Whether you’re a student, professional, content creator, or casual user, buying a laptop in 2025 requires balancing performance with affordability. With a wide range of options available, identifying your needs and matching them with the right specifications is key to making a smart investment. Here’s a guide to help you find the perfect laptop based on your budget and usage.

1. Entry-Level Laptops (Budget-Friendly Users)

For basic tasks like web browsing, email, and document editing, entry-level laptops are ideal. These devices typically feature:

• Processor: Dual-core or low-end quad-core
• RAM: 4GB to 8GB
• Storage: 128GB to 256GB SSD
• Display: 13 to 15 inches, HD or Full HD resolution

These laptops are perfect for students or casual users and are often lightweight with decent battery life.

2. Mid-Range Laptops (The Balanced Laptop Buying Guide 2025 Pick)

If you’re into light gaming, multitasking, or running slightly demanding software (e.g., Photoshop, coding environments), a mid-range laptop is suitable. Key features include:

• Processor: Latest-generation quad-core or hexa-core
• RAM: 8GB to 16GB
• Storage: 256GB to 512GB SSD
• Display: Full HD or higher with better color accuracy

This segment strikes a balance between performance and affordability, making it ideal for office users, students in tech fields, and creators on a budget.

3. High-End Laptops (For Power Users and Creators)

If your work involves 3D modeling, video editing, high-end gaming, or professional design work, you’ll need a high-performance laptop. Look for:

• Processor: Octa-core or better, latest-gen
• RAM: 16GB to 32GB+
• Storage: 1TB SSD or more
• Graphics: Dedicated GPU with at least 6GB VRAM
• Display: High refresh rate, 4K, or OLED

These laptops come at a premium but offer unmatched speed, visuals, and multitasking capabilities.

Final Thoughts on This Laptop Buying Guide 2025

• Battery Life: Aim for 8+ hours for portability.
• Build Quality: Metal chassis or rugged materials offer durability.
• Port Selection: USB-C, HDMI, and SD card readers enhance usability.
• Upgradeability: Some models allow future RAM or storage upgrades.

Conclusion

Choosing the right laptop in 2025 comes down to understanding your needs and aligning them with your budget. By focusing on key specs and intended use, you can find a device that meets your requirements without overspending.

For more tech insights, check out our smartphone comparison guide.

When it comes to mobile phones, there's always a lot of debate about which one is better – and the answer has often been "it depends".

In a nutshell, if you're on a tight budget and don't care too much about playing games or taking pictures then an iPhone is the way to go. However, if you want all your devices synced together and are willing to pay more than £130 for an Apple device then Android is your best option.

Before we dive into the details, let's look at some of the differences between Apple's iPhone 4S and Samsung's Galaxy S2.

iPhones:

The most popular smartphone device in the world is Apple's iPhone 4S. The reason for this is that it has a large amount of application support and offers excellent value for money due to its low price point. Features such as Siri and MMS come as standard on all new iPhones, which makes sending messages or taking photos a breeze.

One of the main reasons why iPhone is preferred over other smartphones is because of Apple's iTunes software. Having your music, videos and photos synced in one place makes it so easy to travel with your favourite entertainment. This also means that you can plug your phone directly into a computer and transfer anything you need onto it without any additional software or costs.

Although there are cheaper Android smartphones, the operating system doesn't have the same level of support as iOS. This problem is amplified in countries where Apple has been popular for longer than other regions (such as China), meaning that Android ROMS and applications aren't always available for download.

Another reason why iOS is preferred over Android is because of its customisation options. You can alter your iPhone to suit your own needs, choosing from an array of different colours, as well as customising the way certain features look.

Although the iPhone 5 is new, it lacks many of the great features that were present on previous models. For instance, it doesn't have a removable battery that means you can take the phone apart and repair any issues that occur in-house. This can be very useful if you're not comfortable taking it to a repair shop.

The iPhone 4S is a great choice for those who just want to use it as a phone and don't need applications or customisation options.

Android:

Although there's no official word from Google about when the next Android version will be released, leaks are showing us that it will most likely be called Jellybean. Planning an Android device better, Google has made it possible for manufacturers to make customised versions of their phones using different software, widgets and themes. Although this gives manufacturers more freedom, you should still buy from the original manufacturer if you can. They're the only ones qualified to provide technical support for them because they've been around longer than any other company.

When it comes to customisation, Samsung's Galaxy S2 is one of the easiest devices to personalise. This makes it perfect for business users and people who want a phone that's completely unique. Thanks to its removable battery and ties with Dropbox, the S2 is ideal for people who want to be able to install applications on their own or sync the device with other computers in their home.

Samsung's Touchwiz software also means that users can get extra widgets and shortcuts in order to make it easier to change settings or add more apps. This makes the S2 better than most other Android phones available today.

The S2 is also very similar to the iPhone 4S, with a large amount of applications support and an intuitive iTunes software. This means that you can plug it into a computer and transfer everything you need onto it without additional costs.

If you want to personalise your Android phone or take advantage of all its features, then the Galaxy S2 is perfect for you. However, if you prefer to go out and buy a device based on your own needs and expectations then the iPhone 4S is the one for you.

If you're looking for a mobile device that combines high-quality photography with the portability and convenience of a phone, there's never been a better time to buy. Cameraphones are more affordable than ever before and the quality is just as strong. There are some excellent choices to be found below 20K!

