Top 6 Smartphones under Rs 15000 in India (Nov 2021)

Reading Time: 16 minutes

Source

Last month we did a comparison between True Wireless Earbuds (TWS) under 3,000 and TWS under 5,000 which were loved by you guys. So, we have come up with another comparison blog according to the popular demand. In the earlier days, there were very few smartphones in the 15K market and even fewer smartphones that would be worth buying. In the present scenario, there are lots of options to choose from which offer a variety of options for the buyers. If you are looking for a good smartphone under Rs 15,000 in India then you have come to the right place. This segment is presently led by Xiaomi and its sub-brands including Realme and more.  It would not be wrong to say that most of these smartphones are terrific and similar in performance to some of the mid-range phones. Having said that, let us now dive into the list of the top 6 smartphones under Rs 15,000 that you can grab right now.

Top 6 Smartphones under Rs 15000 in India

• Realme 8 5G
• Moto G40 Fusion
• Redmi Note 10
• Realme Narzo 20 Pro
• Redmi Note 10S
• Samsung Galaxy M12

Realme 8 5G

Source

The Realme numbered smartphone series is similar to Redmi’s Note series of smartphones. Realme 8 5G was launched along with the superior Realme 8 Pro 5G. If you are looking to upgrade to a 5G phone on a budget, then Realme 8 is ideal for you. For someone who follows smartphone tech, you would agree that Realme is a brand that seldom compromises on the design. It is evident with the Realme 8 5G series too. The design looks impeccable along with the superior build quality. The smartphone weighs 185grams and gives a premium feel. It comes with a 6.5-inch full HD+ display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels.

The refresh rate is 90Hz, which is good for a budget smartphone. Realme 8 5G is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 700 SoC. It is important to understand that Realme 8 5G is the first device to include this chipset. If you are a gamer, then you would be disappointed as the smartphone only offers light gaming. The performance is not that great for heavy games like COD or Battlegrounds. There is a triple rear camera on the back of the smartphone which has a 48MP unit with a 2 MP macro and 2MP depth sensor. The 48MP is enough to offer excellent picture quality with extensive detailing. Along with a 5000 mAh battery at 18W the smartphone offers fast charging at a good price.

Technical Specifications

• OS – Android 11 with Realme UI 2.0
• Display – 6.5-inch Full HD+ LCD screen, 2400 x 1080 pixels, 90Hz refresh rate
• Processor – Octa-Core MediaTek Dimensity 700
• Memory – 4GB/ 8GB LPDDR4x
• Storage – 128GB storage, up to 1TB with microSD
• Front Camera – 16MP front camera with f/2.1
• Rear Camera – 48MP primary lens + 2MP B&W + 2MP macro sensor
• Connectivity – 5G, Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi 802.11, USB Type-C, 3.5mm audio jack
• Battery – 5000 mAh with 18W fast charging

Pros

• Superb display + 90Hz refresh rate
• Terrific battery life
• 48MP Sensor is extremely good
• 5G connectivity at this price

Cons

• Dismal design with a huge chin
• Not suitable for heavy gaming
• Charging speed is disappointing

You can buy it now for Rs 15,499 on Flipkart.

Moto G40 Fusion

Source

Second, on this list is the Moto G40 Fusion and Motorola has always been rocking the mid-range segment even before Xiaomi. After the takeover from Lenovo, Moto has not been a first-choice for many users and there might be many reasons for this shift. To be honest, Moto has found it difficult to sustain itself in the market after the low and mid-range smartphones have flooded the market. However, Moto G40 might just be that exception which steals the show. It is priced just under Rs 15,000 and is similar in design to the Moto G60. The G40 is slightly bulky at 225 grams but still comfy in the hands with a fingerprint sensor on the back of the device.

The display is a 6.78-inch IPS LCD panel that packs a punch despite the absence of AMOLED. The display comes with a 120Hz refresh rate and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 732 SoC which is great. It is good for light gaming, but not great at all as SoC is not recommended for gaming. It comes with a 64MP primary camera and a wide-angle sensor. The MP secondary sensor is not great but is just good enough. It comes with a 6000 mAh battery with supportive 20W fast charging.

