The best smartphones under Rs 15,000 (March 2017)

Choosing smartphones has become a task these days, as we know that  smartphones have now become more than just phones for us. Picking up the  best under your budget is sometimes easy, but very confusing at the  same time, in a crowded smartphone market like India. To help you get  over these confusion, here is a compiled list of phones that fall under a  price range of Rs 15K.

As per the records, the demand of smartphones under 15K is  comparatively much higher in Indian market. That’s the reason why  smartphones like Redmi Note 4 and Moto G4 Plus ruled the market in 2016  in number of sales.

At this point of time, successors of the most successful mid-range smartphones of 2016 have got an upgrade. Be it Moto G5 Plus  or the Redmi Note 4, we have enough options to list under this list of  smartphones. This time around, we have included some options for the  camera lovers, having two dual-camera phones in the list.

5 Best smartphones you can buy under Rs 15,000.

1.  Moto G5 Plus

Moto G5 Plus is the newest member in the list, as the smartphone made  its entry in the middle of the March. Dominating the sub 20K category,  the Moto G5 Plus is launched in two storage variants- 3GB RAM/16GB  internal storage and 4GB RAM/32GB internal storage. However, only the  3GB/16GB variant falls under 15K price segment.

It is the first G series phone to come with metal build, which looks  very fresh and premium. Another highlight of the phone is its camera  which has been surely sustains the standards set by its sibling, Moto G4  Plus. The Snapdragon 625 chipset does a great job and 3GB RAM makes it  good enough for multitasking.

Specifications 

Display: 5.2inch full HD IPS
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
Camera: 12MP (Rear) and 5MP (Front)
RAM: 3GB/4GB
Storage: 16GB/32GB
OS: Android Nougat 7.0
Battery: 3000mAh 

Price

3GB RAM/16GB - Rs 14,999
4GB RAM/32GB - Rs 16,999

2.  Lenovo Z2 Plus

The Z2 Plus has spent enough time in the market and till now there is no  major issue found with the smartphone. It is the most affordable  flagship and comes with the Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 CPU, 4GB/3GB of  RAM. It comes packed in an all-glass body that looks good but is  obviously a fingerprint magnet too. Despite of the handy form factor,  the smartphone looks slightly thick which is not an issue with me  personally.

It comes with 24/7 activity tracking via dedicated sensor processing  unit and a body. A great buy for those who want oodles of power in a  small and compact chassis. Though, the camera is not one of the finest  but battery life is impressive.

Specifications

Display: 5inch full HD IPS
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
Camera: 13MP (Rear) and 8MP (Front)
RAM: 3GB/4GB
Storage: 32GB /64GB
MicroSD support: No
OS: Android Marshmallow 6.0 (Upgradable to Android Nougat)
Battery: 3500mAh

Price

3GB RAM/32GB - Rs 14,999
4GB RAM/32GB - Rs 16,999

3.  Xiaomi Redmi Note 4

Launched back in January 2017, Redmi Note 4 is the most selling  smartphone in this segment. It is said to be the most value for money  smartphone. The unmatched power coming out of Snapdragon 625, the  4100mAh battery and a lot more at just Rs 9,999. On top of its powerful  hardware, Xiaomi has incorporated a solid body with a good looking  design (specifically the Matte Black variant).

The smartphone comes in 3 storage variants- 2GB/32GB, 3GB/32GB,  4GB/64GB. Even if you choose the high-end variant, you would still pay  just Rs 12,999, and that’s what makes it stand out of the crowd.

Specifications

Display: 5.5inch full HD IPS
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
Camera: 13MP (Rear) and 5MP (Front)
RAM: 2GB/3GB/4GB
Storage: 32GB/64GB
MicroSD support: Yes
OS: Android Marshmallow 6.0 (MIUI 8.0)
Battery: 4100mAh

Price

2GB RAM/32GB - Rs 9,999
3GB RAM/32GB - Rs 10,999
4GB RAM/64GB - Rs 12,999

4. Honor 6X

Honor 6X made its entry in January 2017, becoming the second phone in  this price range with a dual-camera. It comes with two cameras on the  rear to enhance your photography experience on a mid-range smartphone.  Other than camera, the smartphone boasts of an impressive metal unibody  design and performs convincingly for the price.

It runs on its in-house Kirin 655 chipset, which is claimed to be a  tough competitor to Snapdragon 625. It comes in two storage variants-  3GB/32GB and 4GB/64GB. Only the 3GB/32GB variant falls under 15K  category. It is still a good choice for those who like playing  smartphone cameras and have a decent performance alongside.

Specifications

Display: 5.5inch IPS LCD Full HD (1920 x 1080p) resolution
Processor: HiSilicon Kirin 655
Camera: 12MP + 2MP (Rear), 8MP (Front)
RAM: 3GB/4GB
Storage: 32GB/64GB
MicroSD support: Yes
OS: Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)
Battery: 3340 mAh

Price

3GB RAM/32GB - Rs 12,999
4GB RAM/64GB - Rs 15,999 

5.  Coolpad Cool 1

Becoming the first affordable smartphone with dual-camera, the Coolpad  Cool 1 was launched in India back in December 2016. It is made in  collaboration with two major Chinese smartphone makers- Coolpad and  LeEco. The smartphone comes packed in a metal unibody with a beautiful  looking display on the front. The highlight is its dual-camera, which  comes loaded with tons of modes and camera features. 

It runs on Snapdragon 652 chipset that does a decent job for basic to  moderate users. The camera is good but somehow misses the wow factor. On  the other hand, the battery, design, display and performance keeps it  alive in the race.

Specifications

Display: 5.5inch full HD IPS
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 652
Camera: 12MP + 13MP (Rear), 8MP (Front)
RAM: 3GB/4GB
Storage: 32GB
MicroSD support: No
OS: Android Marshmallow 6.0 (EUI 5.8)
Battery: 4000mAh

Price

3GB RAM/32GB - Rs 13,999 (Offline)
4GB RAM/32GB - Rs 12,999 (Online)

Sudhanshu Singh

Sudhanshu Singh have been working in tech journalism as a reporter, writer, editor, and reviewer for over 5 years. He has reviewed hundreds of products ranging across categories and have also written opinions, guides, feature articles, news, and analysis. Ditching the norm of armchair journalism in tech media, Sudhanshu dug deep into how emerging products and services affect actual users, and what marks they leave on our cultural landscape.
His areas of expertise along with writing and editing include content strategy, daily operations, product and team management.