I'll be taking you through these phones one by one so you don't have to go through all that trouble yourself. I'll show you how they compare in terms of design, camera quality, and general performance as well as offer some final thoughts on what might make the best choice for your needs.

XIAOMI MI A1

PROS: Excellent dual cameras, Easy to hold and fast fingerprint sensor, Stock Android with fast updates, Support for IR blaster.

 CONS: Not fully metal build

Design Rating: 9/10

Performance Rating: 8/10

Camera Rating: 8.5/10 Battery

Life Rating: 8/10

Value For Money Rating: 10/10

 Buy XIAOMI MI A1 (BLACK, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB ROM) @ Rs 18999

Xiaomi never afraid to take risks and try something new — like the dual-sight photos feature on the Mi A1. The Snapdragon 625 is capable of producing some excellent photos and videos without draining the battery too quickly.

The Mi A1's hardware isn't anything special, but it gets the job done. The phone feels great when you hold it, and the metal unibody is easy to grip. There's a fingerprint sensor in front that's very fast at reading your finger-presses.

XIAOMI MI MAX 2

PROS: Fast charging, Excellent dual camera set up, Stock Android and MIUI are both clean and fast.

CONS: Huge bezel on the front, Not ideal for one-handed use

Design Rating: 8/10

Performance Rating: 9/10

 Camera Rating: 8.5/10

 Battery Life Rating: 9/10

 Value For Money Rating: 8.5/10

 Buy XIAOMI MAX 2 BLACK 4+64 GB @ Rs 15999

The Mi Max 2 is for those who want a device with a big screen that's battery life and performance can keep up with. The Snapdragon 625 is an excellent mid-range processor, even two years after it launched, and it's great to see that this phone comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

The Max 2 has a huge 6.44-inch display but it handles well in the hand and you can use the phone with one hand. The camera is excellent and the phone's get more than enough battery life, even if you turn off all the features that the phone is capable of.

LG

LG's modular design was a pretty big deal when it launched, giving users the possibility to add extra functionality to the device through a variety of different modules. That approach didn't really work out, but the G5 is still a great phone.

There's a good chance this phone will be updated faster than any of the other phones on this list as well. LG seems committed to keeping its older devices up to date with stock Android, and that shows in the performance of this phone when you use it today.

PROS: Beautiful design, Excellent display, Fast charging

CONS: Unproven track record in terms of software updates, No expandable storage

Design Rating: 9/10

Performance Rating: 8.75/10

Camera Rating: 8.75/10 Battery

Life Rating: 8.5/10

Value For Money Rating: 9/10

Buy HONOR 6X (HUNG GOLD) @ Rs 16999

The 6X is a great mid-range phone that can compete with some of the upper-end devices on this list in many ways. The metal build looks great, and the phone feels good in the hand. It's also well equipped for taking photos and recording videos as well as playing games and watching videos.

This has been an awesome year for smartphones so distant — customary piece phones are all greatly cleaned, and foldable are coming into their possession. So in case you’re looking to update your phone, presently is as great a time as any. We here at XDA test nearly every smartphone on soil, so here’s our master direct on the most excellent smartphones — covering both the most excellent Android and best iPhone — depending on your budget or requirement!

Redmi Note 11S

Xiaomi is propelling the Redmi Note 11S android smartphone in Bharat on February 9. This will be the moment phone from the arrangement after the Redmi Note 11T 5G. The smartphone is affirmed to include a 108MP camera as a portion of the quad-camera setup at the raise. It'll too include a 90Hz show concurring to the secrets. More subtle elements of the Redmi Note 11T 5G are anticipated to be uncovered before long.

Vivo T1 5G

Vivo has prodded the dispatch of an unused “performance-driven series” called the “Series T”. It'll make a big appearance in this smartphone arrangement with the dispatch of Vivo T1 5G on February 9, and it'll be only accessible on Flipkart. The Vivo T1 5G is additionally claimed to be “the quickest and the slimmest 5G smartphone within the sub 20K category.” More subtle elements of the phone are said to be uncovered before long.

Oppo

Oppo has affirmed the dispatch of its most recent Reno 7 arrangement including the Reno 7 and Reno 7 Master smartphones. Both smartphones have as of now made they make a big appearance in China. The Oppo Reno 7 Professional will come with the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 MAX processor and offer a touch testing rate up to 1000Hz. It'll moreover offer 65W SUPERVOOC quick charging back. The Oppo Reno 7 arrangement will come with 12GB Smash and 256GB capacity and run ColorOS 12 out-of-the-box.

Realme

Realme India has prodded the dispatch of the Realme 9 Pro series but it is however to affirm the dispatch date. The mystery doesn’t uncover much approximately the smartphone arrangement. But spills and bits of gossip recommend it’s progressing to be the Realme 9 Pro and Realme 9 Pro+, and the two phones will dispatch in India at some point in February. The Realme 9 Pro was too as of late spotted affirming an electric blue color and triple raise cameras.

Samsung Galaxy S22

Samsung is propelling the lead System S22 arrangement on February 9. This will be worldwide making a big appearance of the World S22 arrangement and in spite of the fact that the deal dates aren’t out, Samsung is anticipated to dispatch the phones in India before long. We’re anticipating at slightest three smartphones counting the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22 Additionally and Galaxy S22 Ultra.