Best Budget Smartphones in India
If you are scouring the smartphone market in India for a cheap smartphone available in a budget, there is a huge catalogue to choose from. The best budget smartphones in India have grown from strength to strength and can also take on more expensive smartphones with relative ease. The top budget phones in India now offer high refresh rate displays, high-resolution multi-camera setups, good designs and hassle-free software. So, we put together our list of the best budget mobile phones for 2021 across various brands. Our best budget mobiles list gives the best options for buyers wanting a cheap smartphone available without breaking the bank. These pocket-friendly phones offer the best possible value in terms of specs, features and build quality. We have suggested most budget smartphones that are under 15K, or a little over 15K, since they provide a ton of compelling features and specs that can give even mid to high-end phones some thorough competition.
The Realme Narzo 30 Pro is a mid-range smartphone that packs some impressive specs for the price including the MediaTek Dimensity 800U SoC running on a 7nm process, a 48MP primary camera, a 120Hz IPS-LCD display and not to mention a 5000mAh battery. You get 6GB of RAM and 64GB internal storage on the base variant of this device. The gaming performance of the smartphone is decent and normal, light usage such as email, taking photos, listening to music and general multi-tasking does work without much of a hitch. The cameras, on the other hand, feel just about average, with low light performance being particularly disappointing. The battery life on the phone is definitely commendable, as long as the display is left at 60Hz, although that shouldn’t discourage you from using the 120Hz mode given the availability of 30W fast charging. The battery is a 5,000mAh unit and should be enough to get users through a day of usage, at 60Hz. The device is also 5G ready and it supports 5G+5G dual standby, allowing users to use 5G on either of the SIM slots. Overall, it’s a good budget smartphone for those who want a feature-laden phone without breaking the bank.
Pros
Pros- 120Hz refresh rate display.
- Satisfactory performance.
Cons
Cons- Lacklustre camera performance.
- Display not colour accurate.
| SPECIFICATION | ||
|---|---|---|
| Screen Size | : | 6.5″ (1080 x 2400) |
| Camera | : | 48 + 8 + 2 + 2 | 16 MP |
| RAM | : | 6 GB |
| Battery | : | 5000 mAh |
| Operating system | : | Android |
| Soc | : | MediaTek MT6853 Dimensity 800U 5G |
| Processor | : | Octa-core |
  |
Available |
₹ 16999 |
Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 10, Redmi Note 10 Pro, and the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max in India, all part of the popular mid-range smartphone segment that has been growing by leaps and bounds. The successor to the popular Redmi Note 9 Pro, the Note 10 Pro features a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and Full HD+ resolution. The display has HDR10 support and comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection. Unlike the global variant of the Redmi Note 10 Pro that has a 108MP primary lens, the Indian variant gets a 64MP primary Samsung GW3 lens alongside an 8MP ultrawide lens, a 5MP tele-macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. The phone also houses a 16MP front camera inside a punch-hole cutout. As for performance, the phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G processor paired with the Adreno 618 GPU. It runs MIUI 12 which is built on top of Android 11. The device scored lower than the Realme Narzo 30 Pro in synthetic benchmarks but its general performance is pretty satisfactory and it is good at handling intensive games such as Call of Duty Mobile. Users can also choose between three storage variants – 6GB RAM + 64GB internal storage, 6GB RAM + 128GB internal storage, or 8GB RAM + 128GB internal storage. The base variant is priced at Rs 15,999 and it boasts a plethora of premium features and a reliable chipset for this price. Lastly, you get a sizable 5,020mAh battery with 33W fast charging support.
| SPECIFICATION | ||
|---|---|---|
| Screen Size | : | 6.67″ (1080 x 2400) |
| Camera | : | 108 + 8 + 5 + 2 | 16 MP |
| RAM | : | 6 GB |
| Battery | : | 5050 mAh |
| Operating system | : | Android |
| Soc | : | Qualcomm SM7150 Snapdragon 732G |
| Processor | : | Octa-core |
| Price | : | ₹15999 |
Realme is a mid-range smartphone that does not compromise on specs and eye-grabbing features despite its competitive price point. Priced at Rs 17,999 for the base variant, the Realme 8 Pro offers a massive 108-megapixel ISOCELL HM2 sensor, the same one that’s found in the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max. You also get an 8MP ultrawide lens, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP B&W lens. The 108MP lens performs very well under well-lit conditions and the ultrawide lens also does a decent job. The low light performance of the camera is, however, average at best. The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G SoC, fabricated on an 8nm process, alongside an Adreno 618 GPU. Depending on the variant you buy, you can get either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. The phone works well when it comes to multitasking, gaming, browsing the web, and social media. It houses a 4,500mAh battery that does decently well and it should last most users a day, unless they are heavy users. As for the display, you get a 6.4-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution. There’s no 120Hz refresh rate, just the standard 60Hz refresh rate unfortunately.
