Most budget phones today follow a very predictable formula. You get a big battery, a decent display, a usable camera, and enough performance to get by. Beyond that, there’s usually nothing that really stands out.
That immediately changes how you look at the device. Because now, the question is not just how good the phone is, but also whether this AI-first approach actually adds anything meaningful to the experience.
I’ve been using the Vibe 2 5G as a daily device for a while now, and the answer ends up being a mix of both expected and unexpected.
Design and build
The Vibe 2 5G doesn’t feel like a typical sub-Rs 12,000 phone the moment you pick it up. The design leans closer to what you would expect from mid-range devices, with a clean finish and a minimalistic look. The back panel has a simple design without trying to do too much, and the camera module sits fairly flush, which avoids the usual wobble when placed on a flat surface.
It is on the heavier side at around 210g, but that largely comes from the 6,000mAh battery inside. In hand, it doesn’t feel cheap, despite its all-plastic construction.
You also get an IP64 rating, which is not very common at this price point, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor that works reliably. There’s even a dedicated microSD slot along with dual SIM support, which is something a lot of users still care about.
Overall, the design doesn’t try to stand out—it just avoids obvious compromises, and that works in its favour.
The experience
The display is a 6.7-inch IPS LCD panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is only HD+, which might look like a compromise on paper, but in actual use, it doesn’t feel as limiting for everyday tasks like scrolling, social media, or video consumption. The higher refresh rate helps more than resolution here, making the phone feel smooth. The display is also bright enough for outdoor use; however, viewing angles aren’t great, as the display appears darker when viewed from the sides.
Performance is handled by the Unisoc T8200 chip, and for a budget device, it holds up better than expected. Day-to-day usage—apps like WhatsApp, YouTube, browsing, and even light gaming—runs without major issues. However, it can get laggy when you have multiple apps running in the background, especially given the 4GB RAM.
Thermals are also under control. Even during longer sessions, the phone doesn’t heat up noticeably, which is something budget devices often struggle with.
Battery life is one of the stronger aspects here. The 6,000mAh battery easily lasts through a full day and often stretches into the next, depending on usage. Charging is limited to 18W, which is not particularly fast, but acceptable at this price—especially since the charger is included in the box.
Audio is where compromises start to show. You only get a single speaker, which is fine for calls and casual use, but not ideal for media consumption. The presence of a 3.5mm headphone jack does help balance that out.
On the software side, the phone runs Android 16 with a clean UI and minimal bloatware. That alone makes a noticeable difference in daily use. It feels lighter and more responsive compared to heavily skinned alternatives in this segment.
The camera setup is basic, which is expected at this price. You get a 50MP primary sensor along with a depth sensor. In good lighting, the camera manages to capture decent shots with acceptable detail and slightly boosted colours. It’s not overly processed, but you do notice the limitations when you start looking closely.
Low-light performance is average. Images tend to lose detail, and noise becomes visible fairly quickly. There is a night mode, but it only helps to an extent.
The front gets an 8MP sensor, and while it is good enough for video calls and occasional daylight selfies, images tend to lose sharpness and soften facial details.
Video recording goes up to 4K at 30fps, which is a good addition on paper for this segment. The output is usable for casual clips, but stabilisation isn’t the strongest, so you do need steady hands.
Indus AI and other intelligent features
The Indus AI assistant is easily the most interesting part of this phone, but also the most inconsistent.
The interface is familiar. It is comparable to similar apps like ChatGPT or Google Gemini, so there’s no real learning curve if you are familiar with any of the new age AI assistant apps. You can type prompts, ask questions, and get responses in a conversational format.
For basic use, it works reasonably well. General questions, simple explanations, and everyday queries are handled without much trouble. Where it starts to fall short is when you go deeper.
In many cases, the responses feel more like summaries of web results rather than properly reasoned answers. It can retrieve information, but doesn’t always build on it effectively. For example, while exploring a physics concept like “Boltzmann Brain”, when I gave Indus a weak or incorrect premise, it often did not challenge or correct it. That said, this wasn’t always the case in more common scenarios. For instance, when I asked why laptops don’t have more than 8GB RAM, it did correct the premise. So the behaviour isn’t entirely consistent.
To be fair, this is still a beta version of the AI assistant and is based on Sarvam’s 105B parameter model, which is significantly smaller than the models used by leading global AI platforms. So some gaps are expected at this stage.
Where Indus actually stands out is language support. It handles Hinglish and mixed-language inputs surprisingly well. You can switch between Hindi and English, use local terms, and it still understands context correctly. That level of localisation feels more natural compared to most global assistants.
Voice input also works, but with a slight delay. The app first transcribes the audio and then processes it as text. It’s accurate, but not as seamless as real-time voice assistants.
The bigger issue is integration. Indus exists as a standalone app, and while you can set other AI apps like ChatGPT as your default assistant, Indus does not show up in the list of available assistants at all. This is likely due to the lack of native voice support.
So while the idea is interesting, it doesn’t yet feel like something that changes how you use the phone.
Beyond the Indus app, the phone gets a system-wide search bar in the app drawer that the company calls AI Search. It works as a quick lookup tool for apps, stored files, and even documents, all from one place. In regular use, it feels faster than manually browsing through folders or scrolling through the app list. It also suggests apps based on what you might be looking for, which adds a bit of convenience.
Verdict
The HMD Vibe 2 5G is a good budget phone, and that’s mostly because it gets the basics right. The performance is stable, the battery lasts long, the display feels smooth, and the software is clean.
The Indus AI assistant adds a different angle to the device, but right now, it feels more like an early experiment than a fully integrated feature. It works, but it doesn’t yet become a core part of the experience.
If you’re looking for a reliable budget phone under Rs 15,000, this makes a strong case. The AI angle is interesting, especially for Indian users, but it’s not the reason to buy the phone—at least not yet.
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Price: Starts at Rs 12,999
