Budget-friendly mobile phones have aided in expanding India’s digital network. Nowadays, you can buy an efficient phone with all the essential features for under Rs. 5,000 without denting your pockets.
S. No. |
Mobile phone |
Price in Rs.
|
1. |
Jio Phone Next |
4,750 |
2. |
Realme C30 |
6,999 |
3. |
Infinix Smart 6 |
6,499 |
4. |
Redmi 9A Sport |
6,499 |
5. |
Xiaomi Redmi A1 Plus |
7,499 |
In this article, we have curated a list of India's top 5 budget mobile phones. We have analysed aspects like battery life, camera specifications, gaming specifications, storage capacity, processor, and overall performance to help you buy the most efficient, budget-friendly phone.
Let’s explore the top 5 best budget mobile phones in India:
The Jio Phone Next mobile was launched on November 4, 2021. Currently, it’s priced at Rs. 4,750. The phone might not offer every advanced feature you are looking for, but it certainly offers value for money, making it one of the best budget mobile phones in India.
Listed below are the key features and specifications of the Jio Phone Next:
Display: 5.45-inch (720 x 1440 pixels)
Processor: Qualcomm 215
Front Camera: 8MP
Rear Camera: 13MP
RAM: 2GB
Storage: 16GB
Battery Capacity: 3500mAh
OS: Android
The phone features a 5.45 inches IPS LCD with a resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels, an excellent aspect ratio of 18:9 and a pixel density of 295ppi. Jio Phone Next also features a bezel-less display, including a multi-touch feature. Furthermore, it sports a 60 Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass v3 protection.
It is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm 215 processor, has 2GB RAM, and sports a 3500mAh battery. For the overall experience, it also gets a Qualcomm Snapdragon 215 chipset. On the rear, Jio Phone Next packs a 13MP camera with a single 8MP front camera for selfies. The rear camera includes LED flash and digital zoom and lets you click pictures in 4128 x 3096 pixels. On the other hand, the front camera consists of a screen flash.
Jio Phone Next is based on Android and comes with 2GB RAM and 16GB of inbuilt storage that’s expandable via microSD card to 512GB. Moreover, the smartphone is a dual-SIM (GSM and GSM) mobile that accepts nano-SIM and nano-SIM cards.
Jio Phone Next allows users to make voice and video calls with great clarity through 4G VoLTE networks. Other connectivity options include Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth v4.10, Wi-Fi 802.11, micro-USB, 3G, and 4G (with support for Band 40 used by some LTE networks in India), a mobile hotspot, micro USB 2.0 and GPS. However, the smartphone does not support a USB Type-C port. The primary sensors added to the phone are the accelerometer, proximity sensor, and ambient light sensor.
Pros |
Cons |
Decent camera in the budget |
Average battery life |
Regional language support |
Average display |
Offers stock UI |
Internet only works with Jio SIM |
Great features at an affordable price |
Average performance |
4G |
|
Access to all Jio apps |
The smartphone was launched on June 20, 2022. Currently, Realme C30 is priced at Rs. 6,999. The phone was launched in Bamboo Green, Denim Black, and Lake Blue colors and weighs 182 grams. Let’s look at the primary features of the device that make it the best budget smartphone.
The key specifications of Realme C30 are listed below:
Display: 6.50-inch (720 x 1600 pixels)
Processor: Unisoc T612
Front Camera: 5MP
Rear Camera: 8MP
RAM: 2GB, 3GB
Storage: 32GB
Battery Capacity: 5000mAh
OS: Android 11 (Go edition)
Realme C30 features a 6.50-inch touchscreen display with a pixel density of 270ppi, an aspect ratio of 20:9, and a 60 Hz refresh rate. The smartphone is powered by an Octa-Core Unisoc T612 processor and packs 2GB/3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The storage is expandable via microSD up to 1TB. The Realme C30 is powered by a 5000mAh non-removable battery and runs Android 11 (Go edition).
