Budget smartphones are dime a dozen, but not all of them are made equal. Xiaomi has been ruling the roost when it comes to best budget smartphones in India, but its rivals like Samsung and the new kid on the block, Realme, are giving it a tough fight. Add the rather short product refresh cycles to the mix, and we get great new budget smartphones every month with servicable performance, great battery lives and features borrowed from their expensive siblings.
As a result, there are several great options when it comes to phones under Rs 10,000. In such a scenario, finding the best phone that suits your needs while still offering great value for money can be a bit of a task.
Worry not, though, if you want to know what are the best phones under Rs 10,000 in India, we are here with a few answers.
Realme 5
Weight: 198g | Dimensions: 164.4 x 75.6 x 9.3 mm | OS: Android 9.0 Pie | Screen size: 6.5-inch | Resolution: 720 x 1600 | CPU: Snapdragon 665 | RAM: 3/4GB | Storage: 32/64/128GB | Battery: 5000mAh | Rear camera: 12MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP | Front camera: 13MP
The Realme 5 came just a few months after the Realme 3, but brought upgrades in almost all segments.
The biggest update comes with the quad-camera setup on the back, which is pretty rare in this price segment, as is the Snapdragon 665 chipset powering it.
The big 5,000 mAH battery coupled with the efficient processor and low-res display make for great battery life.
Read our full review of the Realme 5
Samsung Galaxy M10s
Weight: 169g | Dimensions: 158.4 x 74.7 x 7.8 mm | OS: Android 9 Pie | Screen size: 6.4-inch | Resolution: 1560 x 720 (19.5:9 aspect ratio) | CPU: Exynos 7884B | RAM: 3GB | Storage: 32GB | Battery: 4000mAh | Rear camera: 13MP + 5MP | Front camera: 8MP
Samsung has been doing a tremendous job with its M series of budget phones, and thus, the Galaxy M10s gets a spot on our list.
It brings a newer, bigger, higher-resolution display, an ultra-wide camera and a beefy 4,000 mAh battery that has fast charging on board. The Galaxy M10s may not be the most powerful smartphone in this segment, it should attract users who want a decent smartphone from a reliable brand.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7S
Weight: 186g | Dimensions: 159.2 x 75.2 x 8.1 mm | OS: Android 9.0 Pie | Screen size: 6.3-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 2340 pixels | CPU: Snapdragon 660 | RAM: 3/4GB | Storage: 32/64GB | Battery: 4000mAh | Rear camera: 48MP + 5MP | Front camera: 13MP
The Redmi Note 7S replaces the Redmi Note 7 and offers 48MP camera under Rs 10,000. It features the same gradient glass back design, waterdrop notch and a bright high-quality display at the same time.
When you also consider the massive 4,000mAh battery and the updated MIUI skin, the Redmi Note 7S sounds like a very good proposition.
Xiaomi Redmi 8
Weight: 188g | Dimensions: 156.5 x 75.4 x 9.4 mm | OS: Android 9.0 Pie | Screen size: 6.22-inch | Resolution: 720 x 1520 | CPU: Snapdragon 439 | RAM: 3/4GB | Storage: 32/64GB | Battery: 5000mAh | Rear camera: 12MP + 2MP | Front camera: 8MP
Unsurprisingly, Xiaomi appears on this list once again with its new Redmi 8. On paper, it's very similar to the Redmi 8A, with a Snapdragon 439 chipset, a 6.2-inch HD+ display and a big battery.
It has a glossy back that mimics glass and looks rather premium, offers a dual-camera setup on the back and also provides a physical fingerprint scanner.
The 5,000 mAh battery is one of the biggest in this segment, and the 18W fast charging over USB Type-C will help future-proof this phone.
Honor 10 Lite
Weight: 149g | Dimensions: 151 x 71.9 x 7.6mm | OS: Android 8 Oreo | Screen size: 5.6-inch | Resolution: 2160 x 1080 | CPU: Kirin 659 | RAM: 3GB | Storage: 32GB | Battery: 3000mAh | Rear camera: 13MP + 2MP | Front camera: 13MP + 2MP
Just like its predecessor, the Honor 10 Lite features a great design, giving it a very premium look that belies the price.
The tall FHD+ display is vibrant and is reason enough to buy this phone. The performance is just average, but the battery backup was excellent, along with support for 10W charging.
Read the full review: Honor 10 Lite review
Xiaomi Redmi 8A
Redefining the budget segment
Weight: 188g | Dimensions: 156.5 x 75.4 x 9.4 mm | OS: MiUI 10, Android 9.0 Pie | Screen size: 6.2-inch | Resolution: 720 x 1520 | CPU: Snapdragon 439 | RAM: 2/3GB | Storage: 32GB | Battery: 5000mAh | Rear camera: 12MP | Front camera: 8MP
Xiaomi is no stranger to bringing incredible phones at rock-bottom prices, and the Redmi 8A is the perfect example of that.
It brings quite a few firsts in this price segment, including a USB Type-C connector, 18W fast charging and a mammoth 5,000 mAh battery.
Along with that, we get the Snapdragon 439, 2 or 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 12MP camera on the back and a 6.2-inch display with a dot notch.
With a starting price of just Rs 6,499, it is the one for the masses.
Read our thoughts on the Redmi 8A
Samsung Galaxy M20
Weight: 186g | Dimensions: 156.4 x 74.5 x 8.8 mm | OS: Android 9.0 Pie | Screen size: 6.3-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 2340 | CPU: Exynos 7904 | RAM: 3/4GB | Storage: 32/64GB | Battery: 5000mAh | Rear camera: 13MP + 5MP | Front camera: 8MP
Samsung has been trying to reinvent itself in the budget segment for a while now, and the Galaxy M series is a good testament of the company's efforts. The Galaxy M20 offers a good balance between power, performance and battery life.
The Galaxy M20’s understated, minimalist design coupled with the waterdrop notch, a bright display and the massive battery help it get into this list. If you want a Samsung phone under Rs 10,000, the Galaxy M20 is a good option.