Best phones under ₹10,000 in India

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
₹ 9,999

There’s a dearth of entry-level phones that pack a punch despite brands in India trying to corner the market of affordable devices. Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 7 is one phone that under ₹ 10,000 that’s playing in a different weight class.

For starters, the phone's chipset — the Snapdragon 660 — is normally found on phones above ₹ 10,000. It has enough power to let you multitask on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 without any lag or drop screen issues.

The rear camera is at par with the competition taking decent pictures in well-lit conditions while going grainy when attempting night shots. The phone’s selfie camera also captures a decent amount of detail without overdoing the ‘beautification’ effect — it even performs reasonably well in low lit conditions as compared to its counterparts on this list.

Overall, it’s a solid phone with a good build that will last through the day that can click pictures you can share on social media.

Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
₹ 8,999

This may be called the Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro in India but it’s essentially the Mi A2 Lite rebranded from the Xiaomi’s launch in China. The phone strikes a balance between performance and style without being too heavy on the pocket.

For a phone under ₹10,000, the Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro has a battery that will last the whole day will normal usage and the camera produces photos which are better than most of the other devices in this segment.

But, if you’re an avid video viewer, you might want to go with one of the other phones on this list that have bigger screens.

Samsung Galaxy M10
₹ 7,990

Samsung’s recent push into the budget segment to dethrone Xiaomi as the market leader has brought the Samsung Galaxy M10 to the masses — it’s also one of the most affordable smartphones by Samsung.

The South Korean companý’s M-series is different from the usual devices that Samsung launches. It’s the first phone by the company in the budget segment that tries to get rid of the notch altogether.

The phone’s battery will last well over a day and the design is modern for anyone wanting to sport the notchless trend. Although, the chipset is dated and even though it has one of the biggest screens for under ₹ 10,000, the HD plus resolution of the screen leaves much to be desired.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1
₹ 9,169

Normally phones have one feature that stands out over the rest — like Samsung’s notchless screen or Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 7’s 13MP selfie camera — but Asus’ Zenfone Max Pro M1 is a good balance of everything a budget user wants on a phone (without a notch on the screen).

The chipset giving good gaming performance, something that’s hard to find on budget devices, and the massive 5,000 mAh battery lasts for two whole days with normal usage.

There aren’t any bells and whistles and the camera performance is at par with the competition. But, if you’re someone who can look past the camera, the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 is a good under for under ₹ 10,000.

Asus Zenfone Max M2
₹ 8,499

Asus maintains that the Zenfone Max M2 is not the successor to the M1 but a modified version of it after accounting for user feedback. Yet, somehow they forgot to account for a modern design.

Nonetheless, the display is bright, the battery lasts for well over a day and multitasking is a breeze. But, in comparison to the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1, the chipset is dated and though the batter is more than adequate, it’s 1000mAh smaller.

The one thing that Asus Zenfone Max M2 is better at than the Max Pro M1 is that is that the screen bezels are smaller and the camera app packs more features.