Smartphones have advanced a lot in the last couple of years and we no longer have to spend upwards of 10000 rupees just to get a good smartphone which supports 4G connectivity. Now, potential buyers can spend as little money as they can afford to dispense and still get a good 4G smartphone. However, in the sea of ultra-budget smartphones, finding out the gems is way harder than it is to choose a flagship smartphone as there are not many online reviews available for these phones. That’s why, to help our readers in selecting the best ultra-cheap 4G phones, we are bringing the list of the 10 best 4G phones under 5000 INR that you can buy right now:
1. Redmi 5A
While there are a number of good phones under 5000 INR, if you are ready to spend a bit more, you will be able to get a considerably better smartphone than all the other smartphones on this list. The smartphone we are talking about is the Redmi 5A, which like all other Xiaomi smartphones, brings a very good value for its price. The smartphone packs a 5-inch HD IPS display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 Pixels. While it’s not the sharpest screen on the market, for a 5-inch display, it’s more than enough to bring a nice viewing experience.
When it comes to the smartphone’s guts, it is being powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset which is a quad-core chipset with each core clocked at 1.4 GHz. The Redmi 5A pairs the chipset with Adreno 308 GPU, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage. What all this means is that the smartphone will be able to handle all your day-to-day tasks. Also, while it cannot handle AAA mobile gaming titles like Asphalt 8, you will be able to do normal gaming on this one. Apart from its power and build quality, what makes this phone a winner is its camera setup. It sports a 13MP primary camera with f/2.2 aperture and a 5MP front-facing shooter with a f/2.0 aperture. The smartphone takes really decent photos which is not something that you expect from a smartphone at this price range. If you want a smartphone which hits all the right checkboxes and can spare a little extra cash, do check this smartphone out.
Buy From Flipkart: ₹5,999
2. Nokia 1
If you are someone who enjoys the stock Android experience, this is the best 4G smartphone that you can buy under 5000 INR. The Nokia 1 might not be the best smartphone on this list as far as value for money is concerned, but it does have its strengths. For starters, the Nokia 1 is the first Android Go smartphone in India. The Android Go moniker means that it is running on a watered-down version of Android which Google has specially developed for ultra-budget devices. Nokia 1 is also the most unique and my favorite looking phone on this list. The colored polycarbonate back of the smartphone gives it a look which is not only unique but also a pleasure to eyes. Finally, it’s also the only smartphone on this list which is running on Android Oreo (Go Edition) and also has the most chances of being upgraded to newer versions of Android as they are released.
At its core, the smartphone packs a MediaTek MT6737M processor and a Mali-T720 GPU which the smartphone pairs nicely with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. The front of the smartphone sports a 4.5-inch 480p display which certainly is a downer. However, the most disappointing thing about this smartphone are its cameras. It packs a 5MP sensor at the back and 2MP camera at the front, both of which take below average photo. If you love the cameras on your smartphone, this is not the smartphone for you. However, if you like stock Android and want to receive faster updates, this is your best option.
Buy From Amazon: ₹4,715
3. Yu Yunique 2
If you are looking for a smartphone which packs almost similar specs to the Redmi 5A but is priced below the 5000 mark, Yu Yunique 2 is probably the phone for you. The smartphone not only brings the similar 5-inch 1280 x 720 pixels IPS HD display but also pairs it with the same 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. When it comes to the processor the smartphone is being powered by MediaTek MT6737 quad-core process with each core clocked at 1.3 GHz and a Mali T720-MP1 650 GPU. As you can see, apart from the processor and the GPU, the smartphone is very similar to the Redmi 5A.
Even when it comes to the cameras, the Yu Yunique 2 doesn’t disappoint. The smartphone packs the same 13MP+5MP primary and secondary camera setup. That said, the actual sensors used in the cameras are different. The picture quality of the Yu Yunique 2 is also comparable to the Redmi 5A. It’s not better by any standards but it’s also not significantly worse. Basically, Yu Yunique 2 is one of the best value for money smartphone that you can find in the market and if you are looking for a 4G smartphone, it should definitely be at the top of your list.
Buy From Flipkart: ₹4,999
4. Lava A97
Another good 4G smartphone that you can buy is the Lava A97 which is a dual-SIM smartphone, both of which support 4G connectivity. When it comes to the specs, the smartphone packs a 5-inch FWVGA display with a resolution of 480 x 854 pixels, which I admit is a little on the lower side. All the processing power is being handled by a 1.3 GHz quad-core chipset. The smartphone pairs this with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage which should be enough for most of your needs.
What I like most about this smartphone are its cameras as it brings a 5MP sensor at the back and at the front, both of which have their own individual LED flash. If you like to take selfies in the dark, the front-facing flash will certainly help. Finally, the smartphone also packs a 2350 mAh battery which should easily last you the whole day. It’s not the best smartphone in our price range, but it will certainly appeal to specific users and that’s why it has made its way on the list.
Buy From Amzon: ₹5,099
5. XOLO ERA 3
Just as Xiaomi made its name in the budget devices segment of the market, Xolo has made its name in the ultra-budget segment. The XOLO ERA 3 is a really good device which not only looks good but also packs enough power to get you through the day without bogging down. The smartphone packs a 5-inch, 720 x 1280 Pixels display which is one of the best I have seen in this price range. It is being powered by MediaTek MTK 6737 quad-core processor while the ARM Mali-T720 MP1 GPU is handling all the graphics related needs.
