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Top 5 smartphones to buy under Rs 10,000 this Diwali

Last Updated 22 October 2019, 11:19 IST

Companies like Xiaomi, Realme and others have transformed the sub-10,000 rupees market for smartphones in India. With the Diwali festival right around the corner, online retailers have slashed the prices of the devices and are now cheaper than ever before. Now, is the time to grab that shiny new mobile for yourself or for friends and family who are long due for a smartphone upgrade.

This shortlist is a guide for you to choose from the five value-for-money phones under Rs 10,000 segment, which promises to offer good performance and don't burn a hole in your wallet.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8

4GB RAM+ 64GB storage - Rs 9,999

6GB RAM + 128GB storage - Rs 12,999

One of Xiaomi’s latest releases in India, this phone is the best bang for your buck smartphone in the sub-Rs 10,000 category. Both the base variant (4GB RAM) and the higher variant (6GB RAM) are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 665 and will be able to handle everyday multitasking smoothly. With its impressive 4000 mAh hour battery, the phone should easily last you a day if not more under mixed usage on a single charge, even with its 6.3-inch FHD+ notched display set at auto-brightness.

The phone comes with Xiaomi’s 18 W fast charger in the box and has a dual Sim slot with a dedicated micro SD card slot for expandable storage up to 512GB. It comes with a quad-camera setup- - 48MP primary camera + 8MP ultra wide+ 2MP for macro + 2MP depth sensor and a 13-megapixel selfie camera. For biometrics, the phone has a rear fingerprint sensor, and also comes with AI face unlock. Packed with all these features, this is a perfect gift for someone due for an upgrade or is looking to get their first smartphone.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7S

Redmi Note 7S series (Picture Credit: Xiaomi)
Redmi Note 7S series (Picture Credit: Xiaomi)

3GB RAM+32GB storage – Rs 8,999

4GB RAM+64GB storage – Rs 9,999

The Redmi Note 7 S comes with one of the best displays at this price point, with a 6.3 -inch full HD+ dot notch screen and a rear fingerprint scanner in a Gorilla Glass 5 sandwiched design that gives it a very glossy, elegant look, although it also makes it a fingerprint magnet. The processor inside is a Snapdragon 660, a capable mid range processor that makes multitasking, app switching and gaming a breeze on the device.

It also supports Qualcomm's Quickcharge 4.0, although a compatible adapter does not come in the box, and the 4000mAh battery provides enough power for a day and a half of regular use on a single charge. The dual rear camera with the 48MP primary sensor and 5MP secondary sensor that provides good color reproduction in photos and has decent low light performance. The phone also has a 13MP front camera for those that use it frequently or for the occasional video call. The base model of the phone sells for rupees 8,999 with 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

ZenFone Max Pro (M1)

Zenfone Max Pro M1 ( Picture Credit: Asus India)
Zenfone Max Pro M1 ( Picture Credit: Asus India)

3GB RAM + 32GB storage – Rs 7,499

4GB RAM + 64GB storage – Rs 8,499

6GB RAM + 64GB storage – Rs 11,499

The ZenFone Max Pro (M1) from Asus is a very compelling option for those who hate notches and pop up cameras. The device comes with a 6 inch FHD+ LCD display with no notch, but it does have rather a sizeable top and bottom bezels. The phone is constructed well with an all-metal build, a rear fingerprint scanner, dual sim slots and a dedicated micro SD slot that supports external storage up to a ridiculous 2 terabytes.

The Asus phone comes with a micro-USB port rather than USB c, which is disappointing. The phone has dual snappers-- 13MP camera and 5MP depth sensor-- on the rear and an 8MP camera with its own flash on the front. The phone also has an enormous 5000 mAh battery, living up to its title of max, and with the relatively less power-hungry Snapdragon 636 chip inside, it should last you about a day and a half or even two days on a single charge. The phone starts at Rs 7,499 for the base model, but for Rs 1000 more, the specs get bumped up to additional gigabytes of RAM, which helps with multitasking, and another 32GB of storage, making it the best-valued variant of this device.

Realme 5

Realme 5 (Picture Credit: Realme)
Realme 5 (Picture Credit: Realme)

3GB RAM+ 64GB storage - Rs 8,999

4GB + 64GB storage - Rs 9,999

4GB + 128GB - Rs 10,999

Realme 5 is a unique phone in the sub-10,000 market, that sacrifices on features like the display but provides pretty good performance and also one of the few to boast quad-camera systems in this price range. The device features a 6.5 inch LCD mini drop-notched display but with only an HD+ resolution. The device does not support Widevine L1 either, limiting video streaming apps to show content at resolutions less than HD. The phone has a polycarbonate body with a laminated plastic back, a rear fingerprint scanner, and a micro USB port instead of USB C. Inside the phone, however, is the Snapdragon 665 AIE Octacore processor which sits between the 660 and 675 in terms of performance while being more power efficient, with the integrated GPU being an upgraded Adreno 610 which enables much better gaming performance.

The 5000 mAh battery easily lasts beyond a day of heavy use, even up to two days of light to regular use on a single charge. The rear quad camera setup has a 12MP primary sensor, a 2MP depth sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide camera with a 119-degree field of view, and a 2-MP macro camera for incredible close-up shots. The phone retails at rupees 8,999 for the base model with 3 gigabytes of RAM and 64 gigabytes of internal storage.

Honor 8C

Honor 8C (Picture Credit: Honor)
Honor 8C (Picture Credit: Honor)

4GB RAM + 32GB storage – Rs 7,999

4GB + 64GB – Rs 8,999

Honor, Huawei's sub-brand that caters to the budget segment, has provided a sub 10,000 rupees option in the 8C, but it isn't for everyone. The display is a 6.26-inch HD+ LCD panel with a prominent notch and chin, housed in a plastic body that is quite sturdy. It houses a dual-camera module with a 13MP primary sensor and a 2MP secondary sensor on the rear side. The Snapdragon 632 processor powering the phone isn't as powerful as the 636, but the margin of difference is negligible for most users.

Also, the chipset is power-efficient and with the 4000 mAh battery, it can keep the phone running for a day and a half. Honor 8C is also one of the cheapest to offer 4GB of RAM, at Rs 7,999, making it ideal for multitasking and general productivity. For those on a tight budget, this phone offers very good performance for the money and is a capable device for everyday use.

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(Published 22 October 2019, 10:41 IST)

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