Best Phones Under 12000 in India

The Poco M3 is the company’s latest affordable Poco device that offers a whopping 6GB of RAM, in comparison to the 4GB RAM in the global variant of the device. It is extremely rare to find a smartphone that offers 6GB RAM in this price segment which is what makes the Poco M3 such a steal for the competitive Rs 10,999 pricing for the base variant. 6GB LPDDR4X RAM is paired with up to 128GB of UFS 2.2 internal storage and users can also expand the storage by up to 512GB via microSD card. The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 SoC and the Adreno 610 GPU, which makes it snappy enough for basic tasks, multitasking and even some gaming. You get a 6.53-inch Full HD+ display with a dewdrop shaped notch for the selfie camera. The device also comes with Widevine L1 certification, so you can stream HD content on OTT platforms. The device houses a triple rear camera setup, with a 48-megapixel primary lens, a 2-megapixel macro lens, and another 2-megapixel depth sensor. One of the best things about this device is its premium looking, textured back finish, which not only looks great but also keeps fingerprints at bay.

The Realme 7i is a part of the company’s affordable ‘i’ series. The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor, which is a tried and tested chipset used in budget smartphones. The phone comes with a 720p resolution display, which is, unfortunately, a downgrade from its predecessor, the Realme 6i that had a Full HD+ display. The 6.5-inch display, however, does support 90Hz refresh rate which makes scrolling feel smoother. The phone runs Realme UI on top of Android 10. It comes with 4GB LPDDR4X RAM and users can choose between 64GB or 128GB UFS 2.1 internal storage variants. The phone also houses a quad rear camera stack that includes a 64MP primary lens with f/1.8 aperture, an 8MP ultrawide lens with f/2.3 aperture, a 2MP macro lens and finally, a 2MP depth lens. You also get a pretty decent 16MP selfie camera with an f/2.1 aperture. Video recording tops out at 1080p at 30fps and it comes with gyro-EIS for stabilisation. The device houses a large 5,000mAh battery with support for 18W Fast Charging via a USB-C charging cable. Users can choose between two colours - Aurora Green and Polar Blue.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 with the MediaTek Helio G85 under the hood does perform decently well for the price. The chipset is tuned for gaming but everyday tasks like reading articles, browsing social media, watching videos, texting, calling, and the likes happen quite effortlessly. It is even possible to game at Medium graphics on this SoC pretty smoothly. The phone's camera is also pretty decent and at par with most other offerings in this segment with the 48-megapixel quad-camera stack at the back. You also have an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 2-megapixel macro shooter, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. For the selfie camera, you get a 13-megapixel lens. The Redmi Note 9 comes equipped with a 5020mAh battery and 18W fast charging and 9W reverse wired charging, which makes it a reliable smartphone to use. The phone also has a pretty decent rear fingerprint sensor. The display is a 6.53-inch IPS LCD display at Full HD+ resolution. The phone’s specifications and feature-set make it a value for money device that is easy to recommend for those looking for a smartphone under Rs 12,000.

The Motorola Moto G30 is the company’s new entrant in its G series in India, alongside the Motorola Moto G10 Power. The G30 is the more expensive of the two devices but comes with a pocket-friendly price tag of Rs 10,999. The phone features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. The phone houses a 6.5-inch display with HD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. The phone ships with Android 11 out of the box and comes with Motorola’s ThinkShield technology, an end-to-end security layer for the smartphone. The phone is also equipped with a quad-camera setup consisting of a 64MP main lens, an 8MP ultrawide shooter, and two 2MP macro and depth sensors. The selfie camera is 13MP and is housed in a dewdrop notch. The Moto G30 doesn’t exactly impress in any one particular area but does a bit of everything considerably well for the price. The phone has decent cameras, bloatware-free software, a high refresh rate display, and good battery life.

The Realme Narzo 20 is a pretty capable budget smartphone under Rs 12,000. It is powered by the capable MediaTek Helio G85 chipset with an octa-core CPU with a max clock speed of 2.0Ghz. For graphics, it houses the Mali-G52 MC2. The device is backed by a massive 6,000mAh battery, and it comes with 18W fast charging via a USB-C cable. The phone features a pretty decent 6.5-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels. You get 4GB of RAM and two storage variants including a 64GB and 128GB variant. As for the cameras, the phone houses a triple rear camera setup that includes a Samsung GM1 48-megapixel main sensor, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 2MP macro lens. You also get an 8MP lens for selfies. Video recording tops out at 1080p at 30fps for both front and back cameras. The phone has a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor which is pretty reliable, for the most part. The device is available in two colours - Glory Silver and Victory Blue. The device, as per the company, prioritises performance and gaming, so those looking for a budget smartphone that is relatively speedy and responsive can consider the Realme Narzo 20 as a good option at this price point.

