Planning to gift someone with their first smartphone? It could be for that teenager at home or the grandma or grandpa who may not have tried touch phones to date. In either case, a device in the sub-Rs.10,000 category works best.
The market for the cheapest phones in India is growing aggressively, thanks to the disruption from the Chinese manufacturers. Today, almost every brand is launching value-for-money devices below Rs.10,000 in India and enjoying a good chunk of this market. These phone makers are aware of their cost-conscious consumers. And have managed to create devices that are no slouches when it comes to must-have features, without adding to the price label.
It is easy to find devices in the Rs.10,000 range today with HD Plus display, multiple cameras, and robust battery capacity. You can also expect a good build, fingerprint sensor, and even fast charging in this price segment. While these can’t compete with the biggies in the market, they can still offer reasonably good performance for regular usage. The chipsets used are effective enough to let the user multitask and take good pictures.
4. Moto E40
This price segment includes all the 4G capable low-cost phones. Note that the 5G hasn’t gone fully commercial and it will take longer for the services to penetrate tier-3 cities and rural areas of the country where the sale of entry-level phones is considerably high.
There is no dearth of choices when it comes to buying an affordable smartphone in this price segment. However, finding the best ones could become a tad overwhelming. That’s why we have compiled a list containing the best options that you can decide to buy. The list includes phones from Realme, Micromax, Infinix, Motorola, and Poco…
- Best smartphones under Rs 12,000
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- Best cheap phones 2021: top budget mobiles in India
The Micromax In 1 is the brand’s phone with competitive specs that undercuts Redmi and Realme on paper, but also in real-life usage and experience. The Micromax In 1 is powered by a gaming-centric MediaTek Helio G80 chipset – the phone feels smooth and responsive. Half of the credit of the performance should also go to the clean stock Android experience which has no bloatware, unnecessary apps, or system ads in the interface either.
You get a large 6.67-inch screen that is really good for the price and in the camera department, the device sports a 48MP f/1.79 primary lens which is good enough for daylight pictures. It is fueled by a large 5,000mAh battery and 18W fast charging.
The Micromax In 1 is a great buy for Rs 9,999 – you are getting a Full HD+ screen, a capable chipset, a clean Android build, and a big battery coupled with fast charging.
The Poco M2 Reloaded is basically the Poco M2 but with 4GB of RAM and a lower price tag. It is powered by MediaTek Helio G80 chipset, an eight-core chipset built on the 12nm process. In terms of display, you are looking at a 6.53-inch IPS LCD display with Full HD+ resolution. The Poco M2 runs off a 5,000mah battery which supports 18W fast charging.
On the back, there is a quad-camera setup on the Poco M2 consisting of a 13MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, a 5MP macro shooter, and a 2MP depth sensor. Selfies are handled by an 8MP front camera. As for security, the device comes with a fingerprint scanner on the rear, located under the cameras.
Here comes one more Micromax smartphone under Rs. 10,000 price bracket. This is also India’s cheapest phone with 6GB RAM. Powered by the new 12nm Unisoc T610 processor, it is claimed to be 45% faster than the competition. The performance is surprisingly good on the device.
There is a 6.52-inch display with an HD+ resolution with a brightness of 400 nits. On the rear is a 13MP primary camera with a 2MP secondary sensor, as well as a 5MP selfie shooter. The Micromax In 2b runs off a large 5,000mAH battery and supports 10W fast charging. The adapter and Type-C cable comes included. It runs on clean stock Android.
Motorola managed to contribute in the below Rs. 10,000 phone category this year with its E-series phone. The phone dubbed Moto E40 includes some interesting specifications for the price. It has an HD display with a 90Hz refresh. It is IP52 rated and has a dedicated Google Assistant button as well for quick assistance.
Under the hood, the phone is powered by an octa-core Unisoc T700 clocked at 1.8GHz, paired with 4GB RAM. The phone includes 64GB onboard storage that can be expanded further using a microSD card. It is fueled by a 5,000mAH battery, which is considerably large to run for longer usage. However, it doesn’t include fast charging. The phone has received an overall good reception from those who bought it.
The successor to the Narzo 20A is now powered by the MediaTek Helio G85 processor which is a budget gaming chipset with its gaming suite. It comes in a Diamond strike design. Just like the Narzo 20A, the Narzo 30A also packs in a 6,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support via a Type-C port.
As for the cameras, there is a 13MP primary camera on the rear backed up by a secondary depth sensor. To the front, you get an 8MP selfie camera. The fingerprint scanner is located on the rear.
The list of entry-level phones at this price budget is incomplete without the contribution from the homegrown brand Infinix.
Infinix Hot 10S offers a large 6.82-inch display with a 90Hz refresh rate. The device is powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 chipset along with a MediaTek gaming suite. The phone also offers 6GB RAM for below Rs. 10,000 price tag.
In terms of photography, the device comes with a 48MP main camera, a 2MP lens, and an AI lens in terms of camera. Selfies are handled by an 8MP shooter on the front. The Infinix Hot 10S is packed with a big 6,000mAh battery with 10W charging support and a micro USB port.
- Best phones under Rs 12,000 in India
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