Technical Specifications

• OS – Android 11
• Display – 6.8-inch Full HD+ screen, 1080 x 2460 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate.
• Processor – Octa-Core Snapdragon 732G
• Memory – 4GB/6GB LPDDR4x
• Storage – 64GB/128GB, up to 1TB with microsSD
• Front Camera – 16MP front camera with f/2.2 aperture
• Rear Camera – 64MP primary lens with LED flash + 8MP ultra-wide sensor with macros + 2MP depth sensor
• Connectivity – Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, VoWiFi, Bluetooth 5, GPS, 3.5 mm audio jack, USB Type-C, NFC
• Battery – 6000 mAh battery with 20W fast charging

Pros

• Decent build quality and design
• Good performance
• 120Hz refresh rate
• Exceptional battery life

Cons

• The smartphone is heavy
• Slow charging 
• Inferior secondary cameras

You can buy it now for Rs 14,499 on Flipkart.

Redmi Note 10

Source

The Redmi Note 10 is the third on our list of the best smartphones under Rs 15,000. It is an all-rounder budget smartphone that covers all the bases of a good smartphone under 15k. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 678 chipset, a superior version of the Snapdragon 675 SoC. It offers some great features in the sub 15k price segment like a Super AMOLED display, a 48MP primary lens, a huge 5,000 mAh battery with an aesthetically pleasing design. The screen size is 6.43-inches with Full HD+. Apart from this, there is an 8MP ultra-wide camera which most manufacturers skip in the budget smartphone segment.

The 48MP lens takes good shots in the day and decent images at night. Other than that, the smartphone is IP53 dust and water-resistant which you normally do not see in this segment. Hence, you get a range of value for money features in the Redmi Note 10, but the gaming performance is not that great. Additionally, you get 4GB or 6GB LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB UFS 2.2 internal storage. The processor along with the RAM makes this phone great for daily use. A superior 5,000 mAh battery is backed by a 33W fast charger inside the box.

Technical Specifications

• OS – Android 11 with MIUI 12.5
• Display – 6.43-inch Full HD+ AMOLED screen, 1080 x 2400 pixels, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Processor – Octa-Core MediaTek Dimensity 700
• Memory – 4GB/6GB LPDDR4x
• Storage – 64GB/128GB storage, up to 512GB with microSD
• Front Camera – 13MP front-facing camera
• Rear Camera – 48MP primary lens + 8MP ultra-wide sensor + 2MP depth + 2MP macro camera
• Connectivity – Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, USB Type-C, 3.5 mm audio jack
• Battery – 5000 mAh battery with 33W fast charging

Pros

• Addition of AMOLED panel
• Weighs 180g 
• Superior battery backup
• Great ROI
• Superb performance

Cons

• MIUI 12 is not for all users
• RAM management is subpar.

You can buy it now for Rs 15,989 on Flipkart

Realme Narzo 20 P

Source

Realme Narzo P series is targeted towards the younger generation and is quite a rage in the mid-range smartphone segment. The Narzo series is good for budget buyers where the Narzo 20 Pro is launched along with the Narzo 20 and Narzo 20A. The smartphone is similar to a mix of Realme 7 and Realme 7 Pro. It has a victory V-shaped design which is commonly seen on the Vivo V-series smartphones. This particular smartphone is heavy compared to the previous devices in this series and weighs about 191 grams. Now, for the display, the smartphone has a 6.5-inch IPS LCD with a 1080 x 2400 resolution at a 90Hz refresh rate.

The smartphone is powered by MediaTek Helio G95 SoC whereas the previous model had a G90T processor. It offers a great performance for daily use along with good gaming performance. The gameplay can be viewed in high graphics with great frame rates. The smartphone features a 48MP sensor with an 8MP ultrawide sensor. Both the sensors provide good performance whereas the 2MP portrait and macro camera is not a great addition for daily use. The Narzo 20P comes with a 4500mAh battery which supports 65W SuperDart charging which goes from 0 to 100 in 40 mins.

