Ameya DalviJul 15, 2021 09:16:50 IST
Our list of the best smartphones available for under Rs 15,000 this month may not be as exciting as the one from the last quarter, with some inclusions made possible by a couple of temporary price drops, but all handsets present here offer solid value for money. We still have phones with a 64 MP camera, AMOLED screen, 90 Hz refresh rate display and 65 W superfast charger. Those are impressive features to have in this budget. So, let’s see what your best options are within Rs 15,000 this July.
Best phones to buy under Rs 15,000 in India
Realme Narzo 20 Pro/ Narzo 30
Realme Narzo 20 Pro (Review) is still an excellent option in this segment. Other than its elegant design, the phone has a 6.5-inch Full HD+ display with a 90 Hz refresh rate for flicker-free scrolling in supported apps. It is protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass and has a punch-hole that hosts a 16 MP front camera. The other highly impressive feature of this device is the bundled 65 W SuperDart charger that takes its 4,500 mAh battery from zero to 100 percent in just 38 minutes. That is insanely fast!
Realme Narzo 20 Pro. Image: Tech2/Sheldon Pinto
The Narzo 20 Pro is powered by Mediatek’s Helio G95 chip that is more than powerful for day-to-day tasks, and for some gaming at medium settings, too. You get 6 GB RAM and 64 GB internal expandable storage to go with it. It has a quad-camera setup at the back with a 48 MP primary camera, an 8 MP ultra-wide snapper, 2 MP macro camera and a 2 MP depth sensor. Image quality is rather good for the segment, in various lighting conditions and camera modes. The phone runs Android 10 with Realme UI on top.
The other alternative from the same company is the Realme Narzo 30. It is like the Narzo 20 Pro in most ways barring the following – you get twice the storage (128 GB), the newer Android 11 with Realme UI 2 and a larger 5,000 mAh battery for Rs 500 less; however, you will have to forego the 8 MP ultrawide camera, and the 65 W SuperDart charger is replaced by a 30 W Dart charger, which does a good job but isn’t as fast. Choose one depending on the features that matter more to you.
Realme Narzo 30. Image: ech2/Chandrakant Isi
Realme Narzo 20 Pro price in India: Rs 14,999 for 6 GB RAM / 64 GB storage
Realme Narzo 30 price in India: Rs 14,499 for 6 GB RAM / 128 GB storage
Poco M2 Pro
Poco M2 Pro
The Poco M2 Pro retains its spot on the list courtesy its well-rounded feature set. The phone has a large 6.67-inch Full HD+ display with a punch-hole for a 16 MP selfie camera. The screen is HDR compliant and can get up to 450 nits bright. It is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and so is its glass back. The Poco M2 Pro is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 720 SoC with 6 GB RAM and 64 GB internal (expandable) storage.
This phone has quad cameras at the back, starting with a 48 MP primary camera, along with an 8 MP ultra-wide shooter, 5 MP macro camera and a 2 MP depth sensor. Image quality is quite good here, too. The M2 Pro has a 5,000 mAh battery that can last over a day and a half of moderate use. The company bundles a 33 W fast charger to top the battery up briskly. The phone runs Android 10 with MIUI 11 on top.
Poco M2 Pro price in India: Rs 14,999 for 6 GB RAM / 64 GB storage
Redmi Note 10S
Redmi Note 10S
The new Redmi Note 10S may not be as powerful as the Pro and Max variants from the same series, but offers some cool features at this price point. This is one of the lighter, more compact phones in this budget (relatively speaking), and the only one to flaunt an AMOLED display. This phone has a 6.43-inch Full HD+ screen that can get as high as 1,100 nits bright (theoretically), and is protected against scratches by a layer of Gorilla Glass 3. This phone has a 5,000 mAh battery that can go beyond a day and a half of moderate use, and supports 33 W fast charging.
Just like the Narzo phones above, this phone, too, is powered by Mediatek’s Helio G95 chip that is a good choice in this segment. It is accompanied by 6 GB RAM and 64 GB of internal storage that can be expanded further. The Redmi Note 10S has a quad camera combination at the back featuring a 64 MP primary camera, an 8 MP ultra-wide snapper, 2 MP macro camera and a 2 MP depth sensor. Image quality is perfectly acceptable for this segment. A 13 MP front camera takes care of selfies and video calls. The phone runs Android 11 out of the box with MIUI 12 on top.
Redmi Note 10s price in India: Rs 14,999 for 6 GB RAM / 64 GB storage
Poco M3
Poco M3
If you don’t want to blow up the entire Rs 15,000 and still want a phone with a 48 MP camera, 6 GB RAM and 128 GB of internal storage, the Poco M3 (Review) is a great option around the Rs 12,000 mark. It has a 6.53-inch Full HD+ display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection against scratches. The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 chip that is capable enough to handle day-to-day tasks. You get the 6 GB RAM and 128 GB internal (expandable) storage variant comfortably in this budget.
The Poco M3 has three cameras at the back with a combination of a 48 MP primary camera, 2 MP macro camera and a 2 MP depth sensor. It has an 8 MP front camera for selfies and video calls. The battery capacity is a whopping 6,000 mAh that can easily last two days of moderate use, and supports 18 W fast charging. The phone runs Android 10 with MIUI 12 on top. It punches above its weight given the features and performance for the asking price.
Poco M3 price in India: Rs 11,999 for 6 GB RAM / 128 GB storage
Nokia 5.4
Nokia 5.4
The Nokia 5.4 is the only phone on this list that brings stock Android UI to the table. Those who prefer stock and clean Android, this is the phone for you. Being an Android One device, one can expect regular OS and security updates for a minimum of two years from the date of launch. The phone currently runs Android 10, and it would be fair to expect Android 11 on this device soon, despite Nokia having missed the June 2021 deadline for the rollout.
The Nokia 5.4 is powered by a Snapdragon 662 SoC, and you get 6 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage that can be expanded further. This phone has a 6.4-inch HD+ display with a resolution of 1560 x 720 pixels. This handset has four cameras at the back: a combination of a 48 MP primary camera, 5 MP ultrawide camera, 2 MP macro camera and 2 MP depth sensor. You get a 16 MP camera at the front for selfies and video calls. A 4,000 mAh battery keeps the phone running for over a day of moderate use.
Nokia 5.4 price in India: Rs 14,499 for 6 GB RAM / 64 GB storage
