixel ultrawide on the back, and a good 32-megapixel selfie camera. 

All this topped with a clean, clutter-free near-stock Android experience, stereo speakers and a 5,000mAh battery with 68W fast charging make this Neo a very Edge-y competitor for the Oppo F25 Pro.

Poco X6 5G: The Price To Performance Warrior

Price: Rs 20,999 onwards

It might not have made as many waves as its Pro bro, but the Poco X6 is a terrific option for those seeking good hardware on a tight budget. 

For a price only slightly north of Rs 20,000, the Poco X6 brings the very good Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor (superior to the Dimensity 7050 on the Oppo F25 Pro), and a brilliant 6.67-inch AMOLED display with 1.5K resolution and 120 Hz refresh, as well as Gorilla Glass Victus protection (a rarity at this price).

Add a very good 64-megapixel main sensor with OIS (albeit with a rather ordinary 8-megapixel ultrawide and 2-megapixel macro secondary camera combo), good speakers a 3,5 mm audio jack and a large 5,100mAh battery with support for 67W charging, and the Poco X6 becomes the phone-y weapon of choice for those who worship spec sheets rather than spectacular design. 

We do wish it came with HyperOS rather than MIUI 14 out of the box, though.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 5G: A Nordic Rival

Price: Rs 24,999 onwards

It might be a little on the older side and seem a trifle plain in comparison to the flashy Oppo F25 Pro, but make no mistake, the OnePlus Nord CE 3 remains a formidable proposition for any phone priced in the vicinity of Rs 25,000. 

It comes with a 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and its Qualcomm Snapdragon 782 processor is more powerful than the Dimensity 7050 on the F25 Ptro. 

It also comes with a Sony IMX890 50-megapixel camera with OIS, which is also seen on higher priced devices, although the 8-megapixel ultrawide and 2-megapixel sensors accompanying it are less worthy of mention, and its 16-megapixel selfie camera is no match for the one on the F25 Pro. 

That said, it also comes with a 5,000mAh battery with faster charging at 80W and OnePlus’ uncluttered OxygenOS. 

Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G: A Note-able Presence With A Big Megapixel Camera

Price: Rs 25,999 onwards

The Redmi Note series is legendary for bringing a lot of value for not too much money to the smartphone table, and the Redmi Note 13 Pro epitomises this. It looks reasonably smart although it lacks the jazz of the Oppo F25 Pro, packs in a  6.67-inch AMOLED display with 1.5K resolution and 120 Hz refresh rate and runs on the the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 which is more powerful than the Dimensity 7050 on the Oppo F25 Pro. 

Where it scores is in the camera department, with a massive 200-megapixel main Samsung Isocell HP3 sensor with OIS, although the secondary and selfie cameras are nowhere as rave-worthy. It also comes with a large 5,100mAh battery, similar 67W fast charging support and really good stereo speakers, as well as a 3.5mm audio jack. 

We would have preferred HyperOS on it, rather than MIUI 14 (although Xiaomi tells us that is coming soon), but even so, it remains a formidable competitor to all devices in its zone, including the Oppo F25 Pro.