Best Android smartphones in India: Entry-level

We have already posted our “Best High-end Android smartphones”, and “Best Mid-range Android smartphones” guides, and now it is the turn of entry-level Android phones. Thanks to smartphones from companies like Motorola, Asus and Xiaomi, this budget segment is filled with choices ranging from 5-inch smartphones to smaller but powerful devices.

Best Android phones under INR 10,000

Our Top Choice: Asus Zenfone 5

Asus Zenfone 5 is a great option for anyone looking to buy a sub-INR 10,000 smartphone in India. The phone offers great performance and includes nice specifications. You can check out our review of the smartphone here.

Asus Zenfone 5 key specs: 5-inch HD display, Intel Atom Z2560 dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, microSD card slot, 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera and Android 4.3 (4.4 update available, 5.0 coming soon).

Current Price: Starting INR 9,999 | Buy Now

Second Choice: Xiaomi Redmi 1S or Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G

Xiaomi might have created ripples in the Indian smartphone market but buying its smartphones is a big hassle. Still, Redmi 1S is the best you can get under INR 6K in the country. The specifications are in line with much pricier Moto G and Zenfone 5 smartphones but pricing is almost half of them.

If you are looking for a phone with slightly bigger screen, Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 4G is the a great option for you. The phone comes with 4G LTE support, great featured and a capable Snapdragon 400 CPU.

Xiaomi Redmi 1S key specs: 4.7-inch HD display, 1.6GHz Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8MP rear camera, 1.6MP front camera, Android 4.3, and 2000 mAh battery

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G key specs: 5.5-inch 720p HD, Snapdragon 400 quad-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, 13MP rear camera, 5MP front shooter, and 3100 mAh battery.

Current Price: INR 5,999 (Redmi 1S) – INR 9,999 (Redmi Note 4G) | Register of the next sale

Third Choice: Yu Yureka

Micromax-backed Yu Televentures’ Yu Yureka is great smartphone for the given price-tag. It is not only runs on Cyanogen OS, but is powered by Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor. Other features of the phone like camera and display are also excellent (Also Read: Yu Yureka review)

Yu Yureka key specs: 5.5-inch 720p HD display, 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, 2GB of RAM, 4G LTE support, 13MP rear camera and 2500 mAh battery.

Current Price: INR 8,999 | Buy Now

Fourth Choice: Moto E

Launched in India several months ago, Moto E is still one of the decent Android smartphones under INR 7,000 in the country. It offers value for money and come with decent specifications as well as Android 4.4. It also saw a price-cut recently.

Moto E key specs: 4.3-inch qHD display, 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm 200 processor, 1GB of RAM, 5MP rear camera, and 1980 mAh battery.

Current price: INR 5,999 | Buy Now

Also worth considering: Asus Zenfone 4 A450CG or Asus Zenfone 4 A400CG

Like Zenfone 5, both of these Asus smartphones are performance driven and bring a decent specs-set to the table. A450CG offers slightly better specifications with Android 4.4 for INR 1,000 more, but if you don’t want to spend that amount, A400CG is also a nice option.

Asus Zenfone 4 A450CG specifications: 4.5-inch FWVGA display, 1.2GHz Intel Atom Z2520 dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8MP rear camera, Android 4.4, and 1750 mAh battery

Asus Zenfone 4 A400CG specifications: 4-inch WVGA display, 1.2GHz Intel Atom Z2520 dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 5MP rear camera, Android 4.3 and 1600 mAh battery

Current Price: INR 6,999 (A450CG – Buy Now), Starting INR 5,299 (A400CG – Buy Now)

Other good phones in this price-segment: Moto G (1st Gen), Lenovo A6000, and Huawei Honor Holly