HT Tech hosted the inaugural HT Tech Energy Checklist Awards 2026 to recognise the merchandise and improvements that made the largest influence on shoppers and the know-how business over the previous yr. Held at Le Méridien, Gurugram, the occasion introduced collectively business leaders, innovators, and know-how specialists for a night celebrating one of the best of client know-how. It additionally marked the disclosing of HT Tech’s new model identification, signalling the start of a brand new chapter for the platform.
The night wasn’t nearly handing out awards. It additionally sparked conversations round the way forward for know-how, from the rising value of elements to the rising affect of AI, imaging, immersive experiences, and trusted digital identification. These discussions naturally led to one of many night time’s greatest highlights: the smartphone awards.
How we picked one of the best smartphones in India throughout classes
Selecting the winners was by no means going to be so simple as evaluating specs. Each new smartphone guarantees higher cameras, smarter AI, sooner efficiency, and longer battery life. The actual query is whether or not these enhancements make a significant distinction as soon as the telephone is in your arms.
To search out the reply, the HT Tech group spent months testing dozens of smartphones throughout worth segments in real-world Indian situations. We seemed past benchmark scores, evaluating digital camera efficiency, battery life, show high quality, software program, design, sustained efficiency, and long-term usability. The telephones accompanied us by means of workdays, gaming periods, weekend journeys, content material creation, navigation, digital funds, and lengthy hours open air in India’s summer time warmth. In different phrases, we examined them the way in which most individuals really use their smartphones.
Our testing fashioned the muse of the awards, nevertheless it wasn’t the one deciding issue. The ultimate outcomes mixed professional analysis with reader opinion, guaranteeing the winners mirrored each technical excellence and what mattered most to on a regular basis customers.
Closing Rating = (Jury Rating × 70%) + (Readers’ Ballot Rating × 30%)
As a result of one of the best smartphone is not simply the one which impresses in a lab. It is the one which performs persistently when individuals depend on it each single day. Contemplating all these, let’s have a look at the smartphones that made a huge effect of their respective classes:
Finest Inexpensive Cellphone
It recognises the smartphone that provided one of the best stability of efficiency, cameras, battery life, options, and general worth for cash.
Winner: Nothing Cellphone (3a)
Past the Nothing Cellphone (3a), a number of different smartphones additionally made a powerful case for the Finest Inexpensive Cellphone award with their spectacular all-round worth:
- Infinix Observe 50s
- Realme P4 Energy
- iQOO Z10
- Samsung Galaxy M56 5G
Finest Smartphone for Indian Situations
It honours the smartphone that delivered essentially the most dependable expertise throughout real-world Indian situations, from outside visibility and community efficiency to battery life and sturdiness.
Winner: Vivo V60
The Vivo V60 claimed the highest honour, however a number of different smartphones additionally impressed us with their means to deal with real-world Indian situations:
- OPPO K13
- Realme P4 Energy
- Lava Play Extremely
- CMF Cellphone 2 Professional
Finest Foldable Cellphone
It celebrates the foldable smartphone that greatest combines innovation, sturdiness, software program optimisation, and on a regular basis usability.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7
Foldables have matured quickly lately. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 finally claimed the title, nevertheless it confronted stiff competitors from different spectacular gadgets:
- Motorola Razr 60 Extremely
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7
- Vivo X Fold 5
- Google Pixel 10 Professional Fold
Finest Digital camera Smartphone
It recognises the smartphone that delivered essentially the most constant and versatile images and videography expertise.
Winner: Xiaomi 15 Extremely
Capturing nice photographs takes greater than spectacular {hardware}. Whereas the Xiaomi 15 Extremely secured the highest honour, a number of different smartphones additionally delivered excellent imaging efficiency:
- Vivo X300 Professional
- Apple iPhone 17 Professional
- Oppo Discover X9 Professional
- Realme GT 8 Professional
Smartphone of the 12 months
It honours the smartphone that delivered one of the best general expertise throughout efficiency, cameras, battery life, software program, design, innovation, and on a regular basis usability.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely
Incomes the title of Smartphone of the 12 months requires excellence throughout each side of the expertise. Though the Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely emerged because the winner, a number of different flagship smartphones made the choice extremely shut:
- iPhone 17 Professional Max
- OnePlus 15
- OPPO Discover X9 Professional
- Google Pixel 10 Professional XL
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