Best Budget Smartphones in India

Best Budget Smartphones in India

With the recent surge in average selling prices of smartphones, the budget segment has become increasingly competitive. Today, budget phones offer superior hardware compared to their predecessors, boasting impressive displays, powerful processors, and more. These devices provide immersive experiences for watching movies on their large screens and effortlessly handle both intensive and everyday applications like Chrome and social media. Moreover, despite their affordable price tags, they excel in photography and videography, delivering quality results in various lighting conditions. Leading brands such as Samsung, Redmi, and Realme have entered this segment, each offering compelling devices for consumers. Popular models like the Redmi 12 5G, Poco M6 Pro, and Realme C55 are currently dominating the market. For those seeking the best value for their money, this guide presents the top budget smartphones available in India right now.

  • 1.

Redmi 12 5G

Specs Score
6.7/10
Battery Score
7/10
Screen Size: 6.79u0022
Rear camera : 50 MP
Storage: 128GB
Battery capacity: 5000 (mAh)
Feature
7.1
Performance
6.5
Value
6.7
Design
6.6
PROS:
  • Minimalistic, sleek design, Brilliant battery backup, Decent cameras
CONS:
  • Slow charging, Plenty of bloatware, Display feels dull

The Redmi 12 5G makes 5G more accessible to the masses while keeping the price in check. It sports a sleek and minimalistic design, excellent battery camera, and pretty impressive cameras for the price. The phone has an FHD+ display which actually is one of the better ones at this price and even comes with 90 Hz fast refresh rate, which makes scrolling feel smooth and responsive. The phone’s performance is adequate for the price. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 SoC runs basic apps without any instances of lag and stutter. In fact, you can even do some light gaming on this device. The primary camera on this phone is pretty good. The images aren’t the most sharp but the dynamic range is brilliant.

  • 2.
Screen Size: 6.79u0022
Rear camera : 50 MP
Storage: 64GB
Battery capacity: 5000 (mAh)
PROS:
  • Well-designed phone with a glass back, Impressive battery life, Cheapest 5G phone yet
CONS:
  • Camera’s dynamic range could be better, Only 18 W charging, Tons of bloatware

The POCO M6 Pro 5G is the cheapest 5G smartphone in the market right now. Its specifications are almost identical to the Redmi 12 5G. You’ve got the same processor, cameras, and battery. So, performance is decent and the primary camera clicks some nice pictures in daylight. The charging is quite slow though, and the phone can take a good 2-2.5 hours to charge to full. Additionally, there’s quite a bit of bloatware. Nevertheless, the phone has enough going for it for us to recommend it, especially for the classy design, impressive battery life, and cheap price tag.

Rs. 11,499
Rs. 16,999
in stock
5 new from Rs. 11,498
as of 18 Mar 2024 08:12 08:12
Amazon.in
  • 3.

Realme C55

Specs Score
5.9/10
Screen Size: 6.72u0022
Rear camera : 64 MP
Storage: 128GB
Battery capacity: 5000 (mAh)
Feature
6.5
Performance
5.6
Value
5.9
Design
5.5
PROS:
  • Excellent battery life, Fast 33 W charging
CONS:
  • No 5G support, Low read and write speeds, Mediocre cameras

What’s better than a decent all-rounder phone that doesn’t break the bank? A budget all-rounder that you can have a bit of fun with! The fun quotient comes from Realme’s ‘Mini Capsule’ feature – an iPhone Dynamic Island clone – that indicates charging status, steps walked, and more! That aside, the Realme C55 delivers excellent battery life and super fast 33 W charging at this price point which is very rare. The design is eye-catching and the display comes with 90 Hz refresh rate support. The performance is about on par with the Motorola Moto G42 and it does swimmingly with basic tasks, but gaming performance could be better.

Rs. 13,998
Rs. 15,999
in stock
2 new from Rs. 13,998
as of 19 Mar 2024 03:09 03:09
Amazon.in
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  • 4.

Moto G42

Specs Score
6.7/10
Screen Size: 6.47u0022
Rear camera : 50 MP
Storage: 64GB
Battery capacity: 5000 (mAh)
Feature
7
Performance
6.1
Value
6.6
Design
7.1
PROS:
  • Premium design for the price, Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, Impressive battery life, Bright AMOLED display
CONS:
  • Limited RAM impedes multitasking, Not for power users, Disappointing camera experience, No high refresh rate

A phone that’s fantastic value for money in the budget segment is the Motorola Moto G42. The fact that you not only get a premium design at this price but you also get stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support, a bright AMOLED display, and excellent battery life just makes this phone a no-brainer budget purchase. The cameras could be better tuned, but for casual users, it should be more than enough to get some share-worthy shots. The UI is another hit on the Moto G42 since it is very close to Stock Android and is devoid of ads and excessive bloatware that usually plagues budget phones.

