Most smartphone users in India prefer going for Android handsets as they are available within Rs.10,000 and Rs.15,000. Android handsets have proven to be trustworthy time and again which is why people have continued to trust them.
If you are looking to buy an Android mobile this New Year within Rs.15,000, you should go through this list of mobiles which have been classified as the best by many tech magazines and whiz.
Xiaomi Mi 3
Currently, Xiaomi Mi 3 is the top Android mobile that you can buy within Rs 15,000 both spec and performance wise. The phone has a 5-inch screen with a resolution of 1920X1080 pixels. They display is a powerful capacitive IPS LCD one. The phone is only 8.1mm thick making it sleek and uber cool. The phone is a high performer, as evident from its specs. The RAM embedded is a 2GB one while a 2.3GHz Quad Core processor powers the phone. The chipset is a MSM8274AB Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 one while the GPU is Adreno 330. A non-removable 3050 mAh Li-Ion battery keeps the phone running. The inbuilt storage capacity is 16GB which cannot be expanded as no MicroSD card slot has been provided.
Xiaomi Mi3 has a primary camera of 13MP whereas its front camera is around 2MP. The phone has Android Jelly Bean and you can upgrade it to Android KitKat. For Rs.13,999/- the Xiaomi Mi3 has become one of the most demanded handsets in the market.
Motorola Moto G- 1st Generation
The Moto G is an Android phone which gained large fan following since its launch. It has always sold like hot cakes for its demand and popularity. Even though it is a little less powerful than the Mi3, it offers respectable performance. The price of the phone has been lowered by Rs 2000 almost, ever since the 2nd Generation phone was launched. For Rs 11,999, the 16GB version of Moto G is a great buy.
The design of Moto G will be loved by those who like operating their handsets with one hand and do not like big screens. The quality of the built is quite good and the finishing is premium. The IPS LCD display is 4.5 inches which is also a capacitive one with a resolution of 1280X720 pixels. The RAM included is a 1GB one while the 1.2GHz processor is a Quad Core one. The GPU fitted in is Adreno 305. The phone has a 2070 mAh non-removable Li-ion battery fitted in it which cannot be removed. The battery is capable of making the phone go on for a day at least.
The only flipside of the phone is the weak camera as the 5MP shooter does not match up to the other 5MP cams of other phones. On the brighter side, the phone has the Android KitKat 4.4.4, the latest OS to hit the market, before Android L.
Lenovo S660
The Lenovo S660 was launched a short while ago and is a medium budget phone offering value for your money. The RAM fitted in is 1GB one but what is its specialty is the battery. The 3000 mAh Li-Po battery is capable of keeping the device running for long. The internal memory is an 8GB one which may be expanded till 32GB. The IPS display is a 4.7 inches one with resolution of 960X540 pixels.
The primary camera is an 8MP one which shoots quite well. However, selfie fans would be a little disappointed with the front VGA camera. The phone has a 1.3 GHz Quad Core processor with a GPU of Mali 400MP2 fitted in. The phone costs around Rs 11,600 which is quite reasonable for the specs on offer. The Android version may be a little older, but it is expected to upgrade itself to Android KitKat soon. The quality of built is sturdy.
Panasonic P81
The phablet was launched at quite a high price of Rs 19,990 which made it a bad option for the price bracket. However, there has been a huge price cut it has not helped the case of the phone. It has been panned by reviewers as being boring in design and with average display quality. The bright side of the phone is its camera which is one of the best as it delivers good performance even in low light. Costing around 11,000, it is quite a good phone which has a screen of 5.5 inches.
Even though there are quite a few phablets available now in this category, the reduction in price of Panasonic P81 has made it a worthy option. It may not be the best looking phone within your budget and neither the one with an uber-cool Android skin, but this Panasonic handset offers good performance with a high quality camera. The value for money delivered by the phablet is quite impressive.
Micromax Canvas Nitro
Reviewers and tech gurus have classified the Micromax Canvas Nitro as the best handset in the category after the Xiaomi Mi3. The Indian smartphone maker has pulled all stops out for putting together this Octa-core phone at the price of quad-core handsets. It does manage to create a lot of noise to blow the Motorola Moto G out of the water. The ZTQ V5 and Asus Zenfone 5 is also a little behind it when it comes to performance.
The handset has a clean and understated design which reintroduces this style in the market. The rear cover is available only in blue and white with faux leather built over the back. Those who have doubts about its battery and performance can put those to rest as tests have confirmed their high quality.
Asus Zenfone 5
The Taiwanese electronics manufacturer has come up with this dual SIM budget phone within Rs 10,000. It comes with a pixel resolution of 1280X720 pixels and a 5 inch IPS display. The phone has a 2GHZ dual core Intel Atom processor. The phone comes with two kinds of RAMs- 1GB and 2GB while the internal storage varies between 8GB and 16GB. The storage can be expanded to 64GB via MicroSD cards. The smartphone has a primary camera of 8MP with a LED flash while the front camera is 2MP. The options of connectivity included are Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB and 3G. The phone has a 2110 mAh battery as well. The operating system is an Android Jellybean one which can be upgraded to Android KitKat. You can check Asus Zenfone 5 review.
Motorola Moto G 2nd Gen
The Moto G 2nd gen was launched in September 2014 in India with much improvement over the previous model. It has a 5 inch screen and an 8MP camera with expandable storage. The 5 inch HD screen has a resolution of 1020X720p protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. A Qualcomm 1.2GHz quad core Snapdragon 400processor powers it along with a RAM of 1GB. The phone has a thickness of about 10.99mm and its weight is roughly 149 grams, which is a little heavier than the previous model. It has dual sim support and a nano coating which is water proof. The phone runs on Android KitKat 4.4.4 and is waiting for the Android Lollypop update. The Android version is a stock one which offers pure Android experience unlike the other phones with skin on it. The other advantage is that, it is a popular phone and will always receive updates and attention from the manufacturer.
If you are uncomfortable with the size of the phone, you could go for the smaller Moto G 1st edition. It costs around Rs 13,999 which is well within your budget for a good quality Android phone.
HTC Desire 816G
Albeit a little over budget at Rs 16762, but if it is a slightly higher priced phone and offers better features, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go for it, right? The 816G is actually the lower end variant of the Desire 816 which looks beautiful with a good design. However, for dealing with the lower pricing point, HTC had to lower the value of the RAM. The phone has a 1.3 GHz quad core Mediatek processor rather than the Snapdragon 400 which is there in the HTC Desire 816. Also, the RAM is around 1GB instead of 1.5GB. The performance may have been lowered but it is certainly quite acceptable. The display unit is a HD one and measures 5.5 inches. The primary camera is a 13MP one while the secondary camera is a 5MP one. The battery of the phone is a good Li-Po one which is 2600 mAh.
The phone has a great design overall along with features. If you want the phone for normal purposes such as light gaming, browsing, messaging and calling, it is a great choice. If you are looking for something with a good camera, then this would be an even better choice.
There are quite a few mobile phones that are available within this budget. However, these few are the market leaders and everybody is gunning for them. They are one of the best and would definitely serve you well.
