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Budget smartphones in India have surely come a long way. Manufacturers who initially struggled to deliver enough value and basic software operation with advancements in technology are now able to design smartphones that easily outperform their older counterparts. Today, we have budget smartphones under Rs. 15,000 that not only deliver when it comes to the basics, but also offer additional features like good battery life and improved IP ratings. The ‘5G tax’ is now a thing of the past, and manufacturers are offering more features to address growing competition.
Even though we did review it, the Infinix Note 40X does not make it to our list. The main reason for this is that it had one too many areas that needed improvement, despite keeping in mind its budget price tag. Key among these was its slow charging speeds, poor performance and the fact that it may not receive any future software updates. At the same time, phones like the iQOO Z10x and the Poco X7 stood out given their well-balanced features and hardware design.
So, here’s our list of some of the best phones to buy under Rs. 15,000 in India right now, in no particular order.
| Phones under Rs. 15,000 | Gadgets 360 rating (out of 10) | Price in India (as recommended) |
|---|---|---|
| iQOO Z10x | 8 | Rs. 13,499 |
| Poco M7 Pro | 8 | Rs. 12,999 |
| Poco X7 | 8 | Rs. 15,899 |
| Motorola Moto G85 | 8 | Rs. 15,999 |
| CMF Phone 1 | 8 | Rs. 15,999 |
iQOO Z10x
iQOO’s Z10x is a good balance of performance and style. Its fancy rear panel is a big departure from the previous model and also offers an IP64 rating for dust and water. Its design is also MIL-STD-810H certified, to function normally in extreme climates and temperatures. The MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor is a popular chipset at this price point, and it delivers enough performance to keep the software running smoothly.
The iQOO Z10x’s main cons lie in its cameras. Our review unit snapped average quality photos in daylight and low light. The same can be said about its selfie camera. With a 6,500mAh battery capacity, battery life isn’t a problem, and so, the phone can easily last two days with casual usage. What is a bit slow is its charging rate because of the relatively slow 44W charger.
Poco M7 Pro
Poco’s M7 Pro also offers excellent value. Its premium-looking design is also IP64-rated, which is a big improvement over the previous model, the M6 Pro. Unlike most smartphones at this price point, the Poco M7 Pro offers good daylight camera performance. The cherry on top is its 120Hz AMOLED panel, which can reach a claimed peak brightness of 2,100 nits. Apart from being clearly visible in direct sunlight, the display is also good for watching Dolby Vision and HDR10+ content via OTT apps. The entertainment package also includes two stereo speakers that produce loud, room-filling sound.
While the Poco M7 Pro checks a lot of boxes for a budget smartphone, its performance isn’t the best in this segment. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7025 processor, which produced slightly underwhelming benchmark scores in our review, even though its software experience was lag-free.
Poco X7
Given its recent price cut from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 15,999, the Poco X7 also makes it to this list. This is provided you are willing to stretch your budget a bit. The phone has a very unique dual-finish vegan leather design and a dual-curved edge display, which is rarely available at this price point. Also available is an IP69 rating, which is hard to find in this segment. Its display also offers 3,000 nits of peak brightness and supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision content in OTT apps. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultra processor, which performs as it should and has enough grunt for some mid-level gaming as well.
Battery life is where the Poco X7 isn’t as good as the others in this segment. For reference, the iQOO Z10x (6,500mAh battery) lasted an impressive 37 hours and 46 minutes in our HD video loop test, where the Poco only managed 21 hours despite having a 5,500mAh battery..
Motorola Moto G85
In this guide, those craving a sweet serving of near-stock Android software can look at the Motorola Moto G85. Despite its slightly underwhelming hardware choices (Snapdragon 6s Gen 3), the Moto G85 managed to find a fine balance of features and price. The phone features a grippy vegan leather-covered rear panel and offers a basic IP52 rating for protection against dust and water.
Camera performance is pretty good for this price point, and the Moto also has a macro camera for the shutterbugs. The same applies to the display, where Motorola has managed to squeeze in a 6.67-inch pOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. Since the phone has an average capacity 5,000mAh battery, its performance isn’t up there with the best, but we noticed that its performance with day-to-day usage was reliable. And because it has a lower-capacity battery, it is also one of the lightest smartphones on this list, weighing just 172 grams.
CMF Phone 1
The Phone 1 is the Nothing sub-brand’s first smartphone, but it still packs enough features to make for an attractive offering a year after launch. The phone’s design is indeed its main highlight. The design is a bit modular, letting users change the phone’s rear panel and attach some standard optional accessories (card holder, phone stand, lanyard loop). Users who are into 3D printing can also come up with their own unique backs, adding custom functions.
The phone features a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC, which is sufficient for daily applications. Running the show is Nothing OS, which adds an abstract and unique software experience. Given its slim design with interchangeable rear panels, the phone had to make do with a normal 5,000mAh battery. But good software optimisation meant that it still managed better scores than Poco’s X7 listed above.
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