If you’re in the market to buy a new phone, but want to get something nicer than an entry level handset, there are some really nice options between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 15,000 these days. Although they might lose out to their more expensive siblings in some ways – most notably the camera – the overall experience of owning a phone in this bracket has gotten pretty good, and with regular online sales, you can manage to get some of these phones for even less than Rs. 15,000.
We’ve put together a list of our top picks under Rs. 15,000. As usual, these phones are all ones that we have reviewed at Gadgets 360, putting them through our usual battery of tests to measure them on a number of parameters. All the phones have released within a year, and these were the ones with good scores in most categories, and the best overall ratings. With that in mind, here are our picks for the best phones under Rs. 15,000.
| Phone | Rating |
|---|---|
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro | 9 |
| Moto G5S Plus | 8 |
| Xiaomi Mi A1 | 8 |
| Lenovo K8 Note | 8 |
| Cool Play 6 | 8 |
| Xiaomi Mi Max 2 | 8 |
| Moto G5S | 8 |
Best phones under Rs. 15,000
1. Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro
The newest addition to Xiaomi’s lineup in India, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro (review) is the highest-rated phone in this segment right now, getting a 10 on 10 in terms of its value for money. Xiaomi has really stepped up its camera game with this phone, and battery life remains a selling point too.
In terms of specs, the Redmi Note 5 Pro is a 5.99-inch full-HD+ 18:9 aspect ratio display, a Snapdragon 636 SoC with a 1.8Ghz octa-core processor 4GB of RAM, and 64GB storage, a 20-megapixel selfie-camera, and 12-megapixel and 5-megapixel dual-cameras at the back. There’s a 4000mAh battery as well, and it’s priced at Rs. 13,999. There’s also a 6GB RAM variant, but that comes at Rs. 16,999.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro
Buy- REVIEW
- KEY SPECS
- NEWS
- Good
- Bright and vivid display
- Good build quality
- Competent cameras
- Great value
- Bad
- Fast charger not bundled
- Lacks USB Type-C
- Preinstalled bloatware
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro (Gold, 64GB, 4GB RAM) – OFFER – Coming SoonRs.13,999
Aside from this, there’s also the Redmi Note 5 (4GB) (review) that bears mention. Priced a little above Rs. 10,000 (it’s selling for Rs. 11,999, while the 3GB variant is priced at Rs. 9,999), the Redmi Note 5 is also a strong contender. It gets overshadowed by the Note 5 Pro, but delivers the same great battery life and good performance, and is good value for money too. The camera does better than you’d expect, and it has the good build quality that Xiaomi has been delivering.
It’s pretty similar, but it’s running on Snapdragon 625 and there are a few other differences as well. Most notably, it has a single 12-megapixel camera on the rear, and a 5-megapixel camera on the front.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5
Buy- REVIEW
- KEY SPECS
- NEWS
- Good
- Solid build quality
- Good battery life
- Above-average camera quality
- Bad
- Hybrid dual-SIM design
- Preinstalled bloatware
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 (Black, 32GB, 3GB RAM) – Coming SoonRs.9,999
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 (Gold, 32GB, 3GB RAM) – Coming SoonRs.9,999
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 (Black, 64GB, 4GB RAM) – Coming SoonRs.11,999
2. Moto G5S Plus
The Moto G-family of phones has long dominated this price segment, and the Moto G5S Plus (Review) is no exception. It’s a well-made phone and it charges quickly, though it gets a little warm in use.
With a 5.5-inch full-HD display, 64GB storage, 4GB of RAM, and a 2GHz octa-core processor, you’re not losing out in terms of hardware. It has a dual-camera setup on the rear, although the 3000mAh battery is a little less than you’d expect.
Motorola Moto G5S Plus
Buy- REVIEW
- KEY SPECS
- NEWS
- Good
- Good build quality
- Stock Android
- Turbo charging support
- Decent camera performance
- Bad
- Slightly bulky
- No VoLTE support at launch
- Gets warm in use
- No notification light
- Motorola Moto G5S Plus (Lunar Grey, 64GB, 4GB RAM) –Rs.14,790
- Motorola Moto G5S Plus (Lunar Grey, 64GB, 4GB RAM)Rs.14,999
Refurbished – Motorola Moto G5s Plus (Gold, 64GB, 4GB RAM)Rs.13,899
3. Xiaomi Mi A1
Xiaomi’s Redmi series has helped it to cement a very strong position in the under Rs. 10,000 space, and with the Xiaomi Mi A1 (Review), the company now has a really good option under Rs. 15,000 as well. Partnering with Google as a part of the updated Android One initiative means that the company has ensured fast system updates and the latest software, and a recent price cut means that the phone is really value-for-money.
Like the Moto G5S Plus, the Mi A1 has a 5.5-inch full-HD display, 64GB storage, 4GB of RAM, and a 2GHz octa-core processor. It also has a dual-rear camera setup, and a marginally bigger 3080mAh battery. Battery life could be better, but otherwise, it’s a great buy.