On the rear, it features an 8-megapixel camera with an f/2.0 aperture, autofocus, and 77-degree field-of-view. For selfies, it features a single 5-megapixel sensor with an f/2.2 aperture.
Realme C30 supports dual SIM (GSM and GSM), accepting nano-SIM and nano-SIM cards. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v5.00, GPS, Micro-USB, 3G, and 4G. Sensors on Realme C30 include an ambient light sensor, accelerometer, and proximity sensor.
Pros |
Cons |
Great HD+ display |
Average night light photography |
Good battery life |
No fast charging support |
Good overall performance |
Does not support the latest Android 12 OS |
Realme UI Go custom support |
Not suitable for high-end gaming or multi-tasking |
The smartphone was launched on October 27, 2021 and is currently priced at Rs. 6,499. It was launched in light sea green, the heart of the ocean, starry purple, and polar black colors.
Infinix Smart 6 comes with the following key specifications:
Display: 6.60-inch (720 x 1600 pixels)
Front Camera: Not-specified
Rear Camera: Unspecified + 0.08MP
RAM: 2GB
Storage: 32GB
Battery Capacity: 5000mAh
OS: Android 11 (Go edition)
The phone comes with 6.60-inch IPS LCD bezel-less touchscreen, 720x1600 pixels resolution at a pixel density of 266 ppi, and an aspect ratio of 20:9. The screen is also equipped with a waterdrop notch. Infinix Smart 6 also offers an excellent viewing experience with 500nits of brightness.
The phone is powered by 5000mAh non-removable battery and runs Android 11 (Go edition). It comes with a MediaTek Helio A22 chipset and PowerVR GE8300 GPU for meeting graphical requirements. Infinix Smart 6 packs 2GB RAM and 32GB of inbuilt storage. With a dedicated slot, the storage is expandable up to 512GB via microSD card.
On the rear, the phone features an 8-megapixel sensor, dual-LED flash, bokeh effect, digital zoom, auto flash, face detection, HDR mode, and continuous shooting. While it features a single 5MP camera for selfies and video calling. These camera features make Infinix Smart 6 the best budget camera phone.
The primary connectivity options of Infinix Smart 6 include Micro-USB, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, FM radio, and active 4G on both SIM cards. Furthermore, proximity, ambient light, and fingerprint sensors are the primary sensors included on the phone.
Pros |
Cons |
Huge battery capacity |
Average camera performance |
HD+ display with better pixel density |
Average charging speed |
Decent display quality |
Heats quickly |
Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner support |
Does not support high-end gaming or multi-tasking |
A massive 5000 mAh battery-life |
|
S-I (Silver Ions) antibacterial material body |
|
Xvocal voice changer |
|
DTS surround sound |
|
Virtual RAM |
|
Supports face unlock feature |
With its launch on September 28, 2021, the starting price of the Redmi 9A Sport is set at Rs. 6,499. The smartphone was launched in carbon black, metallic blue, and coral green colors and weighs 194 grams.
The key specifications for Redmi 9A Sport are listed below:
Display: 6.53-inch (720 x 1600 pixels)
Processor: MediaTek Helio G25
Front Camera: 5MP
Rear Camera: 13MP
RAM: 2GB, 3GB
Storage: 32GB
Battery Capacity: 5000mAh
OS: Android
Redmi 9A Sport comes with a 6.53-inch IPS LCD, offering an aspect ratio of 20:9 and 720x1600 pixels resolution. Furthermore, it has a refresh rate of 60 Hz.
Redmi 9A Sport is powered by a 5000mAh non-removable battery and supports fast charging. The smartphone runs Android and is powered by a 2GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio G25 processor. It comes with 2GB/3GB RAM and 32GB eMMC 5.1 type internal storage. The storage can be further expanded up to 512GB with a microSD card. Redmi 9A Sport sports a dual SIM (GSM and GSM) functionality, accepting Nano-SIM and Nano-SIM cards.