When it comes to storage, the smartphone brings 1GB of RAM along with 8GB of internal storage. I don’t mind the lower internal storage as it does have a microSD card slot, however, I do feel that they should have included at least 2GB of RAM. Where the phone redeems itself is in the cameras department, as it brings a 5MP primary camera sensor along with an 8MP front-facing shooter, both of which come equipped with their own flash. From the specs, its quite clear that XOLO is targeting the selfie-lovers with XOLO ERA 3 and if you are one of them, you should definitely check this phone out.
Buy From Flipkart: ₹4,499
6. Micromax Bharat 4
Micromax is one of the few Indian smartphone brands which have been able to survive in this cut-throat smartphone market. The company has been able to do that by producing really good ultra-budget smartphones and the Micromax Bharat 4 is a prime example of that. The smartphone is being powered by a quad-core MT6737 processor and Mali-T720 MP1 GPU which is enough to push its 5-inch, 1280 x 720 pixel IPS panel with ease.
When it comes to storage, it brings 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. As I said before, 2GB of RAM would have been a nice addition. There’s a 5MP camera at the back and at the front, both of which should be able to take average photos. There’s also flash on both the back and the front which should help the matters in dark environments. Running on Android Nougat, the phone packs 2500 mAh battery which should easily power the whole thing for a day.
Buy From Amazon: ₹4,749
7. JioPhone 2
JioPhone 2 is one of the best and cheapest 4G smartphones that you can buy today. The smartphone is quite compact and tiny and it does not have much heft to it. It can easily fit into the palm of your hand, that said, it is quite thick. When it comes to the hardware, the JioPhone 2 sports a 2.4-inch horizontal QVGA display with a 320x240p screen resolution. It’s not the best in the market, however, you cannot expect much more than this at this price range. It is being powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and brings 512 MB of RAM along with 4 GB of expandable storage. There’s also a 2 MP camera at the back and a 0.3 MP camera at the front. There’s a 2000 mAh battery which is juicing this device.
All that said, the unique selling point of this device is the physical keyboard. While all the smartphones are moving towards an on-screen keyboard, Reliance has decided to stick with a physical keyboard which is both nostalgic and unique. Even though the keys are really small, they are well spread out and tactile, and the typing experience is quite nice. Look, I will be the first one to say this that this phone is not going to blow you away with its performance or camera quality or display. However, for the price Jio is asking for JioPhone 2, you are getting quite a capable 4G phone. If your budget is heavily limited, you can surely buy this phone.
Buy From Jio.com: ₹2,999
8. Intex Indie 15
The Intex Indie 15 is a fully features 4G smartphone which is priced just below the Rs. 5000 mark. The smartphone brings quite a lot and you can consider it as your next smartphone. Firstly, it is being powered by the MediaTek MTK6737 quad core processor which it pairs nicely with 2GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage which is expandable via an SD card. It also brings a big 5.2-inch 720p display which is nice to look at.
One of the biggest features of this device is the fingerprint sensor at the back which is not something we usually see at this price range. The phone also packs quite good cameras with a 13 MP sensor at the back and a 5 MP sensor at the front. The smartphone takes quite good photos and has certainly one of the best camera performance in this price range. Finally, the phone supports dual 4G SIMs (micro+micro) which is a great news for consumers.
Buy From Amazon: ₹4,999
9. Micromax Vdeo 2
The Micromax Vdeo 2 brings a 4.5-inch TN display with a resolution of 854 x 480 pixels. It’s being powered by the Spreadtrum SC9832 quad-core processor and a Mali MP2 GPU. The phone also brings 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage along with a 5MP primary camera and 2MP secondary camera. As you can see from the specs, this is not the best and the baddest smartphone on the list. In fact, it’s probably one of the weakest phones on this list. That said, it’s also the cheapest phone on this list. So, if you are looking for the cheapest 4G smartphone, this is the one you should get.
Buy From Amazon: ₹3,499
10. Infinix Smart 2
The final phone on our list is the Infinix Smart 2. This phone comes with a 5.45-inch HD+ display, which is at par with (and in some cases, better than) most other phones on this list. The Infinix Smart 2 is powered by the MTK6739 quad core chipset which is a pretty powerful SoC in this price bracket. The quad core chipset is paired with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 128GB with a microSD card. The phone also packs in a 3,050 mAh battery that will easily last you a day, and comes with Android Oreo 8.1 out of the box.
In terms of cameras, the Infinix Smart 2 comes with a 13MP rear camera with HDR, beauty, and night modes, and an 8MP front facing camera so WhatsApp video calls will not be an issue either. The phone also features a flash on both the front and the back for low light shots.
Buy from Flipkart (Rs. 5,999)
SEE ALSO: 10 Best Phones Under 10000 INR You Can Buy
Best Ultra-Budget 4G Phones You Can Buy (December 2018)
That ends our list of the best 4G phones under 5000 INR that you can buy today. As you can see, there are a lot of options to choose from and you should definitely check out the list before you make your final decision. Once you do make it, let us know in the comments section below which of these smartphones won your heart.
Anshuman Jain
Sagnik Das Gupta