Xiaomi Mi A1
Buy- REVIEW
- KEY SPECS
- NEWS
- Good
- Stock Android with some Mi enhancements
- Premium design
- Dual cameras
- Bad
- Average battery life
- Very slippery
- Poor photo quality in low light
- Xiaomi Mi A1 (Black, 64GB, 4GB RAM)Rs.13,999
- Refurbished – Xiaomi Mi A1 (64GB, 4GB RAM) RedRs.14,799
4. Lenovo K8 Note
A solid buy that feels good to hold and performs well too, the Lenovo K8 Note (Review) has been a regular on these lists. It also has a fun feature in the form of Lenovo’s TheatreMax VR, which lets you turn the phone into a virtual cinema.
The Lenovo K8 Note has a full-HD 5.5-inch display, along with a 1.4GHz processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB storage. It has a big 4000mAh battery, and dual-cameras on the back. The camera performance is pretty good at the price, though low-light performance could be improved upon.
Lenovo K8 Note
Buy- REVIEW
- KEY SPECS
- NEWS
- Good
- Android Nougat
- Solid build quality
- Dedicated slots for SIM and MicroSD cards
- Customisable Music Key
- TheaterMax VR support
- Bad
- Gets warm quickly
- Poor low-light camera performance
- Average battery life
- Lenovo K8 Note (Venom Black, 32GB, 3GB RAM) –Rs.11,596
- Lenovo K8 Note (Fine Gold, 32GB, 3GB RAM) – OFFERRs.11,640
- Refurbished – Lenovo K8 Note (Gold, 32GB)Rs.10,899
5. Cool Play 6
A good all-rounder with a really long battery life, the Cool Play 6 (Review) is a strong contender at this price point. The camera could be better, but speed and battery life are both good, and the fingerprint scanner was also really quick.
The Cool Play 6 also packs a full-HD 5.5-inch display, and it has a 1.4GHz processor with 64GB storage, and a whopping 6GB of RAM. There’s a 4060mAh battery, and 13-megapixel and 8-megapixel rear and front cameras. It’s a good all-rounder that performs well, making it a solid choice.
Coolpad Cool Play 6
Buy- REVIEW
- KEY SPECS
- NEWS
- Good
- Good performance
- Decent battery life
- Fast fingerprint scanner
- Bad
- Average camera performance
- Slow charging
- Coolpad Cool Play 6 (Sheen Black, 64GB, 6GB RAM) –Rs.14,999
- Refurbished – Coolpad Cool Play 6 (Sheen Black, 64GB, 6GB RAM)Rs.13,499
6. Xiaomi Mi Max 2
Xiaomi’s almost-tablet scores poorly on the camera, which almost made us drop it from the list, but apart from that one facet, it’s a strong choice for a number of reasons, first and foremost being that its battery simply does not run out. Despite the huge screen, the Mi Max 2 (Review) looks nice and feels comfortable to hold, and its performance is quite good for the price as well. And we’ll say it again – you can’t beat the battery life.
It’s got an enormous 6.44-inch full-HD display, and comes with a 2GHz processor and 4GB of RAM. The 32GB variant is available for Rs. 12,999, while the 64GB variant also makes this list, priced at Rs. 14,999 – we’d recommend the latter if its in your budget, because that’s a small difference for a lot of extra storage. It has 12-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front cameras, along with a huge 5300mAh battery.
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
Buy- REVIEW
- KEY SPECS
- NEWS
- Good
- Premium looks and solid build quality
- Battery life is impressive
- Overall performance is decent
- Quick charging support
- Bad
- Too bulky for any pocket
- Hybrid dual-SIM slot
- Camera could have been better
- Xiaomi Mi Max 2 (Black, 32GB, 4GB RAM)Rs.13,950
- Xiaomi Mi Max 2 (Black, 64GB, 4GB RAM)Rs.15,999
- Refurbished – Xiaomi Mi Max 2 (Black, 64GB, 4GB RAM)Rs.14,499
7. Moto G5S
The Moto G5S (Review) is – as the name suggests – the smaller sibling of the G5S Plus. It’s a good all-rounder, but like the Mi Max 2, suffers in the camera department. If taking pictures is a priority, consider the G5S Plus instead – but if you’re looking for an otherwise great phone, that’s well built and really nice to hold, and where you’re getting near-stock Android with relatively fast updates, then the Moto G5S is a contender.
The smaller 5.2-inch display brings it to a really nice size, and it has a 1.4GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB storage. The 3000mAh battery isn’t overly-huge by any means, but thanks to the smaller screen size, it does a good job anyway. We’re also fans of the design, though if you feel bigger is better, this isn’t going to be the pick for you.
Motorola Moto G5S
Buy- REVIEW
- KEY SPECS
- NEWS
- Good
- Easy to hold and use
- Good build quality
- Good battery life
- Stock Android
- Turbo charging support
- Bad
- No notification light
- Average low-light camera performance
- Gets warm
- Slightly overpriced
- Motorola Moto G5S (Lunar Gray, 32GB, 4GB RAM)Rs.12,735
- Motorola Moto G5S (Fine Gold, 32GB, 4GB RAM) –Rs.12,999
- Refurbished – Motorola Moto G5S (Grey, 32GB, 4GB RAM) grayRs.11,599
That rounds up our picks for the best phones you can buy right now under Rs. 15,000. Do you think we missed someone? Want to share your experiences using one of these phones? Tell us, and the other readers, via the comments.
[“Source-gadgets.ndtv”]