Pros
- Versatile camera set-up
- Big battery
- Aggressive price tag
Cons
- Night mode could be better
- Basic design
- No fast-refresh rate display
| SPECIFICATION | ||
|---|---|---|
| Screen Size | : | 6.4″ (1080 x 2400) |
| Camera | : | 108 + 8 + 2 + 2 | 16 MP |
| RAM | : | 6 GB |
| Battery | : | 4500 mAh |
| Operating system | : | Android |
| Soc | : | Qualcomm SM7125 Snapdragon 720G |
| Processor | : | Octa-core |
| |
Available |
₹ 17999 |
The Poco X3 is a mid-range phone that is the latest entrant in the Poco X series. The device boasts of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G SoC which is the updated version of the Snapdragon 730G that powered its predecessor, the Poco X2. On top of that, you also get a gigantic 6,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging support. The base 6GB RAM + 64GB storage variant is available for Rs 14,499 now and this is truly one of the best value for money smartphones on the market under 15K. There’s even a 8GB RAM + 128GB ROM variant available for Rs 17,499. As for the display, you get a large 6.67-inch Full HD+ display with a 120Hz maximum refresh rate that can be toggled down to 60Hz to save battery, if you should need it. The panel also has a 240Hz touch sampling rate, making the phone extremely responsive and good for gaming. Moreover you also get stereo speakers on the Poco X3 and the phone is also rated IP53 water and dust resistant. The phone also comes with a quad camera setup with a 64MP main lens. You also have a 20MP selfie shooter. It’s a phone with an extremely impressive feature-set, a powerful SoC, and a massive battery under 15K.
| SPECIFICATION | ||
|---|---|---|
| Screen Size | : | 6.67″ (1080 x 2340) |
| Camera | : | 64 + 13 + 2 + 2 | 20 MP |
| RAM | : | 6 GB |
| Battery | : | 6000 mAh |
| Operating system | : | Android |
| Soc | : | Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G |
| Processor | : | Octa-core |
| |
Available |
₹ 14999 |
The Samsung Galaxy M31 is essentially an upgrade to the popular Galaxy M30s and comes with upgraded RAM, a fourth rear camera, and out-of-the-box Android 10. It is powered by Samsung’s Exynos 9611 SoC which is a pretty capable processor at this price range. The phone comes with a decent 6GB of RAM and you get to choose between two storage variants – 64GB or 128GB. You also get a quad rear camera setup with a 64MP primary lens that takes 16MP binned shots by default. It also packs a massive 6,000mAh battery with 15W fast charging support. The phone sports a gorgeous 6.4-inch AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution, making it a great device for content consumption. The front display comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for protection against scratches. Overall, this is a great value for money device with decent specs and features, and the phone is especially suitable for those who value battery life over everything else.
| SPECIFICATION | ||
|---|---|---|
| Screen Size | : | 6.4″ (1080 x 2340) |
| Camera | : | 68 + 8 + 5 +5 | 32 MP |
| RAM | : | 6 GB |
| Battery | : | 6000 mAh |
| Operating system | : | Android |
| Soc | : | Exynos 9611 |
| Processor | : | Octa-core |
The Motorola One Fusion+ is one of the most powerful budget phones on the market thanks to the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G SoC powering it. The phone delivers smooth frame rates while gaming and handles most day-to-day tasks with ease. You get a clean, bloatware-free near stock Android experience. The phone comes with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. You get a 6.5-inch IPS LCD display with no interruptions since it comes with a pop-out selfie camera. However, there’s no fast refresh rate as we see in many other phones in its price range. The phone is powered by a sizable 5,000mAh battery and it comes with an 18W TurboCharger in the box for fast charging. You get a quad-camera setup with a 64MP main camera, an 8MP ultrawide lens, a 5MP macro shooter, and a 2MP depth sensor. The front 16MP selfie shooter pops out of the body of the phone every time you switch over to selfie mode. Overall, the Motorola One Fusion+ is a dependable phone with a competitive price tag.
| SPECIFICATION | ||
|---|---|---|
| Screen Size | : | 6.50″ (1080 x 2340) |
| Camera | : | 64 + 8 + 5 + 2 | 16 MP |
| RAM | : | 6 GB |
| Battery | : | 5000 mAh |
| Operating system | : | Android |
| Soc | : | Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 |
| Processor | : | Octa-core |
| |
Out of Stock |
₹ 17499 | |
  |
Available |
₹ 19999 |
The Poco M2 Pro is the company’s mid-range offering with powerful internal hardware that is very similar to the Redmi Note 9 Pro. The phone does offer slightly better design, an ad-free experience, and faster charging speed. The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G chipset which is one of the most reliable silicone available at this price point. Combine that with a sizable 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging and a 48MP quad-camera setup and you’ve got yourself an impressive phone that delivers on many fronts. Not only that, the phone also houses a pretty solid-looking 6.67-inch Full HD+ display that comes with a punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera. The phone is available in two variants – 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM or 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM. It also sports a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and the phone comes with Z-Shocker Haptics that offers a better touch experience. Overall, the Poco M2 Pro is an easy phone to recommend at this price.
