The most crowded smartphones segment in the Indian market is the sub-Rs 15,000 price bracket. Most of the smartphone sale contributions happen here. Since the last couple of months, the smartphone launches and sale have slowed down and also the availability of smartphones is an issue these days.
Due to the lockdown, companies are hiking smartphone prices. Realme, Samsung, and Xiaomi are the major ones to hike the prices twice in the last three months. With the change in price, now in this sub-Rs 15,000 segment, we have only a handful of devices. These are the best value for money smartphones available currently that are priced under Rs 15,000.
In the list, we have a new player from Poco, as Poco entered the budget segment recently. We have a couple of Realme devices. A couple of near-stock Android devices from Nokia and Xiaomi. And, then, we have big battery phones from Samsung and Vivo. Let’s take a look at the best smartphones under Rs 15,000 in India for July 2020.
If you are looking for over Rs 15,000, have a look at our under Rs 20,000 guide.
1. Realme 6
New kid on block
Display: 6.5-inch Full HD+ | Processor: MediaTek Helio G90T | RAM: 4/6GB | Storage: 64/128GB | Rear camera: 64MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP | Front camera: 16MP | Battery: 4300mAh, 30W fast charging
Great for gaming
90Hz display
30W fast charging
Occasional heating
The successor to the Realme 5 Pro, the Realme 6 is the most affordable phone with a 90Hz display in the Indian market, providing a smooth user experience. The 30W fast charging is also a rare inclusion at this price point.
The MediaTek Helio G90T powering the device is great for gaming, and can push high frame rates in many games. Though, that sometimes comes at the cost of heating.
Buy Realme 6 on Flipkart
2. Poco M2 Pro
Display: 6.67-inch Full HD+ | Processor: Snapdragon 720G | RAM: 4GB/6GB | Storage: 64GB/128GB | Rear camera: 48MP + 8MP + 5MP + 2MP | Front camera: 16MP | Battery: 5000mAh, 33W charging
Amazing battery life, fast charging
Solid performance
Lots of camera modes
Bulky
Ads in MIUI
The latest Poco in the house, the M2 Pro is also the most affordable Poco device to date. It is more or less the Redmi Note 9 Pro at the same price with better design and faster-charging speed. The Poco M2 Pro features a 5,000mAh pack will easily last you over a day and also supports 33W fast charging, best in the segment.
On the inside, you get the Snapdragon 720G chipset, which is the most reliable silicon available at this price. Combine that with a 48MP quad-camera setup and a big 6.67-inch Full HD+ screen, and you get a very easy-to-recommend phone.
Check out Poco M2 Pro on Flipkart
3. Xiaomi Mi A3
Android One for the Xiaomi fans
Weight: 173.8g | Dimensions: 153.5 x 71.9 x 8.5 mm | OS: Android 9.0 Pie | Screen size: 6.01-inch | Resolution: 720 x 1560 pixels | CPU: Snapdragon 665 | RAM: 4/6GB | Storage: 64/128GB | Battery: 4030mAh | Rear camera: 48MP + 8MP + 2MP | Front camera: 32MP
In-display fingerprint sensor
48MP camera with Sony IMX586 sensor
Ample memory and storage
Big battery
720p Pentile AMOLED display
Xiaomi’s smartphones have been a hit in the budget segment and that trend has continued for years. However, not everyone is a fan of MIUI and Xiaomi has acknowledged that with the launch of its Android One series of smartphones.
The Mi A3 is the latest in this line of smartphones. It runs on clean, stock Android and should get updates faster than other phones. It also offers a decent camera experience, an in-display fingerprint sensor and a big battery at very aggressive prices, making it a great option if you want all these features.
Although the device belongs to Android One program, Xiaomi has not been able to keep up the promise. The Android 10 for Mi A3 was delayed and when released it also had a lot of bugs and the update was halted and then pushed again.
Read our review: Xiaomi Mi A3
4. Samsung Galaxy M21
Display: 6.4-inch Full HD+ AMOLED | Processor: Exynos 9611 | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 64GB | Rear camera: 48 + 8 +5MP | Front camera: 20MP | Battery: 6,000mAh, 15W charging
Battery
Display
Charging time
Camera
The Samsung Galaxy M21 features Exynos 9611 chipset, you get 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage with microSD card support up to 512GB. There is also a 6+128GB variant available for a little over Rs 15,000. The device houses a triple rear camera with a 48MP f/1.8 primary sensor followed by an 8MP f/2.2, 115-degree wide lens and a 5MP f/2.2 depth sensor. To power the device, the handset will feature a massive 6,000mAh battery with 15W fast charger via Type-C interface.
The Galaxy M21 is flaunting a bigger 6.4-inch Full HD+ AMOLED Infinity-U panel with a resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 pixels and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The device will come with a punch-hole cutout at the centre that houses a 10MP front-facing camera. There is also a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.
Check out Samsung Galaxy M21 on Amazon
5. Realme Narzo 10
Display: 6.5-inch HD+ | Processor: MediaTek G80 | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 64GB | Rear camera: 48 + 8 + 2 + 2MP | Front camera: 16MP | Battery: 4500mAh, 18W fast charge
Performance
Battery
Fast charging
Lower resolution display
No Dual-band Wi-Fi
With the Narzo series, we 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.
Realme is also offering its last-gen Realme 5 Pro with Snapdragon 712, 6GB RAM, and 64GB storage at Rs 14,999 on Flipkart.
Check out Narzo 10 on Flipkart
6. Vivo Z1 Pro
Display: 6.53-inch Full HD+ | Processor: Snapdragon 712 | RAM: 4/6GB | Storage: 64GB | Rear camera: 16 + 8 + 2MP | Front camera: 32MP | Battery: 5,000mAh, 18W charging
Performance
Battery
Camera
Micro USB port
No FM radio
Vivo Z1 Pro offers you good performance for the price, thanks to the Snapdragon 712 AIE chipset. Also, you get to choose between two configurations here with the device, 4+64GB or 6+64GB. The 6+128GB config is priced over Rs 15,000 mark. On the front, it flaunts a 6.53-inch Full HD+ panel with punch-hole cut out at the left corner. It is backed with a big 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging over a Micro USB interface.
On the camera front, there is a 16MP primary sensor, followed an 8MP wide and a 2MP deputy sensor. At the front, there is a 32MP shooter. It also packs in a rear fingerprint scanner and face unlock support. It also comes with Multi turbo mode that boosts smartphone’s performance.
Check out Vivo Z1 Pro on Flipkart
7. Nokia 4.2
Display: 5.71-inch HD+ | Processor: Snapdragon 439 | RAM: 3GB | Storage: 32GB | Rear camera: 13 + 2MP | Front camera: 8MP | Battery: 3000mAh
Stock Android
Design
No fast charging
Camera
Processor
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