It features a 13-megapixel camera on the rear with a pixel size of 1.0-micron and an f/2.2 aperture. On the front, it has a single 5MP camera for selfies with an f/2.2 aperture.
The connectivity options on Redmi 9A Sport include GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth v5.00, FM radio, Micro-USB, 3G, and 4G.
Pros |
Cons |
Long lasting battery life |
Average camera performance |
Waterproof |
Low built-in RAM and ROM capacity |
Good for regular gaming |
Heating problems |
Dedicated secondary storage feature |
No fingerprint scanner |
Easily supports light gaming |
|
MIUI 12 customization features |
|
1080p recording |
|
Faster CPU clock speed |
|
Supports face unlock |
|
Attractive bezel-less display |
|
Camera with AI detector |
|
Gives up to 11 hours of gaming performance |
|
AI face unlock |
|
P2i splash proof |
|
In-built reading mode |
Lastly, we have the Xiaomi Redmi A1 Plus on our list of budget mobile phones. The smartphone was recently launched in October 2022 and is priced at Rs. 7,499. It’s available in green, blue, and black colors and weighs 192 grams. It is the latest phone in the brand’s A series, with an addition of a fingerprint scanner compared to its predecessor.
Listed below are the key specifications of Xiaomi Redmi A1 Plus:
Display: 6.52 inches (720 x 1600 pixels)
Processor: MediaTek MT6761 Helio A22 (12 nm)
Front Camera: 5MP
Rear Camera: 8MP
RAM: 2GB, 3GB
Storage: 32GB
Battery Capacity: 5000mAh
OS: Android 12 (Go edition), MIUI 12
Xiaomi Redmi A1 Plus features a 6.52-inches IPS LCD with a waterdrop notch, offering a pixel density of 269ppi and 720 x 1600 pixels resolution. The phone is powered by a 5000mAh non-removable battery and supports 10W fast charging. It runs Android with a quad-core MediaTek Helio A22 processor running at 2.0 GHz. PowerVR GE8320 GPU is used for managing the graphical performance.
It packs 2GB/3GB of RAM and 32GB of in-built storage. The storage is expandable up to 512GB via a micro SD card. Xiaomi Redmi A1 Plus features an 8MP camera on the rear and a single 5MP camera on the front. The rear camera comes with an f/2.0 aperture, a wide-angle shooter, and an LED flash. The front camera has an f/2.2 aperture.
Connectivity options available on Xiaomi Redmi A1 Plus include Wi-Fi, 4G VoLTE, USB Type-C, GPS with Glonass, and Bluetooth v5.2.
Pros |
Cons |
Amazing battery life |
Only 10W charging support |
Great design |
|
Stock android interface |
|
Splash proof |
The list of budget mobile phones includes a lot many phones based on different needs. The phones listed above can be an ideal choice if you are looking for the best budget phone under Rs. 10,000. Although these smartphones are not packed with high-end features, they pack a punch and give you the most value for your money. These phones are packed with all basic features you would need in everyday life.
Before you buy a budget mobile phone, it’s crucial to identify your primary requirements, whether you are just looking to replace your old phone at affordable prices, battery efficiency, or camera. Understand your need and then make a choice so you get the highest efficiency at the lowest price possible.
Best low-cost phones are the ones that offer you great value for money and are packed with all the essential features you need in everyday life. Some examples of low-cost phones include Jio Phone Next, Realme C30, Infinix Smart6, Redmi 9A Sport, and Xiaomi Redmi A1 Plus.
The best smartphone on a low budget is Redmi Note 9, Redmi A1, Redmi narzo 501, Nokia C01 Plus.
Before you finalise which smartphone you should buy in your budget, it’s crucial you identify your requirements. List down all the primary specifications you are looking for in the phone, whether it’s battery efficiency, overall performance, gaming performance, camera, display, etc. Compare the mobile phones you have researched with your requirements. Go with the one that offers you the maximum value on a small budget.