Finding a good phone in a tight budget is becoming more and more of a problem these days. There are just too many options to chose from.
Amidst this jungle of numbers and options, we bring you the top ten phones that you can buy under ₹15,000.
Also read: 27 Lite Android apps to get over your battery, data and storage issues
RealMe 2 Pro
A significant upgrade to the RealMe 1 that was launched in May 2018, the RealMe 2 Pro has a lot to offer.
It’s got an octa-core Snapdragon 660 SoC, which means a great balance between performance and battery life. The SoC is backed up by a whopping 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal memory. The cameras are also decent performers, with the front cam being a 16 MP shooter and the dual rear cameras at 16+2 MP.
All of this hardware is powered by a 3,500 mAh battery which should last you a day with average usage. You also get the in-trend notched display. There’s also a fingerprint sensor for those who missed it on the first one. All this for a mere ₹13,990
The phone is overall a solid package for the price.
You can get the RealMe 2 Pro here
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1
The Zenfone Max Pro M1 packs some serious hardware that easily makes it one of the best phones under the 15k segment.
It has a Snapdragon 636 in addition to 4GB of RAM and 32GB internal. You get a 5.99″ FHD display that looks really good. All this runs on stock Android Oreo 8.1 out of the box.
In the camera department, the M1 features 13+5 MP dual cameras which are awesome performers for pretty much all situations. The front facing 8 MP camera also offers decent performance. It’s powered by a beefy 5,000 mAh battery that will easily last you more than a day of heavy usage.
The phone is priced at a very competitive ₹11,999 and frankly speaking, this is as good as it gets keeping in mind that price tag.
You can find the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 here
Moto G5s Plus
Although released last year, the Moto G5s Plus is still a solid phone today.
It’s been my daily driver for over a year now and I can confidently say that the phone holds up really well to newer releases like the Mi Note 6 or Honor 7C.
It’s powered by a Snapdragon 625 GPU, which strikes a near-perfect balance between power-efficiency and performance. The 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage keep things together well.
The G5s Plus has a dual 13 MP camera system with one normal and one monochrome lens. This setup allows for some really funky photography on the phone. The 8 MP front shooter also delivers decently. The phone has been updated to Android 8.1 oreo and apart from a few Moto Apps (that are really good), it delivers a pretty good stock experience.
The 3000 mAh battery is a bit of a letdown but the quick charge makes up for it. At the time of writing this article, the G5s Plus is available at a very reasonable ₹11,400.
You can find the Moto G5S Plus here.
Moto One Power
Another Moto phone on the list, this one is as good as it gets.
The Moto One Power features a Snapdragon 636 with 4GB of RAM and 64GB internal memory, but that’s not what makes it great.
The phone has a beautiful FHD display (notched), a massive 5,000 mAh battery, an incredible dual camera (16+5 MP) setup on the rear and Android One support. Guess what, they decided to keep the 3.5mm headphone jack too!
The phone is well-built, albeit a bit heavy because of the 5,000 mAh battery. There is a 12 MP front cam that delivers excellent quality. Overall a really strong contender which is currently on sale at ₹14,999.
You can find the Moto One Power here.
Also read: Motorola One Power vs Motorola One
Honor 9N
The Honor 9N is an excellent mid-range device by Huawei.
It is powered by the octa-core Kirin 659 SoC supported by 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB internals. Except that, there’s nothing too special going on here but it gets the work done.
There’s an average 13+2 MP dual camera setup combined with a very good 16 MP front cam. The phone also has the GPU TurboBoost technology from Honor so gaming and heavy multimedia should be a breeze here.
The 3,000 mAh battery is a letdown but at a retail price of ₹11,999, we aren’t complaining.
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
The Redmi 6 Pro is more of a refreshed version to the Note 5. The phone features Snapdragon 625 with 4GB Ram and 64 GB internal.
It has a pretty average 12+5 MP dual rear camera and a 5 MP front shooter. The phone comes with the latest version of MIUI installed running Android 8.1 Oreo.
Other than that, you get a notched 5.84″ FHD display. All this is powered by a 4,000 mAh battery.
The phone is priced at a very competitive ₹12,999 and at this price, it’s hard to not recommend this phone.
You can find the Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro here
Honor 9 Lite
The second Honor phone on the list, Honor 9 is Huawei’s response to the cut-throat competition by Mi.
The phone is powered by the octa-core Kirin 659 SoC with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal memory. The phone also features a beautiful 5.65″ FHD display with very thin bezels.
What’s really special here is the camera. The Honor 9 has a pretty standard 13+2 MP dual rear camera, to begin with. Decent performance, nothing too special. The real surprise here is an identical 13+2 MP dual front camera setup here.
However, the phone quickly loses out on the battery side. It is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery that’ll run out on you really fast if you aren’t careful enough.
The phone retails for ₹12,800 and is still pretty good value for money for someone who’s interested.
You can get the Honor 9 Lite here and here
Xiaomi MI Max 2
The MI Max 2 is based on the same basic hardware as the Redmi note 4. The phone is built around people who prefer their entertainment on the go.
The phone features a Snapdragon 625 with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal memory. It has a pretty good 12 MP single rear camera and a 5 MP front shooter.
What this phone really stands out for is the massive 6.44″ FHD screen and the 5,300 mAh battery. This phone can easily last up to two days of normal usage.
At a price of about ₹13,999, this is not a bad buy if a good screen and a huge battery is something you’re looking for.
You can find the Xiaomi MI Max 2 here
Samsung Galaxy J6
The Galaxy J6 is Samsung’s latest entry into the budget smartphone lineup.
The phone features an Exynos 7870 processor with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage. On the camera department, we have a 13 MP rear camera setup and an 8 MP front shooter.
The main attraction here is the display. The 5.6″ Super AMOLED panel is beautiful to look at. It has been upgraded with the ‘Infinity Display’ as well. All this is powered with a 3,000 mAh battery which is a little bit of a disappointment.
The phone currently sells for ₹11,490.
You can find the Samsung Galaxy J6 here
Nokia 6.1
The Nokia 6.1 comes with a Snapdragon 631 octa-core processor backed up by 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal memory. The phone has a single 16 MP rear camera with Zeiss Optics along with an 8 MP front camera.
The phone also features a 5.5″ HD display with crisp colours and 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass. You also get Android One support which means frequent updates and a stock Android experience. It has been announced that the Nokia 6.1 will be getting the latest Android 9 Pie OS.
The build quality is solid and the phone is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery.
The Nokia 6.1 currently sells for ₹13,590
Another notable mention is the latest Nokia 6.1 Plus, which is available under the sub-15K price during sales on Flipkart, Amazon and other e-commerce retailers. If you do find it on sale or are willing to spend an extra thousand bucks on the Nokia 6.1 Plus — which sports the notch — do read our comparison of the two devices.
You can find the Nokia 6.1 here
Note: All the prices are true at the time of writing. They might increase or decrease depending on respective retailers and brands.
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