  • 5.
Screen Size: 6.5u0022
Rear camera : 50 MP
Storage: 128GB
Battery capacity: 6000 (mAh)

If you’re looking for a 5G-ready phone on a budget, we would recommend that you strongly consider the Redmi 11 Prime 5G. It gets all the basics right – a powerful MediaTek 700 5G budget processor, a 90 Hz FHD+ display, 50 MP dual cameras, and a large 5,000 mAh battery. All of this makes the phone very alluring at its competitive price. Not just that, you also get dual 5G SIMs support and a premium design which makes this phone a compelling offering. However, MIUI is filled with bloatware, so keep that in mind.

  • 6.

Redmi 13C 5G

Specs Score
6.5/10
Screen Size: 6.74u0022
Rear camera : 50+ AI MP
Storage: 128 GBGB
Battery capacity: 5000 (mAh)
Features
6.4
Build and Design
6.3
Performance
6.6
Value for Money
6.5
PROS:
  • Responsive display
  • Decent performance
  • Good front camera
CONS:
  • Too much bloatware
  • Main camera lacks natural colours
  • Slippery design

The Redmi 13C 5G is a budget-friendly option, priced around ₹10,000, yet equipped with 5G capabilities—a first for the ‘C’ series. Its starry design and glass back lend a premium feel, while the 90Hz refresh rate display ensures smooth interactions. Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ chipset, it handles tasks and gaming admirably. The 5000mAh battery provides ample usage time. However, the MIUI 14 software includes pre-installed extra apps and ads, and the camera could be improved. Despite these minor drawbacks, the Redmi 13C 5G stands out for its impressive features, reliable performance, and exceptional value in the budget smartphone market.

  • 7.
Screen Size: 6.53u0022
Rear camera : 50 MP
Storage: 64GB
Battery capacity: 5000 (mAh)

If you’re looking for an attractive phone that doesn’t break the bank, the POCO C55 is a great option. It has a premium-looking leather-like rear panel that looks very aesthetically pleasing. It truly stands apart for its design. The phone is also decently powerful with the MediaTek Helio G85 processor. As for optics, you get a 50 MP dual camera setup with support for a bunch of modes such as Time-Lapse, Portrait Mode, HDR, Night Mode, and more. For people who love tinkering around with their camera app, this phone can be quite fun! The display is also great for the price – it is a large 6.71-inch HD+ screen with support for smooth 120 Hz refresh rate. So, content consumption and scrolling through social media would be a treat on this device.

Rs. 5,999
Rs. 11,999
in stock
as of 18 Mar 2024 22:29 22:29
Amazon.in
  • 8.
Screen Size: 6.5u0022
Rear camera : 13 MP
Storage: 128GB
Battery capacity: 5000 (mAh)

Lava has been bringing out some amazing phones which offer great bang for your buck in the budget segment and the Lava Blaze 2 is no different. The phone comes with a massive 6 GB of RAM which is a rarity under ₹10,000. Moreover, you also get 7 GB of virtual RAM for more robust multitasking. There’s also a 90 Hz refresh and clean Android 12 OS which makes this device very appealing. The Blaze 2 is also one of the few phones in this budget to sport a glass back – making it look more premium than its price tag.

  • 9.
Screen Size: 6.58u0022
Rear camera : 50 MP
Storage: 128GB
Battery capacity: 6000 (mAh)

Another 5G option, the Vivo T2x is a good option to consider on a budget. It doesn’t have any standout specifications though. You get a basic 6.58-inch LCD display with FHD+ resolution and no fast refresh rate support. There’s a powerful enough 7 nm MediaTek Dimensity 6020 SoC that offers decent performance for daily use. You also get a basic dual camera setup with a 50 MP main shooter. The battery is long-lasting and 18 W charging is standard at this price. All in all, a safe 5G option that doesn’t break the bank.

Rs. 13,370
Rs. 18,999
in stock
7 new from Rs. 13,370
as of 18 Mar 2024 14:47 14:47
Amazon.in
  • 10
Screen Size: 6.6u0022
Rear camera : 50 MP
Storage: 128GB
Battery capacity: 6000 (mAh)

The Samsung Galaxy M13 has great cameras at an affordable price. It has better dynamic range than most phones at this price and can even take some decent low light photos. Moreover, you also get an ultrawide lens which is a welcome bonus. The phone has a large LCD display with FHD+ resolution but there’s no fast refresh rate support. The display is protected with Gorilla Glass 5 though, which is a good thing. The best feature is the massive 6,000 mAh battery that can provide 2-3 days of continuous power.

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Dhriti Datta

Dhriti Datta

Perpetually sporting a death stare, this one can be seen tinkering around with her smartphone which she holds more dear than life itself and stuffing her face with copious amounts of bacon. View Full Profile

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