The budget smartphone segment has completely changed over the past couple of months, thanks to the new GST rates and an increase in import duties. Most of the budget phones are now moving into the mid-range segment. Smartphones launched in January and February this year have already gotten multiple price hikes in the span of three months.
Generally, in this segment, we used to get a couple of Redmi smartphones but, we have got only one from the house of Xiaomi. If you can stretch your budget a bit, then, go ahead and check out our best phones under Rs 15,000 and the best value for money smartphones under Rs 20,000, as they are significantly better.
Due to the lockdown, the production of smartphones has also taken a hit and it is getting really hard to get hands-on a decent smartphone. We have made a list of best possible smartphones that are available between Rs 10,000 and Rs 12,000 in India currently.
These phones are best suited for light to moderate regular usage as they come with either 3/4GB RAM. For those who can wait for a while, Poco is expected to come up with M2 Pro, which is expected to be this segment and should offer good value.
- Best phones under Rs 15,000 in India
- Best smartphones under Rs 25,000
- Best smartphones under Rs 10,000
Xiaomi has established itself in the entry-level and budget segments, making it the leader in the Indian smartphone industry. The Redmi Note 8 takes this tradition further by combining good design and hardware with a great price. You get a very good display, a very good set of quad cameras and a power efficient Snapdragon 665 chipset that offers smooth performance.
Overall, if you are looking for a well-balanced budget smartphone under Rs 12,000, the Redmi Note 8 is a good option.
Buy Redmi Note 8 on Amazon | Flipkart
Realme’s latest budget offering, the Narzo series saw the launch of two devices Narzo 10 and 10A. While the 10A is priced under Rs 10,000, the Narzo 10 comes for Rs 11,999. It offers ample storage with 128GB onboard space and 4GB RAM. You get a 48MP quad-camera with the usual primary, wide, B&W, depth sensors. On the front, you get a 16MP snapper.
To the device up and running, there is a massive 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support as well as Type-C port. Under the hood, there is an octa-core MediaTek G80 chipset. This is also a gaming-centric chipset and India’s first phone with this G80 SoC onboard.
Buy Realme Narzo 10 on Flipkart
For those of you, who are loyal Nokia fans, we have got a Nokia device in the list. The Nokia 4.2 comes with near-stock Android with no bloatware. This phones also falls under the Android One program, so you will get two Android version upgrades and three years of security updates from the HMD global.
However, the handset packs in an average 3,000mAh battery that doesn’t support fast charging and still comes with a micro USB port. The performance is good for day to day usage. You get dual 13MP and 2MP cameras and an 8MP front camera. Powering the handset is the Snapdragon 439 chipset. There is also a dedicated Google Assistance button and a fingerprint scanner at the rear.
Buy Nokia 4.2 on Amazon | Flipkart
Vivo’s U10 offers you good performance for the price, thanks to the Snapdragon 665 SoC. Also, you get to choose between two configurations here with the device, 3+32GB or 4+32GB. On the front, it flaunts a 6.35-inch HD+ panel. It is backed with a massive 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging.
On the camera front, there is a 13MP primary sensor, followed an 8MP wide and a 2MP deputy sensor. At the front, there is an 8MP shooter. It also packs in a rear fingerprint scanner and face unlock support. It also comes with Ultra Game Mode that boosts smartphone's performance.
Buy Vivo U10 on Amazon | Flipkart
The Samsung Galaxy M11 features Snapdrafog 450 chipset, instead of the in-house Exynos chipset. You get 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage with microSD card support up to 512GB. The device houses a triple rear camera with a 13MP f/1.8 primary sensor followed by a 5MP f/2.2, 115-degree wide lens and a 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor. To power the device, the handset will feature a 5,000mAh battery with 15W fast charger via Type-C interface.
The Galaxy M11 is flaunting a bigger 6.4-inch HD+ TFT LCD Infinity-O panel with a resolution of 1,560 x 720 pixels and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The device will come with a punch-hole cutout at the top-left corner that houses an 8MP front-facing camera. There is also a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.