The Micromax In Note 1 is the company’s budget offering that comes with a clean stock Android experience with no bloatware. For purists who are looking for a clean and distraction-free experience, this device is a good option in the sub-12K price range. The base 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage variant is priced at Rs 10,999 while the 4GB RAM and 128GB internal storage variant is priced at Rs 12,499. The device is powered by the MediaTek Helio G85 processor that is often used in budget smartphones. This particular processor is pretty decent for mobile gaming as well. As for the display, you get a 6.67-inch IPS LCD display with Full HD+ resolution. The display has a 20:9 aspect ratio and has a peak brightness of about 450 nits. For optics, you get a quad rear camera stack with a 48-megapixel primary lens, a 5-megapixel ultrawide shooter, a 2-megapixel macro lens, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. For selfies, you have a 16MP camera. You also get a pretty large 5,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging as well as wired reverse charging. The battery should push light users through approximately 2 days of usage, which is pretty good at this price point.

The Samsung M12 packs a large 6,000mAh battery with 15W fast charging, which makes it a good long-lasting, entry-level smartphone for first-time smartphone users. This is 1,000mAh higher than its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy M11. The smartphone runs Samsung’s OneUI 3.1 with Android 11 on top, offering plenty of features for users to play around within the UI. The phone comes with a 6.5-inch display with a resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels and an 81.9 percent screen to body ratio. It is powered by the Exynos 850 SoC, running on an 8nm process, with a max clock speed of 2.0Ghz, alongside the Mali-G52 GPU. The phone is available in two different RAM+storage variants - 4GB RAM + 64GB internal storage and 6GB RAM + 128GB internal storage. You can also expand the memory via microSD card. The Galaxy M11 houses a triple rear camera setup that includes a 48MP primary lens. In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy M11 only had a modest 13MP primary shooter. You also get a 5MP ultrawide shooter, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 2MP macro lens. There’s an 8MP front camera for selfies that resides in a dew-drop shaped cutout on the screen. Video recording tops out at 1080p at 30fps for both the rear and selfie camera. There’s a side-mounted fingerprint sensor as well and the phone comes in three colours - Attractive Black, Elegant Blue, and Trendy Emerald Green.

The Redmi 9 Power is one of Xiaomi’s smartphones that is targeted towards the crowd that hold battery life as the most crucial element in smartphones. It is a budget smartphone that comes equipped with a massive 6,000mAh battery that can reliably get medium to heavy users through a day and a half (or even more) of usage on a single charge. You also get 18W fast charging support. The phone packs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 SoC which performs decently well when performing basic tasks, multitasking and even gaming. This is paired with 4GB LPDDR4X RAM along with 64GB / 128GB of internal storage. Users can also expand the storage up to 512GB via microSD card should they need to. The phone features a quad rear camera setup that includes a 48MP main sensor, an 8MP ultrawide lens, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. For selfies, you get a pretty decent 8MP front camera that even shoots acceptable Portrait mode shots. The phone is available in four different colours - Mighty Black, Fiery Red, Electric Green, and Blazing Blue.

The Realme C25 is an entry-level smartphone from the company that launched in April alongside the Realme C20 and Realme C21. It is a good value for money smartphone that doesn’t skimp out on too many features while keeping the price easy on the pockets. The phone is priced at Rs 9,999 for the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage variant, and it comes with another 128GB ROM variant that is priced at Rs 10,999. You get a large 6.5-inch IPS LCD display with HD+ resolution. The phone is powered by the moderately capable MediaTek Helio G70 SoC paired alongside 4GB RAM and 64 / 128GB storage. It runs Android 11 on top of Realme UI 2.0 that provides plenty of customisation options for users. The phone is backed by a massive 6,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging. As for the optics, the Realme C25 comes packing a triple camera setup consisting of a 13MP primary sensor, a 2MP B&W portrait lens, and a 2MP macro shooter. On the front, the phone sports a 8MP selfie camera.