Hi all, this is Aswin from TechieDrone. With this post, we bring you our top smartphone picks under ₹ 15,000. We have all faced the dilemma. When we want to buy a new smartphone, we are bombarded with many options. Looking back 2-3 years ago, if we wanted to buy a budget smartphone, we had to make a lot of compromises. But that situation is long gone. Today we are presented with numerous options available at every price bracket. So let’s see what the market provides us.
Affordable Workhorse
Instead of doing it the usual way and counting down from top 5 or top 10, I am going to list it in a different way. I am going to pick a smartphone for each category. This will help me to pick a device that shines in the mentioned category. So let’s get started.
Best All-rounder
Xiaomi Mi A1
For
- It has all the features you need to carry on your daily tasks
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 provides a very balanced performance. It almost never heats up.
- Battery can last for a full day comfortably
- Metal body is crafted well and also bears a striking resemblance to iPhone 7 Plus and Oneplus 5
- This is an Android One device meaning it will get regular software updates for 2 years. So this is always up to date and also secured
- Stock android interface is both fast and stable
- Has one of the best dual camera setup in this price range. Can take some excellent portrait shots.
- Offers 64 GB storage and 4 GB RAM as standard
Against
- The metal back is slippery
- Screen is little washed out compared to others but it is more than adequate
- Camera quality takes a blow in low light conditions
- Due to stock android, it misses out on some helpful little additions like double tap to wake
Best battery life
Lenovo P2
For
- The combination of the power sipping Snapdragon 625 and a mammoth 5100 mAh battery results in some monstrous battery endurance. Even phones above this price range struggle to match this level of efficiency
- One of the few phones to come with an AMOLED display within this price range
- Decent camera performance for the price
Against
- Runs on old version of android. It will also not get updated to the latest version i.e Android Oreo
- It may be bulky for some but that is the trade-off you need to make when you get such awesome battery life
- Vibe UI may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Takes some time to get used to
- Only available in 32GB Storage model which may limit some users
Best build quality
Nokia 6
For
- When you mention build quality, one of the first names to come in mind is Nokia. The Nokia 6 is crafted from a single piece of Aluminium which gives it an amazing feel and reassuring sturdiness
- Its rear camera is capable of shooting some decent pics. Also, its front camera is equipped with auto-focus which is a rare feature.
- Those who get nostalgic when hearing the name “Nokia” should probably get this one
Against
- The Snapdragon 430 pales in comparison to other rival phones. Its decent but shows its limitations during gaming. It also tends to get a little bit hot when gaming.
- Battery performance is average given its 3000 mAh capacity. The culprit is again Snadragon 430 which offers less efficiency due to its old 28 nm manufacturing process.
- Not a value for money proposition
Best camera
Moto G5 plus
For
- The 12 MP f1.7 dual-pixel autofocus camera easily takes the crown as one of the best camera in this price range
- This one has a 5.2 inch screen, so it is a little bit easier to handle
- Has turbo-charging feature which recharges the battery fast
Against
- The build quality isn’t up to the mark
- The camera protrudes quite a bit making it susceptible to scratches
Best 18:9 Display
Huawei Honor 7x
For
- 18:9 display is all the rage this year. Honor 7x in one of the few phones sporting it in this segment
- A capable camera
- Good day to day performance provided by Kirin 659 chipset
Against
- Though the chipset is good for normal activities, it really struggles in games with modern graphics due to the under powered graphics solution.
- The User interface will take a little bit of getting used to
- 64 GB storage version costs significantly more than the 32 GB model
Best value for money
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4
For
- This device doesn’t need any introduction as it offers all the features needed in an affordable price
- Has the tried and tested Snapdragon 625 which combined with the 4100 mAh battery, provides some serious battery life
- Has a good metal build and it has a lot of useful functionalities
Against
- The one major con of this device just has to be its camera. Don’t get me wrong. It is still a decent one in good lighting conditions. But it just can’t hold a candle to other rival devices. Low light performance is just passable at best.
- The MIUI interface is heavy on RAM, so it is advisable to get the 4 GB RAM model if possible.
- The launch of Redmi Note 5 is just around the corner, so if you want a more updated device, you should probably wait for it.
Some honourable mentions
There are lots of choices these days. Here are some devices which are also quite good and you can check out these too.
Moto G5S Plus
I would have surely listed it above if not for the camera performance. You see, this device was supposed to be an upgrade from Moto G5 Plus. But due to the addition of dual camera, the actual image quality has taken a hit. But apart from that, this device offers a very stylish and sturdy metal constructed body. The build quality is leagues ahead of the original G5 Plus. Overall, a very reliable device
Tenor G
This is the new kid in the block. Its name may not be familiar since its a new brand. But the features it offers are almost equal to the redmi note 4. The main issue might be the customer service quality is not on par with other brands.
Lenovo K8 Note
This is also a solid choice. Its mediatek chipset is faster than the Snapdragon 625. But the main issue is that, there are some heating issues with this device and also the standby battery life is not that great due to the aforementioned chipset. The dual camera is also more of a gimmick rather than a useful feature
So there you go. These were our top budget smartphone picks that we think are a solid choice. Do you think we left some other good devices in this list? Please let us know in the comments sections.