Things are slowing down in the country due to the lockdown,  which also means we might not have new smartphones launching in the period.  In case you’re looking to get a solid budget phone during this period, here are your best options in the extremely competitive segment from Rs10,000 to Rs 20,000

. There are so many options in the market that often it can be a bit of a challenge to choose the best smartphone for your needs. In this guide, we’re looking at the sweet spot — the best phones under Rs 15,000. Luckily for us, this segment has seen the most improvement this year, with features such as quad-cameras and fast charging now becoming a staple.

While Xiaomi has dominated the Rs 15,000 smartphone segment for a long time, players like Realme, Vivo,  Asus and even Samsung are giving it a tough fight now. Without wasting any more time, let’s take a look at the best smartphones under Rs 15,000 in India for April 2020.

(Image credit: Realme)

Realme 6

New kid on block

Weight: 191g | Dimensions: 162.1 x 74.8 x 8.9 mm | OS: Realme UI, Android 10 | Screen size: 6.5-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels | CPU: MediaTek Helio G90T | RAM: 4/6GB | Storage: 64/128GB | Battery: 4300mAh | Rear camera: 64MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP | Front camera: 16MP

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

(Image credit: Future)

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro

The new budget king

Weight: 209g | Dimensions: 165.8 x 76.7 x 8.8 mm | OS: MIUI 11, Android 10 | Screen size: 6..67-inch | Resolution: 2400 x 1080 pixels | CPU: Snapdragon 720G | RAM: 4GB/6GB | Storage: 64GB/128GB | Battery: 5020mAh | Rear camera: 48MP + 8MP + 5MP + 2MP | Front camera: 16MP

Amazing battery life

Solid performance

Lots of camera modes

Bulky

Advertisements in MIUI

The Redmi Note 9 Pro series is a big departure from its predecessor, bringing a much more premium design to the mix. Its best feature is its battery life – the 5,020mAh pack will easily last you over a day.

On the inside, it is powered by the Snapdragon 720G chipset, which is the most reliable silicon available at this price. Combine that with a quad-camera setup and a big screen, and you get a very easy-to-recommend phone. 

Buy Redmi Note 9 Pro on Amazon.in

(Image credit: Future)

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro

Weight: 200g | Dimensions: 161.4 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm | OS: Android 9.0 | Screen size: 6.53-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 2340 | CPU: MediaTek G90T | RAM: 6/8GB | Storage: 64/128GB | Battery: 4500mAh | Rear camera: 64 + 8 + 2 + 2MP | Front camera: 20MP

Good design

Impressive quad camera

Gaming performance

Dedicated micro SD slot with dual-SIM

18W fast charging

Heavy

Ads in UI

Xiaomi has been delivering blockbusters upon blockbusters with its Redmi Note line up in India, and that seems to be true with the Redmi Note 8 Pro as well. After delivering massive improvements in terms of imaging with the Redmi Note 7 Pro earlier this year, Xiaomi has turned its focus to improving the gaming performance with the Redmi Note 8 Pro.

Powered by the MediaTek Helio G90T chipset, the Redmi Note 8 Pro lives up to the hype and offers fluid performance. The liquid cooling tech, a massive 4,500mAh battery, 18W fast charging and the 64MP quad cameras on the back seal the deal rather well.

Check out our Redmi Note 8 Pro hands-on experience

(Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri)

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.

Read our review: Xiaomi Mi A3

(Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri)

Realme 5 Pro

Weight: 184g | Dimensions: 157 x 74.2 x 8.9 mm | OS: Android 9.0 | Screen size: 6.3-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 2340 pixels | CPU: Snapdragon 712 | RAM: 4/6/8GB | Storage: 64/128GB | Battery: 4035mAh | Rear camera: 48MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP | Front camera: 16MP

Snapdragon 712 chipset

Quad-camera

20W VOOC charging

USB Type-C

Heavy software skin

Plastic back

Realme has been gunning for the market share that Redmi smartphones currently enjoy. To this end, the company launched the Realme 5 Pro with the Snapdragon 712 chipset. The Realme 5 Pro is aimed at users who like gaming and want a good option in the budget segment.

In addition to the Snapdragon 712 chipset, the Realme 5 Pro brings an interesting quad-camera setup. The device, launched just few months after the Realme 3 Pro is a good option in the budget segment.

The processor is good for tasks such as gaming and the performance is very consistent too. The device, powered by a 4,035 mAh battery with fast charge support is a good option, however, ColorOS might be a issue for some.

If you can stretch your budget by a bit, the Realme XT is a significantly better offering, bringing a 64Mp quad-camera setup, faster charging and a great AMOLED display.

Read the full review: Realme 5 Pro

(Image credit: Future)

Samsung Galaxy M31

Welcome back, Samsung.

Weight: 191g | OS: OneIU 2.0, Android 10.0 | Screen size: 6.4-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels | CPU: Exynos 9611 | RAM: 6GB | Storage: 64/128GB | Battery: 6000mAh | Rear camera: 64MP + 8MP + 5MP + 5MP | Front camera: 32MP

6,000mAh battery

15W fast charging

Super AMOLED display

Quad camera setup

Plastic build

Not very powerful

Samsung’s new M series is a breath of fresh air in the budget segment. While they aren’t the best at performance, they make up for that with brand value and other features. Take the Galaxy M31 for example, which brings a mammoth 6,000mAh battery for unmatchable battery life without getting too bulky.

The quad-camera setup is good to have, but the results were usually underwhelming. The same goes for performance. It’s not an all-rounder like the others on this list, but has a very specific audience.

Buy Samsung M31 from Amazon.in

(Image credit: Future)

Poco F1

Weight: 182g | Dimensions: 155.5 x 75.3 x 8.8 mm | OS: Android 9.0 Pie | Screen size: 6.18-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 2246 pixels | CPU: Snapdragon 845 | RAM: 6GB/8GB | Storage: 64GB/128GB/256GB | Battery: 4000mAh | Rear camera: 12MP + 5MP | Front camera: 20MP

Performance

Battery

Build Quality

The Poco F1, which was launched as the most affordable Snapdragon 845 device in India has received several price cuts since its launch. Recently, the device received another price cut, due to the company’s own Redmi K20.

The Poco F1 is a powerful device and the only smartphone in the sub-Rs 15,000 segment to be powered by a flagship chipset. It must be noted that the device features a plastic build, however, this is not a big issue at its current price level. If you are looking at a powerful device with a good battery life, the Poco F1 with its Snapdragon 845 chipset and the 4,000mAh battery is worth considering.