Shopping for a budget smartphone? Not sure which one to go for? The wide range available across e-commerce websites adding to rthe confusion? Here's help. Check our list of 7 hot smartphones available in sub-Rs 10,000 range.
Yureka is the only handset available in India preinstalled with CyanogenMod and boasts of a large HD screen and support for two sim cards. What you also get is 16GB storage and a microSD card slot and USB OTG support.
Due to its hardware, it performs as well as handsets that cost more than double its price when it comes to web browsing, e-mailing and social networking. The output of its cameras is sharp enough to be posted on the web, but the colours seem washed out and with some softening of details.
The biggest drawback of this handset is its battery life, which will last you for about a day with basic tasks. But play games or videos and you will find yourself reaching for the charger every few hours. Additionally, its speaker output is neither very loud nor too clear.
Due to its hardware, it performs as well as handsets that cost more than double its price when it comes to web browsing, e-mailing and social networking. The output of its cameras is sharp enough to be posted on the web, but the colours seem washed out and with some softening of details.
The biggest drawback of this handset is its battery life, which will last you for about a day with basic tasks. But play games or videos and you will find yourself reaching for the charger every few hours. Additionally, its speaker output is neither very loud nor too clear.
Obi Alligator S454 looks plasticky, but sports a sturdy build. Its compact size makes it a comfortable fit into any pocket, although those with large hands might find its virtual keyboard too cramped to type.
This device works well enough for tasks like messaging, web browsing and listening to music; voice calls are loud and clear. However, heavy games and movies might result in lag, and at times even the touchscreen response gets sluggish.
There is almost no customization to Android, and very few apps are pre-loaded.
The display is bright and offers decent viewing angles, but its low-resolution does not match up to the clarity offered by the Lenovo A6000 and Yureka.
The camera captures photos that suffer from softness, and low-light photos appear grainy. The S454 gives you less than a day's service with basic tasks. The lack of any power management settings means you will need to charge the device more than once daily.
This device works well enough for tasks like messaging, web browsing and listening to music; voice calls are loud and clear. However, heavy games and movies might result in lag, and at times even the touchscreen response gets sluggish.
There is almost no customization to Android, and very few apps are pre-loaded.
The display is bright and offers decent viewing angles, but its low-resolution does not match up to the clarity offered by the Lenovo A6000 and Yureka.
The camera captures photos that suffer from softness, and low-light photos appear grainy. The S454 gives you less than a day's service with basic tasks. The lack of any power management settings means you will need to charge the device more than once daily.
Lenovo A6000, India's cheapest 4G smartphone, is a smart-looking handset with a rubberized back panel. It sports a bright display that renders vibrant colours and crisp text.
The device is capable of clear phone calls, handling everyday productivity tasks, and the odd 3D game, but stutters and lags when multiple services run in the background.
The base Android software is topped up with Lenovo's Vibe UI. which is visually intuitive and useful. The phones' cameras, however, are slightly better than the ones on the Obi, but you will find some shutter lag.
Like other devices in this price band, the A6000 is plagued by a dismal battery life that will require you to carry along your charger for a full day's use.
The device is capable of clear phone calls, handling everyday productivity tasks, and the odd 3D game, but stutters and lags when multiple services run in the background.
The base Android software is topped up with Lenovo's Vibe UI. which is visually intuitive and useful. The phones' cameras, however, are slightly better than the ones on the Obi, but you will find some shutter lag.
Like other devices in this price band, the A6000 is plagued by a dismal battery life that will require you to carry along your charger for a full day's use.
Karbonn Titanium Mach One is almost the same size as the Obi S454, but offers a larger and higher-resolution display. While the screen is not as bright as the other phones on test here, it offers better colour contrast. On the flip side, it is not very legible in direct sunlight even with brightness set to maximum.
The Mach One packs some useful features like smart gestures that let you launch apps from the lockscreen itself. It does a fairly decent job of playing high-def videos smoothly and is good enough for games like Redline Rush and Subway Surfers.
Karbonn Titanium Mach One shoots average pictures that lack detail, but are good enough for sharing on the internet. Interestingly, its front-facing camera is paired with a flash, in case you have a thing for shooting selfies in the dark.
The Mach One packs some useful features like smart gestures that let you launch apps from the lockscreen itself. It does a fairly decent job of playing high-def videos smoothly and is good enough for games like Redline Rush and Subway Surfers.
Karbonn Titanium Mach One shoots average pictures that lack detail, but are good enough for sharing on the internet. Interestingly, its front-facing camera is paired with a flash, in case you have a thing for shooting selfies in the dark.