| SPECIFICATION | ||
|---|---|---|
| Screen Size | : | 6.67″ (1080 x 2400) |
| Camera | : | 48 + 8 + 5 + 2 | 16 MP |
| RAM | : | 4 GB |
| Battery | : | 5000 mAh |
| Operating system | : | Android |
| Soc | : | Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G |
| Processor | : | Octa-core |
| |
Out of Stock |
₹ 12999 | |
| |
Available |
₹ 14490 |
The Realme Narzo 20 Pro runs on the fast Mediatek Helio G95 chipset, which is a performance processor, that will specifically please gamers. The phone also boasts of a 90Hz refresh rate-enabled, 6.5-inch Full HD+ display. The 65W fast charging offered on the Narzo 20 Pro to power the 4,500mAh battery housed in the phone is also a first for this category. The base variant of the Realme Narzo 20 Pro comes with 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. If you can up your budget to Rs 15,999, you can get the higher-end 8GB RAM / 128GB ROM version of this smartphone. The phone runs Realme UI on top of Android 10. As for the cameras, the Narzo 20 Pro sports a quad-camera setup consisting of a 48MP primary camera, an 8MP ultrawide lens, a 2MP black-and-white portrait camera, and a 2MP macro lens. It also comes equipped with a 16MP selfie shooter. Overall, the Realme Narzo 20 Pro is a value for money purchase that offers a powerful SoC, 65W charging, and 6/8GB RAM, which is excellent for the price point.
| SPECIFICATION | ||
|---|---|---|
| Screen Size | : | 6.5″ (1080 x 2400) |
| Camera | : | 48 + 8 + 2 + 2 | 16 MP |
| RAM | : | 6 GB |
| Battery | : | 4500 mAh |
| Operating system | : | Android |
| Soc | : | Mediatek Helio G95 |
| Processor | : | Octa-core |
While the Realme 7 isn’t a massive upgrade over its predecessor, it comes with a few upgraded features such as a larger battery and a more refined primary camera. The smartphone also comes with a 90Hz refresh rate display that makes usage feel smooth. It has a large 5,000mAh battery that supports 30W fast charging. The phone is powered by the capable MediaTek Helio G95 SoC that runs on the 12nm process.It has a 6.5-inch display with Full HD+ resolution. You can get the base 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage variant for a competitive price of Rs 14,999 or you can stretch out your budget a bit more and opt for the more expensive 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage variant that is priced at Rs 16,999. The phone features a quad-camera setup with a 64MP Sony IMX682 primary lens. As for selfies, the Realme 7 houses a 16MP front camera. The phone’s back panel also has an eye-catching design which looks pretty premium for the price tag it sports.
| SPECIFICATION | ||
|---|---|---|
| Screen Size | : | 6.5″ (1080 x 2400) |
| Camera | : | 64 + 8 + 2 + 2 | 16 MP |
| RAM | : | 6GB |
| Battery | : | 5000 mAh |
| Operating system | : | Android |
| Soc | : | Mediatek Helio G95 |
| Processor | : | Octa-core |
The company launched the Oppo F17, a mid-range smartphone, in September 2020. The phone is available in three colour variants – Classy Silver, Dynamic Orange, and Navy Blue. It features a 6.44-inch full HD+ Super AMOLED display, making it one of the few budget smartphones that have an AMOLED screen. The F17 runs ColorOS 7.2 on top of Android 10 and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC. This is paired with 6GB or 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. The phone features a 4,015mAh battery, which is on the lower side, but it does come with 30W VOOC Fast Charging support. You also have a quad-camera setup with a 16MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and two 2MP macro and depth sensors. There’s also a 16MP selfie camera. One striking feature the Oppo F17 does have is an in-display fingerprint sensor, which is rare in budget devices.
| SPECIFICATION | ||
|---|---|---|
| Screen Size | : | 6.44″ (1080 x 2400) |
| Camera | : | 16 + 8 + 2 + 2 | 16 MP |
| RAM | : | 6 GB |
| Battery | : | 4000 mAh |
| Operating system | : | Android |
| Soc | : | Qualcomm SM6115 Snapdragon 662 |
| Processor | : | Octa-core |
| |
Available |
₹ 16990 | |
  |
Available |
₹ 17900 |
List Of Best Budget Smartphones In India
| Best Budget Smartphones | Seller | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Realme Narzo 30 Pro | flipkart | ₹16999 |
| Redmi Note 10 Pro | N/A | ₹15999 |
| Realme 8 Pro | flipkart | ₹17999 |
| Poco X3 | flipkart | ₹14999 |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 | amazon | ₹15999 |
| Motorola One Fusion+ | flipkart | ₹17499 |
| Poco M2 Pro | flipkart | ₹12999 |
| Realme Narzo 20 Pro | flipkart | ₹12999 |
| Realme 7 | amazon | ₹14899 |
| Oppo F17 | amazon | ₹16990 |