Ameya DalviMar 31, 2023 20:40:36 IST
At the start of this year, we made a list of the best smartphones available in India under Rs 10,000. It is time to refresh that list at the start of this new financial year. As always, we have made sure that each handset has at least 4 GB RAM, 64 GB internal storage, a good display and decent cameras. We also have a couple with more RAM and storage in this budget, and more than one handset with a 50MP camera. Excited to meet the top 5? Let’s go!
Best phones to buy under Rs 10,000 in India
Poco C55
We start with the latest of the lot, and also the only one to offer 6 GB RAM in this budget, the Poco C55. You also get 128 GB internal storage to go with it, which makes it quite a deal under 10K. There’s a dedicated MicroSD slot to expand it further while using two SIM cards at the same time. It has a 6.71-inch HD+ IPS display with a resolution of 1650 x 720 pixels and is powered by a more than decent MediaTek G85 SoC. Poco hasn’t skimped on a fingerprint sensor either, and one can find it at the back.
Speaking of the back, the Poco C55 has a leather-like texture at the rear giving it a premium feel. You get two cameras there with a combination of a 50MP primary camera with PDAF and a depth sensor. A 5MP selfie camera is located in a drop notch at the top of the screen. A 5000 mAh battery powers this phone for close to two days of moderate use. And last but not the least, it runs Android 12 with Xiaomi’s MIUI 13 on top.
Poco C55 price in India: Rs 9,999 for 6GB RAM/128GB storage
Motorola G31
The Motorola G31 is another great option in this budget and is packed with impressive features. It has a 6.4-inch Full HD+ AMOLED screen, which is quite rare in this budget. This phone too has a 50MP primary camera at the back, but the supporting cast is much better. You get an 8MP ultrawide shooter and a 2MP macro camera. A 13MP selfie camera is located in a tiny punch hole at the top of the screen. The phone has a water-repellent design but no IP rating.
The Motorola G31 is powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 chip that is powerful enough for day-to-day tasks. You get its 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal (expandable) storage variant in this budget. This phone too has a 5000 mAh battery that keeps it powered for over a day and a half of moderate use. Like most Motorola phones, the G31 has a clean and near-stock Android user interface. It runs Android 11 and an Android 12 update has recently started rolling out.
Motorola G31 price in India: Rs 9,499 for 4GB RAM/64GB storage
Samsung Galaxy M13
Samsung Galaxy M13 is pretty much the F13 from the same company, just exclusive to a different e-commerce platform I suppose. The phone offers a good mix of features for its selling price. It is one of the few phones under 10K to offer a Full HD+ display. Its 6.6-inch screen is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. This phone is powered by Samsung’s Exynos 850 chip and comes with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of internal storage that can be expanded further up to 1 TB with a microSD card.
The photography department is pretty neat for a budget phone with three cameras at the back. This phone too has a 50MP primary camera, along with a 5MP ultrawide shooter and a 2MP depth sensor. You also get an 8MP front camera for selfies and video calls. A big 6000 mAh battery keeps the phone powered for over two days of moderate use and also supports 15W fast charging. The Samsung Galaxy M13 runs Android 12 with One UI 4.1.
Samsung Galaxy M13 price in India: Rs 9,699 for 4GB RAM/64GB storage
Infinix Hot 11
The Infinix Hot 11 retains its place in our list thanks to its impressive feature set. This phone has a 6.6-inch Full HD+ IPS display and is powered by a MediaTek Helio G70 SoC, which is a perfectly decent option for this budget. You get 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal (expandable) storage here too. The camera department is modest with a 13MP primary camera assisted by a depth sensor. The 8MP front camera gets the job done when it comes to selfies and video calls.
This smartphone has a 5200 mAh battery that keeps it running for well over a day and a half of moderate use. The Infinix Hot 11 runs XOS 7.6 based on Android 11. A 2022 variant of this phone is also available for a similar price which offers a slightly larger 6.7-inch screen and a Unisoc T610 processor. The battery capacity is marginally lower at 5000 mAh. The rest of the specifications are the same. However, we still prefer its original variant.
Infinix Hot 11 price in India: Rs 9,999 for 4GB RAM/64GB storage
Micromax IN Note 1
We started this list with a phone with 128 GB storage and we will end this list with one too. The Micromax IN Note 1 makes it to our list yet again, but this month you can get its higher capacity variant under 10K. It has a 6.67-inch Full HD+ screen with a tiny punch hole at the top that hosts a 16MP selfie camera. The X-shaped pattern at the back of the phone is eye-catching and adds to the phone’s style quotient. A 5000 mAh battery keeps it powered for over a day and a half of moderate use, and supports 18W fast charging.
Just like a couple of phones in this list, the Micromax IN Note 1 too is powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 chip, and you get 4 GB RAM and 128 GB internal (expandable) storage to go with it. This phone has four rear cameras consisting of a 48MP primary camera, a 5MP ultrawide shooter, a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth sensor. The phone launched with Android 10, and an Android 11 update should be out by now.
Micromax IN Note 1 price in India: Rs 9,890 for 4GB RAM/128GB storage
