Here Are The Best Budget Smartphones In 2018 In Sub-Rs. 15,000 Segment

Plenty of smartphones have been launched in 2018 across all price ranges. But the most active segment in the Indian market is the budget ones. In the segment, many phone makers have been trying to compete with each other for the leading position. And as a result, there are quite a lot of devices in the under-Rs 15,000 segment. We have compiled a list of the best budget smartphones in the sub-Rs. 15,000 segment in India in 2018.

Realme U1

The Realme U1 is claimed to be a selfie-centric smartphone. And it is also the first device to be packed with a Helio P70 SoC in the Indian market. The handset has a 6.3-inch display with a water-drop notch and two models, including a 3G of RAM/32GB of storage base variant and 4GB of RAM/64GB of storage top-end variant.

With the P70 SoC, the phone has a better performance than the Snapdragon 660 and Helio P60 in CPU tests. The camera performance of the Realme U1 in daylight, as well as its fast Face Recognition system, are just great. However, its camera performs somewhat poorly in the low-light conditions, and it also doesn’t support video stabilization and 4K video recording.

Xiaomi Redmi 6

The Xiaomi Redmi 6 is truly a successor the popular Xiaomi Redmi 5. It is powered by a Helio P22 chipset with 3GB RAM and 32GB/64GB storage. Consumers can also expand its storage up to 256GB via the microSD slot.

The Xiaomi budget smartphone support dual-SIM and 4G VoLTE on both of its SIM slots. The most notable features on the Xiaomi handset are its great build quality and battery life. As a budget smartphone, it also has several weaknesses such as average camera performance in low-light conditions and the MIUI filled with ads and notifications

Honor 8X

Honor 8X is another attempt of Honor to grab the budget smartphone market share. Different from Xiaomi, Honor paid more attention to the design of its Honor 8X. The handset comes with a stunning design and a premium feel in comparison with other devices at the same price range. But not only it is well-designed, but it also features Kirin 710 chipset which is a recently released SoC and has a better performance compared to the Snapdragon 660 and 636 SoCs.

The things we don’t like in this Honor 8x are its average performance, and it is bulky to use.

Realme 1

Realme 1, the first smartphone released by former Oppo’s sub-brand Realme, has got some impact on the smartphone market. Featuring a Helio P60 processor, the Realme 1 is ahead of many smartphones in the specifications department. The handset was released at a price from Rs. 8,990 for the variant with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. Sadly, Realme no longer offers the 3GB RAM base variant, leaving consumers with two options left (4GB RAM/64GB storage - Rs. 10,490 and 6GB RAM/128GB storage - Rs. 12,990).

The first Realme’s device has a decent 3,410 mAh battery and a unique design. Overall, the device offers a good value for the money, but it doesn’t have a fingerprint sensor and runs a cluttered operating system. And similar to the above smartphones, again, it has average cameras.

Realme 2 Pro

Realme applied the similar formula on its Realme 1 for the Realme 2 Pro. Hence, the Realme 2 Pro comes with a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC and a 3,500 mAh battery. Following the ubiquitous notch trend, the Realme 2 Pro also has a water-drop notch on its display. It comes in three variants, including 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage base variant, 6GB of RAM and 64GB storage model and a top-end option with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

It’s also among a limited number of smartphones to sport 8GB RAM with a price of under Rs. 20,000. The Realme 2 Pro is priced from Rs. 13,999 to Rs. 17,990. It has a fast Face ID feature and a great build quality, but its laminated back scuffs pretty easily and again, its camera performs just average in low-light conditions.

Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1

Asus, a Taiwanese phone maker among many Chinese ones in the Indian market, has been very active in 2018 and one of the most prominent devices of Asus is the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1. It was released as a competitor for another prominent handset in the market, the Redmi Note 5 Pro. It is powered by a Snapdragon 636 SoC along with 3/4/6GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of storage. Furthermore, the top-end variant with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage has a better camera setup.

The ZenFone Max Pro M1 has been praised for its vibrant display and decent build quality. And it is also powered by a massive 5,000 mAh battery though it still has a low weight of 180 grams. However, despite featuring a 5,000 mAh battery, its battery life is quite disappointing which has already been improved after several software updates. Moreover, when we reviewed this handset, we thought its camera app to be quite awkward, and again, it has an average camera performance.

Nokia 5.1 Plus

HMD Global has been making smartphones under the Nokia name and targeting multiple segments. Its Nokia 5.1 Plus was released to join the competition in the budget segment. It is powered by a Helio P60 SoC along with 3GB RAM/32GB storage. HDM has set its price from Rs. 10,999.

The Nokia 5.1 Plus is a part of the Android One Program of Google, which means that it will be able to receive security and software updates. The things we like on the Nokia 5.1 Plus are its impressive build quality and USB-C port. Its camera performance (again?) and hybrid-SIM slot are its shortcomings.

Xiaomi Mi A2

The Xiaomi Mi A2 came as a surprise as the device offered a combination of the stock version of Android and Xiaomi’s hardware. It is packed with a Snapdragon 660 SoC along with 4GB/6GB RAM and 64/128GB of storage with no expanding storage.

As generally seen with Xiaomi handsets, Xiaomi priced its Mi A2 aggressively at Rs. 16,999. We liked its dual camera setup which was able to capture good pictures in low-light conditions though it has a relatively battery life with a 3000 mAh battery.

Xiaomi Redmi 6A

Xiaomi launched the Redmi 6A as a successor to its prominent Redmi 5A, and the device targeted the entry-level segment with a price of Rs. 5,999, but it was quickly increased to Rs. 6,599 due to the rupee-dollar fluctuations, before being reduced to the initial price tag. The Red Mi 6A has an 18:9 aspect ratio display in a relatively small body which is comfortable to hold and good-looking as well.

It is packed with a Helio A22 SoC with 2GB RAM and 16/32GB storage. The device can support dual 4G but only support VoLTE one SIM at a time. Similar to other Xiaomi devices, one downside of this handset is its full of ads.

Infinix Note 5

The Infinix Note 5 is the first device to be a part of the Android One program of Google. It offers quite a decent value to the consumers who have a low budget. The Infinix Note 5 has a vivid and crisp display with a price tag of under Rs. 10,000. It is also packed with a Helio P23 SoC which is decent in its price range.

Its 4,500 mAh battery is also another strong side of this Infinix handset. However, again, it has a below average camera performance in low-light conditions and unreliable fingerprint sensor.