Five phones that offer great features and performance within Rs 15,000 budget
The Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 segment is one of my favourites as the manufacturers are perpetually striving to provide that something extra in their devices thus making the smartphones in this budget extremely high value proposition. Brands who are yet to understand the significance of this segment in India are losing business rapidly, while those focusing on it have been taking giant strides towards capturing a sizeable chunk of the market, with one actually sitting on top currently. Time to take a look at who made it to the list of best smartphones under Rs 15,000 this month.
Realme 1 [6GB RAM/ 128GB Storage] (Rs 13,990)
Let’s start with the newest member of this club, (Oppo) Realme 1. The phone was announced last week and goes on sale today for a ridiculously competitive price of Rs 13,990 for their top-end model with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. Along with the generous dollops of memory, the phone has some impressive specifications to boast of. It is powered by a Mediatek Helio P60 octa-core chip with Mali G72 MP3 graphics.
The Realme 1 is powered by the Mediatek Helio P60 chipset
The Realme 1 has a 6-inch full HD+ 18:9 display with narrow bezels. Camera specifications are modest with a 13MP sensor at the back and 8MP up front. The phone runs Android 8.1 Oreo with Color OS 5.0 on top. A 3410mAh battery keeps the Realme 1 powered for a day. One notable absentee here is a fingerprint scanner, but the phone does support face unlock that the company claims to unlock the device in 0.1 second.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro (Rs 14,999)
This remains the most desirable phone in the segment, and though its supply is still lower than the demand, the stocks do make a weekly appearance in the flash sale (sigh). The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC with 8 Kryo cores running at 1.8GHz along with Adreno 509 for graphics. The photography department is taken care of by a combination of 12MP+5MP sensors at the back and a big 20MP sensor up front with a soft light for low-light selfies.
The most desirable phone in this category – Redmi Note 5 Pro
It comes with a respectable 4000mAh battery that powers the device comfortably for a day and half with moderate usage. The Redmi Note 5 Pro just got an Android Oreo update a couple of days back. This too has a 6-inch 18:9 full HD+ display. The 4GB RAM + 64GB storage variant of this handset can be purchased for Rs 14,999, yes, in the weekly flash sale or if you spot one in offline stores.
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 (Rs 12,999)
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 was launched to take the Redmi Note 5 Pro head on. And the new Zenfone does compete well with its Xiaomi counterpart except in the camera quality. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC, the same chipset at the core of the Redmi Note 5 Pro. The similarities don’t end there. Just like the Xiaomi handset, the Zenfone Max Pro M1 comes with 4GB and 6GB RAM variants with 64GB onboard storage with a scope for further expansion using a microSD card. The screen is similar too – a 5.99-inch full HD+ 18:9 display with a resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels.
Asus may have a best seller on their hands with the Zenfone Max Pro M1
For photography, there is a 13MP+5MP dual camera setup at the rear and an 8MP selfie camera at the front. Just like earlier phones in the Zenfone Max series, the Zenfone Max Pro M1 has a massive 5000mAh battery. Asus has opted for stock Android UI on this phone over it’s not-so-impressive Zen UI. The phone runs Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. The pricing is extremely impressive with the 4GB RAM version selling for Rs 12,999, while the 6GB RAM variant asking just Rs 2000 extra. Unfortunately, Asus has taken the flash sale route too.
Motorola G5S Plus (13,999)
The Motorola G5S Plus holds its spot on the list courtesy of its competent feature set, and more importantly, because of its availability, unlike the MI A1 whose stocks have gone missing for weeks now. It is powered by a Snapdragon 625 SoC with 4GB RAM, 64GB storage (expandable) and a pair of 13MP cameras at the rear. The UI offers near stock Android experience. Still on Android 7.1 Nougat, the Oreo update is expected soon, we have been told.
Its sturdy construction and distinct design still makes the Moto G5S Plus desirable
It sports a 5.5-inch full HD screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio; a bit old-school at that. But its sturdy construction and distinct design language still makes it desirable and is a good deal for Rs 13,999. The price often drops further by a thousand or so online. Keep an eye on it if interested.
Honor 7X (Rs 12,999)
Last but not the least, Huawei’s affordable near bezel-less display phone from their Honor sub-brand, Honor 7X. This handset offers you a metal back and a vibrant 5.93-inch full HD+ 18:9 display with 2160 x 1080 pixels. The rear cameras sport a 16MP+2MP sensor combination that click good photos in most conditions except low light. Selfies are handled by an 8MP sensor up front.
Arguably the best looking phone of the lot, the Honor 7X ticks a lot of right boxes
This smartphone is powered by a Kirin 659 SoC with 4GB RAM and 32GB storage with a microSD card slot for further expansion. The phone still runs Android Nougat 7.0 with their proprietary EMUI 5.1 layer on top. There is no word yet on an Oreo update. But at Rs 12,999, the Honor 7X is a very neat deal and arguably the most good looking phone in this list.