Smartphones under Rs 15,000 is the segment that is the most crowded smartphone segment in the Indian market. Most of the smartphone sale contributions happen here. The demand of smartphones has shot up in the last few months, because of the post-pandemic effect which has also resulted in the prices going up ever so slightly.
The current list of best smartphones under Rs 15,000 consists of six smartphones which includes the most recent launches as well. The Redmi Note 10 leads the list even after a couple of price jumps. With the change in price, now in this sub-Rs 15,000 segment, we have a bunch of new devices from Samsung, Motorola, and Realme. These are the best value for money smartphones available currently that are priced under Rs 15,000.
Best phones under Rs 15,000
On the list, we have smartphones from Poco, Realme, Xiaomi’s legendary and Redmi Note series, and Samsung. We also have an option for those who want just stock Android devices from Motorola. Let’s take a look at the best smartphones under Rs 15,000 in India for 2021.
If you are looking for over Rs 15,000, have a look at our under Rs 20,000 guide.
What to expect from a Rs 15,000 phone?
- Big battery and fact charging
- Good display
- High refresh rate on a few phones
- Decent performance and gaming experience
- camera experience like never before
The Redmi Note 10 is an excellent upgrade from the last-gen devices and overall one of the best phones under Rs 15,000 that we can recommend. It has an excellent display, offers good performance and has reliable battery life. As for the optics, the 48MP quad-camera setup on the back performs well in the daylight but struggles in low-light. Selfies come out just above average here.
In terms of battery life, the device will easily last a day and to back that up, Redmi is now offering a 33W fast charger in the box. The Redmi Note 10 has a superb AMOLED panel with a peak brightness of 1,100 nits. It is also one of the best-looking phones in the segment. Lastly, the software allows amongst the most customizable skins in the market, but it still needs some work.
The Redmi Note 10S is the latest addition in the series which comes with MediaTek Helio G95 chipset, 64MP primary sensor, and retains all the other specs from the vanilla Redmi Note 10. The 6GB + 64GB variant is priced at Rs 14,999 while the 6GB + 128GB variant is priced at Rs 15,999.
Motorola added a good budget phone in the segment with the launch of the Moto G40 Fusion in India. The Moto G40 Fusion is powered by the Snapdragon 732G processor which is a capable chipset. It is also the best gaming chipset in the segment. In addition, you also get a big 6.8-inch 120Hz LCD screen with HDR10 certification.
In terms of battery life, the device also packs in a massive 6,000mAh battery which should last a couple of days. But for charging the device, you will have to settle for a 20W fast charging, which takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
The device runs on near-stock Android 11 out of the box and as an added security feature, the device also comes with Thinkshield for a mobile suite that protects the phone from supply chain level to OS and hardware level. In the camera department, you get a 48MP main camera on the back and a 16MP selfie camera.
Samsung has come aggressive with the Galaxy M32. It is Samsung’s first budget device to come with a Super AMOLED display and high refresh rate, the device comes with a 6.4-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display along with a 90Hz refresh rate. The Samsung Galaxy M32 is packed with a massive 6,000mAh battery. However, the company is offering a 15W fast charger in the box, but the phone supports 25W fast charging.
For photography, the Galaxy M32 sports a 64 MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth sensor. You get a 20MP selfie shooter on the front, which is placed inside a dew-drop notch. For performance, the Samsung Galaxy M32 is powered by a MediaTek Helio G80 一 which is probably the weakest link of the device.
If you are someone who is looking out for a unique looking smartphone, the Poco M3 Pro is the one to go for. The Poco M3 Pro comes with a new design and some eye-popping colour options. The design is also one of the potential selling points of this phone as its two-tone design might appeal to some. In terms of display, the Poco M3 Pro 5G flaunts a 6.5-inch Full HD+ LCD with a 90Hz screen refresh rate.
The Poco M3 Pro is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 700 chipset, making it the brand’s first 5G phone with a Dimensity chipset. In terms of optics, the Poco M3 Pro 5G sports a 48MP (f/1.79) main camera followed by a 2MP (f/2.4) macro and a 2MP( f/2.4) depth sensor. For selfies, the device comes with an 8MP (f/2.0) camera. Lastly, the device will pack a big 5,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging via Type-C. However, the company is bundling a 22.5W fast charger in the box.
The Realme Narzo 30 is one of the cheapest phones to be powered by the MediaTek Helio G95 chipset. It comes with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage which can be further expanded via a micro SD card. In the visual department, the Realme Narzo 30 comes with a 6.5-inch LCD display with a 90Hz screen refresh rate, Full HD+ resolution, and 580 nits peak brightness.
The device draws power from a 5,000mAh battery unit which is backed by a 30W fast charging. In the camera department, the Realme Narzo 30 sports a 48MP main camera with an f/1.8 aperture, a 2MP mono lens, and a 2MP macro shooter. Selfies are handled by a 16MP punch-hole camera on the front. However, the camera is not the best in the segment and the device also misses out on a wide-angle camera.
The new Redmi 10 Prime was launched in September replacing the highly successful Redmi 9 Prime that came earlier last year.
This is a bang for buck smartphone that comes with a MediaTek Helio G88 SoC coupled with 4GB/6GB LPDDR4X RAM with 2GB Virtual RAM. The phone has a couple of options – 64GB and 128GB of internal storage which should be ample for ideal scenarios.
It comes with a 6.5-inch LCD display with FHD+ resolution and supports a 90Hz adaptive refresh rate. In terms of optics, the phone features a quad rear camera setup with a 50MP primary camera along with an 8MP ultra-wide secondary and two 2MP macro and depth cameras. An 8-megapixel camera is present on the front to handle selfies. The phone now has a 6000 mAh battery with an 18.5W charger included in the box.
Best smartphones under Rs 15,000
- Redmi Note 10
- Moto G40
- Samsung Galaxy M32
- Poco M3 Pro
- Realme Narzo 30
- Redmi 10 Prime
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