Technical Specifications

• OS – Android 10 with Realme UI
• Display – 6.5-inch Full HD+ LCD screen, 2400 x 1080 pixels, 90Hz refresh rate, Corning Gorilla Glass 3+
• Processor – Octa-Core MediaTek Helio G95
• Memory – 6GB/8GB LPDDR4x
• Storage – 64GB/128GB storage, up to 256GB with microSD
• Front Camera – 16MP front camera with f/2.1
• Rear Camera – 48MP camera + 8MP ultra-wide angle + 2MP B&W portrait camera + 2MP 4cm macro sensor.
• Connectivity – Dual 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 5, GPS, GLONASS, 3.5mm audio jack, USB Type-C
• Extra – Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
• Battery – 4500mAh battery with 65W SuperDart Charge

Pros

• Sharp display with good viewing angles
• Terrific performance at this price
• Good battery life
• 65W fast charging 

Cons

• Dismal camera quality
• Audio and haptics are average

You can buy it now for Rs 16,999 on Flipkart.

Redmi Note 10S

Source

The Redmi Note series has seen immense success in the smartphone segment in the last few years. The brand announced Redmi Note 10 Series and has announced another device to the lineup known as Redmi Note 10S. As the name suggests, this smartphone lies between the Redmi Note 10 and Redmi Note 10 Pro. It weighs about 178 grams and has a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with the fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button. It has a disappointing refresh rate of 60Hz but with bright and amazing viewing angles. 

SoC is the only difference between the Redmi Note 10 and Note 10S. Xiaomi opted to go with MediaTek instead of Snapdragon, so the smartphone is powered by MediaTek Helio G95 SoC which is a gaming processor. The smartphone has 6GB/8GB variants and comes with UFS 2.2 storage. There is a primary 64MP camera with a dynamic range. Moreover, it has a 5020 mAh battery that has 33W fast charging.

Technical Specifications

• OS – Android 11 with MIUI 12.5
• Display – 6.43-inch Full HD+ AMOLED screen, 1080 x 2400 pixels, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Processor – Octa-Core MediaTek Helio G95
• Memory – 6GB LPDDR4x
• Storage – 64GB/128GB, up to 512GB with microSD
• Front Camera – 13MP sensor f/2.45
• Rear Camera – 64MP primary lens + 8MP ultra-wide sensor + 2MP depth, and 2MP macro camera
• Connectivity – Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 5.0, 3.5mm audio jack, USB-C.
• Battery – 5000 mAh battery with 33W fast charging.

Pros

• Superior design and build
• Hi-resolution cameras
• Fast charging
• Great battery life

Cons

• Not fit for gaming
• Dismal performance
• MIUI is not for all users

You can check the smartphone on Amazon.

Samsung Galaxy M12

Source

The Samsung Galaxy M12 is the last option on this list of smartphones under Rs 15,000. Samsung has done a commendable job with the Galaxy M-series. The series itself is focused on the younger population and the same is the case with the Galaxy M12. This smartphone series can be compared with the above examples from Redmi or Realme. It comes with a 6.5-inch PLS LCD panel with a 720 x 1600 resolution along with a 90Hz refresh rate.

The Galaxy M12 is powered by Samsung Exynos 850 SoC. It performs well for the price quoted but there will be a slight lag from time to time. It is good only for light games just like all the other budget smartphones. 

A primary sensor is a 48MP unit that comes with a 5MP secondary ultrawide camera. However, it comes with an excellent battery backup – a 6000 mAh battery which can get you through a whole day or even two days of moderate use.

Technical Specifications

• OS – Android 11 with OneUI 3.1
• Display – 6.5-inch HD+ Infinity-V display, 720 x 1600 pixels, 90Hz refresh rate, Corning Gorilla Glass
• Processor – Exynos 850 Octa-Core
• Memory – 4GB/6GB LPDDR4x
• Storage – 64GB/128GB storage, up to 1TB with microSD
• Front Camera – 8MP front camera f/2.2
• Rear Camera – 48MP primary lens + 5MP ultra-wide camera + 2MP dept + 2MP macro camera
• Connectivity – 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS + GLONASS, USN Type-C, 3.5mm audio jack
• Battery – 6000 mAh battery with 15W fast charging

Pros

• Great battery + backup
• One UI is better than other available options
• The rear camera is excellent

Cons

• Slow charging
• Subpar design and build
• Dismal performance

You can buy it now for Rs 11,499 on Amazon.

Final Word

As you have seen around you, there are hundreds of options available in the smartphone segment. More often than not, the budget smartphones are good value for money and provide decent performance. What are your criteria to choose a budget smartphone under Rs 15,000? What is your favourite smartphone in the budget segment? Let us know in the comments section below.