Budget smartphones have been around for a while now, but in the past, they generally came with a lot of compromises. Fortunately, those times are behind us and today you can get a reasonable smartphone experience without getting into the five-figure zone. You are unlikely to get insanely powerful processors, loads of RAM, massive megapixel cameras, rapidly updated software or super fast charging batteries.
As you step further away from the Rs 10,000 mark, even 5G will start disappearing from the spec sheet. Still, you are likely to get more than enough to meet your day-to-day needs without too much fuss.
So if you are in the market for a basic (or perhaps even your first) smartphone and do not want to spend over Rs 10,000, here are five phones that can deliver a decent punch in terms of performance while not damaging your bank balance by too much:
Poco C55: Great Specs, Easy On The Pocket
Price: Rs 7,999 onwards
If you want a decently specced device without spending too heavily, then the Poco C55 is one of your best options. It comes with a large-ish and bright 6.71-inch HD+ display and is powered by the very capable MediaTek Helio G85 processor.
A 50-megapixel main sensor delivers very good photographs in good light conditions and a 5,000mAh battery easily sees the phone through almost two days of heavy usage, although the 10W charger in the box takes a fair bit of time to recharge it fully. It also comes with a leather-finish back which makes it stand out from the crowd, and runs on the feature-rich MIUI, which some might find a little cluttered, but it adds a lot of functionality to a device even at this price point.
Perhaps the best device you can get at its price point, although the absence of 5G is a downer.
Moto E13: Hello, Super Budget-Friendly Moto
Price: Rs 6,999
The OG Moto E is famous for bringing good smartphone performance at a super affordable price to the masses, and the latest in the E series carries that tradition forward. If you are on an absolute shoestring budget and still want a reasonably feature-rich phone, then the Moto E13 remains one of your best options.
Some might quibble about the absence of 5G, but on the flip side, you get a surprisingly sleek design (Aurora Green looks good in particular), a very decent 6.5-inch HD+ display, and an efficient Unisoc T606 processor, which is not a gaming beast but gets through routine tasks smoothly.
The 5,000mAh battery charges only at 10W but on the flip side, lasts more than a day and a half of heavy usage. A 13-megapixel camera does a reasonable job of capturing images in good light conditions, and the Go Edition of Android 13 keeps the phone's interface clean and uncluttered. Perhaps the best really-tight-budget option out there.
Lava Blaze 2 5G: Blazing A Good Value For Money Trail
Price: Rs 9,999 onwards
Leading Indian smartphone brand Lava has been making its presence in the budget smartphone segment, thanks to devices like the Blaze 2 5G. T
The Blaze 5G comes with a very striking design which features a glass back and a very different circular camera unit with what Lava calls a Ring Light. Its 6.5-inch display is HD+ and not full-HD+, but is reasonably bright and has a 90 Hz refresh rate. It comes with a very good 50-megapixel main sensor, accompanied by a limited 0.08-megapixel secondary sensor.
A key attraction of the phone is support for 5G and its clean Android interface, as well as its 5,000mAh battery which comfortably lasts close to two days.
What's more, it comes with a very brisk 18W charger. A good option for those who want a striking design, long battery life and a close-to-stock Android interface.
Samsung Galaxy M04: The Budget-Friendly Galaxy
Price: Rs 8,499
If you are looking for a Samsung smartphone experience on a tight budget, then the Galaxy M04 is the phone for you. The phone comes with a basic, clean design but inside that plain exterior lie some decent specs.
The Galaxy M04 comes with a large and bright 6.5-inch display with HD+ resolution and is powered by the MediaTek Helio P35, which is known for its efficiency. Its 13-megapixel main camera delivers some very good snaps (better than some of its big megapixel competitors) and its 2-megapixel depth sensor helps in delivering some good portrait snaps.
The phone comes with Samsung's OneUI interface, which is a little cluttered, but comes with a number of features that basic smartphone users will appreciate. What's more, it comes with an assurance of two years of software updates, which is rare in this price segment.
The star of the show is the large 5,000mAh battery, which keeps the phone going comfortably for two days, and also comes with support for 15W wired charging. The absence of 5G rankles, but if that is not a deal-breaker for you, there is plenty of good in the Galaxy M04 for its price.
Poco M6 Pro 5G: Slightly Over Rs 10k, But Well Worth It
Price: Rs 10,999 onwards
Its price does go slightly across the Rs 10,000 mark, but the Poco M6 Pro is frequently available for just under that mark as part of several deals and offers. And even if it does stray slightly north of Rs 10,000, we would recommend this because it is hands down the best value-for-money device in this list — some even consider it to be a rebranded version of the bestselling Redmi 12 (we are not complaining!).
The Poco M6 Pro packs a 6.79-inch FHD+ display with 90Hz refresh rate and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chip, both of which are the best in this list. It also comes with a very good 50-megapixel main camera and a massive 5000 mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging and a 22.5W charger in the box.
Top that off with 5G support and a feature-rich interface based on MIUI and you have perhaps the most full-featured device in this list. And it looks good in an elegant understated way too.
