Although most of the news tends to be about the biggest flagships, the phones most of us actually end up buying tend to be closer to the budget segment. There are a number of really good phones that you can get for less than Rs. 10,000. These phones can not measure up to the iPhone X or the Google Pixel 2 XL, but compared to similarly priced phones from even a year ago, there’s a huge step forward. The bar rises much faster at this end of the market, and that’s why when you’re looking at our list of the best phones under Rs. 10,000, you’ll see a lot of new entries this time around.
For proper comparison, we’ve restricted ourselves to only the phones that have been reviewed by Gadgets 360, and put through our stringent tests. This way, we’re able to directly compare the phones against each other on a number of different facets. Apart from that, all the phones that made the cut are only up to one year old – this is because, as we mentioned, the bar keeps rising pretty fast for phones.
With all the explanations out of the way, here are all our picks for the ten best phones under Rs. 10,000, in no particular order.
| Phone Under Rs. 10,000 | Gadgets 360 Rating |
|---|---|
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 | 8/10 |
| Moto G5 | 7/10 |
| Lenovo K8 Plus | 8/10 |
| Yu Yureka Black | 8/10 |
| Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie | 7/10 |
| Smartron srt.phone | 7/10 |
| Xiaomi Redmi Y1 | 7/10 |
Best phones under Rs. 10,000
1. Xiaomi Redmi Note 5
The newest phone on our list, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 (Review) was only launched in the middle of February, and with a starting price of Rs. 9,999, the phone barely makes the cut, but it’s an excellent pick at under Rs. 10,000, particularly in terms of the photos it can snap.
Although our review was based on the more expensive 4GB variant of the phone, the 3GB variant priced at Rs. 9,999 should be good value as well. In terms of specifications, it’s packing a 5.99-inch full-HD+ display, and there’s a 4000mAh battery. There’s a 2GHz octa-core processor, and the two RAM and storage variants are 3GB/ 32GB, and 4GB/ 64GB. The dual rear camera setup delivers great results, although the selfie camera is less impressive.
- Good
- Solid build quality
- Good battery life
- Above-average camera quality
- Bad
- Hybrid dual-SIM design
- Preinstalled bloatware
2. Moto G5
One of the oldest phones on the list, the Moto G5 (Review) is a doughty performer even today. If you have a little extra money to spend, its bigger and newer siblings make it to our list of the best phones under Rs. 15,000, but if you can’t cross Rs. 10,000, this is still one of the top contenders. Having said that, a successor to the popular phone is around the corner, so remember that if you decide to buy this one.
The phone has remained one of our top recommendations for a long time thanks to a decent camera, some really neat benefits such as free high-res backups for two years, and generally good overall performance. It has a 5-inch full-HD display, that’s powered by a 1.4GHz octa-core processor and 3GB of RAM, and there’s 16GB storage, along with a 5-megapixel front, and 13-megapixel rear camera. It doesn’t stand out, but it won’t let you down either.
- Good
- Light and easy to grip
- Stock Android Nougat
- Decent camera
- Image backups via Google Photos for two years
- Bad
- Heating issues
- Average battery performance
3. Lenovo K8 Plus
The one-time king of the ratings for under Rs. 10,000, the Lenovo K8 Plus (Review) is still a solid choice at this price point. It’s not perfect, with a bulky design and a camera that has some shortcomings as well, but getting a dual-camera device at this price point is definitely interesting.
Strong battery life, good performance, and stock Android are all good things to have, and it’s backed by pretty decent specs as well.
- Good
- Good battery life
- Stock Android
- Bad
- HDR mode isn’t very useful
- Feels bulky
- Camera lags in depth mode
4. Yu Yureka Black
The Yu Yureka Black (Review) is a good all-round option, that’s better than expected on most fronts, except for its display. Although it looks good and has solid battery life, its screen disappointed, and the low-light camera performance leaves something to be desired as well.
If the display isn’t a dealbreaker, this is actually a great option at this price point. It comes with a 5-inch full-HD display, 32GB storage and 4GB of RAM, and a 1.4GHz octa-core processor. There’s a 13-megapixel rear camera, and an 8-megapixel front camera, along with a 3000mAh battery.
- Good
- Looks good
- Solid battery life
- Decent overall performance
- Bad
- Low-light camera performance could be better
- Screen quality isn’t quite up to the mark
- Hybrid dual-SIM slot
5. Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie
Another good option under Rs. 10,000, the Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie comes in two variants, one with 3GB RAM, and one with 4GB – the latter of which is priced at Rs. 14,999. We reviewed the 3GB variant, which at Rs. 9,999 squeaks in as one of the best phones under Rs. 10,000. It’s a standout for its battery life, and it is a good all-rounder in general.
That said, despite the name, the phone does fall a little short on the camera front, especially at night. That apart, it has a moderate spec-sheet, though performance was overall good. The 5.5-inch HD display is backed up with a 1.4GHz octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB storage. There are 13-megapixel cameras on the front and back, and there’s a 3000mAh battery.
- Good
- Good battery life
- Dedicated microSD card slot
- Bad
- Average camera performance
- Slow fingerprint scanner
6. Smartron srt.phone
Good performance, useful value added services, and a nice display make the Smartron srt.phone(Review) a contender as well, although its cameras are a definite compromise. Depending on what is more important to you, this could well be the best choice, and we also liked how sturdy the phone felt to hold.
It’s packing a 5.5-inch full-HD display, with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, along with a 1.44GHz octa-core processor, so it’s definitely a strong choice on paper, particularly backed by a 3000mAh battery. The 13-megapixel rear, and 5-megapixel front cameras however, failed to impress.
- Good
- Feels sturdy
- Vivid and bight display
- Good performance
- Useful value-added services
- Bad
- Power button placement feels awkward
- Sub-par cameras
- Bland looks
7. Xiaomi Redmi Y1
The Xioami Redmi Y1 (review) is a good option in the under Rs. 10,000 segment as well. The camera is predictably a compromise although its daylight performance is not bad; however, the battery life is underwhelming. The youth-oriented phone comes with a selfie-flash as well as a nice display, but the front camera output is unfortunately grainy.
The Redmi Y1 packs a 1.4GHz octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB storage, along with a 16-megapixel front, and 13-megapixel rear camera. You also get a 3080mAh battery and a 5.5-inch HD display.
- Good
- Good display
- Selfie flash is useful
- Good daylight camera performance
- Bad
- Average low-light camera performance
- Grainy front camera output
- Underwhelming battery life
These are our picks for the best phones under Rs. 10,000 – there’s a lot of variety in these picks, and some brands which we weren’t seeing just six months ago. It is a testament to how quickly the smartphone marketplace has been changing, particularly at the entry level of the market.
Apple and Samsung and the like continue to dominate the top of the charts, but the phones that people are actually buying are changing fast, it’s clear. Which phones do you think are the best in this price segment? Tell us, and the other readers, via the comments, or vote in the poll below.
