The smartphone space under Rs 10,000— aka entry-level— is dominated by Xiaomi at the time of writing with its spin-off brands Redmi and Poco virtually being go-to for cash-strapped buyers.
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It’s not news, per se, because things have been this way for a while but we would like to point out that while some of these phones do offer good value, generally speaking the spec-to-price ratio isn’t the same as what it used to be a couple of years back. You can blame the increasing market average selling price or ASP for this to some extent.
Regardless, what matters is that you can still buy a decent phone at under Rs 10,000 even today, even if the options –themselves— have dried down a bit. Phones like the Redmi 12C and Moto G13 are good examples. Being recent launches, you get seemingly the latest and greatest for your money’s worth, too. While some like the Samsung Galaxy M04 continue to offer good value, even five months after launch.
Here are our top 5 picks for best smartphones you can buy under Rs 10,000 in April 2023:
Redmi 12C: Rs 9,499 (4GB/64GB): The Redmi 12C has a cute and bubbly design with a textured back panel offering a seemingly “slip-resistant grip” that’s a sight for sore eyes in the budget space these days. Spec-wise, the Redmi 12C has a 6.71-inch 720p display with a waterdrop-style notch. Xiaomi says the panel can top 500nits. Under the hood, you get MediaTek’s Helio G85 processor and a 5,000mAh battery with micro-USB charging. For photography, it has a dual camera setup on the rear with a 50MP main sensor while on the front, you get a 5MP selfie shooter.
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Motorola G13: Rs 9,499 (4GB/64GB), Rs 9,999 (4GB/128GB): The Moto G13 with its fast 90Hz display and stereo speakers capable of Dolby Atmos playback punches way about its price class. You get other niceties, too, including an IP52 splash resistant build, near stock Android user experience and large 5,000mAh battery.
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Poco C51: Rs 8,499 (4GB/64GB): The Poco C51 with its 6.52-inch display and MediaTek Helio G36 chipset is on-point when it comes to giving you a no-fuss spec-sheet at a low price point. The phone has an 8MP main camera on the back and a 5MP camera on the front.Redmi A1 Plus: Rs 6,499 (2GB/32GB), Rs 7,499 (3GB/32GB): The Redmi A1 Plus is essentially the Redmi A1 with a fingerprint reader on the back. The phone has a 6.52-inch 720p display and MediaTek’s Helio A22 processor under the hood. You get a 5,000mAh battery and an 8MP main camera in this phone, all fuelled by a clean and seemingly minimal Android 12 Go user experience.
Samsung Galaxy M04: Rs 8,499 (4GB/128GB): The Galaxy A04 comes with a 6.5-inch 720p display and MediaTek’s Helio P35 chip under the hood. Samsung says the phone run a “full version” of Android 12 and support its RAM Plus virtual memory expansion technology. You get a 5,000mAh battery with support for USB Type-C charging. For photography, the phone comes with 50MP dual rear cameras on the back.
