After a long time, you actually can buy a budget Android smartphone and not feel like you’ve compromised badly. There are enough contenders in the Rs 5,000-7,000 range that are good value for your money. But what’s the best you can buy? Let’s take a look.
Back in September, we said that the Xiaomi Redmi 1s (read our review) is the best budget phone you can buy and that still holds true. Issues of app crashes and a slow-charging battery has been fixed with updates too. However, you still need to jump through hoops to get the device, with the painful process of pre-registering to buy it and hoping you can click quickly enough during Xiaomi’s infamous flash sales. It’s worth the trouble, no doubt, but hey, it is a lot of trouble.
Summary: The Redmi 1S is the best phone at this price, but you’ll have to get it through the flash sale model.
Pros: Scratch-resistant glass, great performance, decent camera, 8GB internal memory, decent battery life.
Cons: No backlight on keys makes it hard to see at night, Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, heavy phone and big bezels.
Specs: 4.7-inch IPS HD touchscreen (1280×720 pixels, 312ppi) with Dragontrail Scratch-resistant Glass | 1.6GHz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor | 1GB RAM | 8GB internal memory, microSD card up to 32GB | 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4, GPS | Dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) | 8MP rear camera with LED flash and 1080p FullHD video recording | 1.6MP front camera with 720p HD video recording | 2000mAh battery | Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with MIUI v5
Price: Rs 5,999
The Moto E is almost always in stock and a great phone overall (read our review). It has a Gorilla Glass screen, it has a compact form factor that’s easy to use with one hand, it has good battery life, and it will get Android updates quicker than most phones. The camera and performance aren’t great, but its biggest problem is the 4GB of internal memory—limited memory means limited use.
Summary: The Moto E is a great phone for first-time Android users, whose needs are limited but they want a solid smartphone that will last them a few years.
Pros: Scratch-resistant glass, Android 4.4 Kit Kat with updates, Good battery life.
Cons: So-so performance, poor camera, only 4GB memory.
Specs: 4.3-inch IPS touchscreen (960×540 pixels, 256 ppi) with Gorilla Glass 3 | 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor | 1GB RAM | 4GB internal memory, microSD card up to 32GB | Dual-SIM (micro SIM + micro SIM) | 5-megapixel rear camera, no front camera, WVGA video recording | 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4, GPS | 1980mAh battery | Android 4.4 Kit Kat
Price: Rs 6,999
The Lava Iris X1 (read our review) isn’t as good as the other phones in this list. The major advantage it has is that you can actually go to a store, pick up the phone and try it out, and then buy it. You can’t say that about any of the aforementioned choices. It’s also the best designed of the above phones and has the best camera too. But the screen is just not that good, which is why it ranks at the absolute bottom of our choices; buy it only if you can’t buy the other three.
Summary: Lava’s Iris X1 is the go-to choice if you are going to a shop to buy your phone. Just make sure you get the 8GB version, not the 4GB version.
Pros: Very good camera, Android 4.4 Kit Kat
Cons: Weak antenna, no scratch-resistant screen, low resolution and bad quality of colours on screen, poor performance
Specs: 4.5-inch IPS touchscreen (854×480 pixels, 217 ppi) | 1.2GHz quad-core Broadcom 23550 processor | 1GB RAM | 4GB internal memory, microSD card up to 32GB | Dual-SIM (SIM + micro SIM) | 8-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front camera, WVGA video recording | 3G (only on regular SIM), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4, GPS | 1800mAh battery | Android 4.4 KitKat
Price: Rs 7,000
