Best Phones Under Rs. 15,000

The New Year 2016 season in India is a time for new things and these days that means new mobile phones more than anything else. Whether you're getting yourself a long awaited present, or gifting a phone to someone else in your family, there are plenty of great options out there today that don't cost half a lakh. We've listed out the ten best phones you can buy for between Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 15,000. All the phones in the list are pretty good devices though a few really stand out. We decided to stick to phones that have at least 3G support, and also phones that have been launched reasonably recently. Interestingly, it's the first time that we're looking at a list of phones under Rs. 15,000 that doesn't include anything other than Android phones, thanks to these filters.
Check out the full list below, to help you pick your phone. The detailed ratings of phones will help you quickly compare devices and help decide which phone you want to buy.
1) Yu Yunique
The Yu Yunique (Review) isn't a phone that is going to wow you, but if you're looking for a value for money phone that does a reasonable job on all counts, it's one to look out for. Just don't expect too much from the camera.

Yu Yunique

Rs. 4999

  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery life
  • Camera
  • Value for money
  • Good
  • 4G LTE support
  • Good looks, low weight
  • Good display
  • Near-stock Android
  • Bad
  • Mediocre camera
  • Limited availability

2) Yu Yuphoria
The Yu Yuphoria  edges just ahead of its sibling the Yu Yunique on this list. The Yuphoria's camera fared a little better in our testing, and it is also the better looking phone, for only a slight premium.

Yu Yuphoria

Rs. 6999
  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery life
  • Camera
  • Value for money
  • Good
  • Good design
  • Sturdy build quality
  • 2GB of RAM
  • Good pricing
  • Bad
  • Buggy performance
  • Average rear camera performance

3) InFocus M530
The InFocus M530 is going to be a divisive pick here - you need to know that the battery life is really bad. On the other hand, the design and display are pretty good, and the camera and performance are well ahead of others at the same price.

InFocus M530

Rs. 10999

  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery life
  • Camera
  • Value for money
  • Good
  • Power and performance far above its price category
  • Good rear camera
  • Among the better front cameras we've seen
  • Fairly customisable UI
  • Bad
  • Pathetic battery life
  • Average looks
  • Screen is too low-resolution compared to the competition

4) Lenovo A6000 Plus
Another good all-rounder, the Lenovo A6000 Plus  is a great buy if battery life is a priority for you, though the camera is still very average.

Lenovo A6000 Plus

Rs. 7499

  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery life
  • Camera
  • Value for money
  • Good
  • Much-needed boost to internal storage and RAM
  • Excellent battery life
  • Good design
  • Excellent value for money
  • 64-bit SoC
  • Bad
  • Camera is still average
  • Still no toughened glass
  • Vibe 2.0 UI could be improved
5) Lenovo K3 Note
The Lenovo K3 Note  is a good all-rounder with great performance. For the price, you're getting good display and design, and the only (slight) quibbles we have are around the camera and battery life, but if it's in your budget, then this looks like a great pick.

Lenovo K3 Note

Rs. 9999

  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery life
  • Camera
  • Value for money
  • Good
  • Great performance
  • Lots of software tweaks
  • Good screen and sound
  • Bad
  • Average camera quality
  • Battery life could have been better
6) Coolpad Note 3
The Coolpad Note 3  is a good middle of the road Android phone. It's nothing special, but for the price, it delivers good performance, great battery life, and a decent camera. So why is this phone on the list? There's one standout feature that makes it score high on many a wish-list, and that's the fingerprint scanner. This is one of the more interesting new features to come to Android, and makes the Coolpad Note 3 a very tempting buy for some.

Coolpad Note 3

Rs. 8999
  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery life
  • Camera
  • Value for money
  • Good
  • Quick and accurate fingerprint sensor
  • Good performance
  • Good camera
  • Good battery life
  • Bad
  • Limited availability
  • Unappealing UI customisations
7) Huawei Honor 4C
If you want excellent performance and a dependabe camera then the Huawei Honor 4C appears to be a solid choice. Its rather average display and the fact that it doesn't support 4G in India are two things that keep it from being the top pick.

Huawei Honor 4C

Rs. 8999

  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery life
  • Camera
  • Value for money
  • Good
  • Good camera performance
  • Affordable
  • Fast and capable SoC
  • Bad
  • Display should have been better
  • Too heavy
  • Doesn't support 4G
8) Xiaomi Mi 4i
The Xiaomi Mi 4i is amongst the highest rated phones on our list, and it's easy to see why. It's a good looking phone with a great display, good battery life and performance, and a decent enough camera.
  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery life
  • Camera
  • Value for money
  • Good
  • Stunning display
  • Great build quality
  • Bad
  • MIUI has its quirks
  • Camera performance could be better
9) Motorola Moto G (Gen 3)
Together with the Yu Yureka Plus and the Xiaomi Mi 4i, the Motorola Moto G (Gen 3)  rounded out our top three phones under Rs. 15,000 in terms of ratings. Water and dust resistant, the phone has good battery life and performance, though its display and camera could be better.
  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery life
  • Camera
  • Value for money
  • Good
  • IPX7 water resistance
  • Stock Android, timely updates likely
  • Reliable performer
  • Bad
  • Screen gets a bit warm at times
10) Xolo Black
The Xolo Black  is a decently built phone that offers a lot of UI customisation options, and reliable performance, but the custom UI can be sluggish at times.

Xolo Black

Rs. 12999

  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery life
  • Camera
  • Value for money
  • Good
  • Decently built and looks good
  • Hive UI has plenty of customisation options
  • Good cameras, front camera has flash
  • Straightforward, reliable performance
  • Bad
  • Hive UI can be sluggish at times
  • Screen isn't quite up to the mark for full-HD
  • Notification light in the power switch makes no sense
  • Two separate camera apps make shooting a complicated affair
11) Gionee Marathon M4
The Gionee Marathon M4  set a battery life record for us, justifying its bulk with a battery that kept going and going and going. The added bulk also has the bonus of making the phone feel well built and solid, and the camera is pretty good as well.

Gionee Marathon M4

Rs. 15499

  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery life
  • Camera
  • Value for money
  • Good
  • Record-breaking battery life
  • Feels well-built and solid
  • Decent photos in daylight
  • Smooth performance
  • Bad
  • Bulky and heavy
  • Low-resolution screen
  • Lots of UI quirks and mangled English
Bonus
These are our top ten picks but you could also check out some other phones like the Xiaomi Redmi 2 Prime , the InFocus M330, or the Asus Zenfone 2 Laser (ZE550KL) , which are also within the budget. They all have their own pros and cons as well, and for our picks, we tried to stick to the most rounded choices, but if you have specific needs from your phone, do check out these alternatives.
Which phones caught you eye? Tell us via the comments.

About ABHEY GUPTA

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Abhey Gupta & Co. Powered by Blogger.