Xiaomi Redmi Note is suited for people who want a big-screen phone along with relatively superior hardware and the MIUI software experience. The back cover is rounded at the edges, sports glossy finish and is a little slippery and prone to smudges.
The display of Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G (as well as its capacitive touch buttons) are very responsive to touch; the screen offers wide viewing angles and decent sunlight legibility. Photos captured by the camera in daylight turned out well, with decent level of detail and good contrast. Photos taken in low light, without flash, were grainy and full of noise, though.
We also noticed there was occasional lag while navigating through the phone's menu, browsing the web and multimedia and scrolling inside apps. However, the phone is able to play full-HD video files, including MKV, without any problems.
Unlike the rivals, this phone will last you a more than a full working day (17-18 hours) even if you put the screen brightness at the highest level and use 3G data all the time.
The display of Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G (as well as its capacitive touch buttons) are very responsive to touch; the screen offers wide viewing angles and decent sunlight legibility. Photos captured by the camera in daylight turned out well, with decent level of detail and good contrast. Photos taken in low light, without flash, were grainy and full of noise, though.
We also noticed there was occasional lag while navigating through the phone's menu, browsing the web and multimedia and scrolling inside apps. However, the phone is able to play full-HD video files, including MKV, without any problems.
Unlike the rivals, this phone will last you a more than a full working day (17-18 hours) even if you put the screen brightness at the highest level and use 3G data all the time.
Asus ZenFone 5 has an understated look, with the company opting largely for plastic construction with only a hint of metal. Its 720p screen offers balanced colour reproduction, good viewing angles and decent sunlight legibility.
The smartphone runs on Asus's Zen UI, which is pleasing to the eyes and does not make you cringe when you look at the icons. It allows users to put app shortcuts on the lockscreen, along with time, weather and upcoming events. The icons are flat and minimalist, making the screen uncluttered even if it has several apps and widgets.
As one of the few phones with 2GB RAM under Rs 10,000, ZenFone 5 offers pretty good performance and apps opened quickly and switching between them is smooth. The smartphone performs well as a gaming machine too, but resource-hungry games feel a little slow to start.
In auto mode, colours in daylight photos are accurate and the white balance also okay. Lowlight photos come out pretty great and show a little less noise compared to rival smartphones.
However, battery turns out to be the Achilles's Heel of Asus ZenFone 5. During regular usage, where we keep the brightness at 50% and always keep either 3G or Wi-Fi turned on, the battery drained in approximately 6-7 hours.
The smartphone runs on Asus's Zen UI, which is pleasing to the eyes and does not make you cringe when you look at the icons. It allows users to put app shortcuts on the lockscreen, along with time, weather and upcoming events. The icons are flat and minimalist, making the screen uncluttered even if it has several apps and widgets.
As one of the few phones with 2GB RAM under Rs 10,000, ZenFone 5 offers pretty good performance and apps opened quickly and switching between them is smooth. The smartphone performs well as a gaming machine too, but resource-hungry games feel a little slow to start.
In auto mode, colours in daylight photos are accurate and the white balance also okay. Lowlight photos come out pretty great and show a little less noise compared to rival smartphones.
However, battery turns out to be the Achilles's Heel of Asus ZenFone 5. During regular usage, where we keep the brightness at 50% and always keep either 3G or Wi-Fi turned on, the battery drained in approximately 6-7 hours.
The phone that started the watershed moment for low-cost phones, Moto E looks and feels a lot better device compared to phones that use cheap glossy plastic.
The 4.3-inch screen in Moto E has resolution of 540x960pixels, pretty low compared to rivals like Redmi Note 4G, but it runs on stock Android KitKat software. Thus, there is no noticeable lag during browsing, switching between apps and playing basic games.
Moto E is not a shooter's delight. Moto E has a difficulty focussing on close objects. The camera also doesn't capture details well and tries to compensate by sharpening the image. The end result is not good. It lacks a front camera, so no selfies.
However, Moto E's battery life is pretty good, despite a rather low capacity of 1,980mAh. When used with a 3G connection, Moto E lasted around 15 to 16 hours before we had to recharge its battery.
The 4.3-inch screen in Moto E has resolution of 540x960pixels, pretty low compared to rivals like Redmi Note 4G, but it runs on stock Android KitKat software. Thus, there is no noticeable lag during browsing, switching between apps and playing basic games.
Moto E is not a shooter's delight. Moto E has a difficulty focussing on close objects. The camera also doesn't capture details well and tries to compensate by sharpening the image. The end result is not good. It lacks a front camera, so no selfies.
However, Moto E's battery life is pretty good, despite a rather low capacity of 1,980mAh. When used with a 3G connection, Moto E lasted around 15 to 16 hours before we had to recharge its battery.
