India, July 12 -- Imagine walking into a store planning to buy the Nothing Phone 4b for its transparent design and clean software experience. But sitting next to it are rivals offering batteries as large as 10,000mAh at a similar price, making the buying decision much harder. Now suddenly it is not as easy as it sounds. That's because something unusual is happening in India's smartphone market. The Rs 30,000-40,000 smartphone segment is no longer about just one phone. It's turning into a battery race, with almost every major brand pushing bigger battery numbers than before. This is what is actually happening, and how important it is over another spec sheet comparison.

Look at these phones together instead of individually, and a clear pat...