Smartphones have hit a high note and the specifications that previously required tailor-made sleeves now fit into tight pockets. Fingerprint sensors, dual cameras, thin bezels, sufficient RAM, and enormous storages are now easily available, even if you are limited by a budget. And, this is what has inspired us to gather a list of the best smartphones under 15000 INR. Let’s go ahead and plug into the list of top performing smartphones based on your budget.
This article will highlight the key traits of each of the devices that it one of the best phones under 15000 INR and also let it shine out compared to other smartphones in the list, and the ones otherwise not included. So, let’s get rolling.
Best Phones Under 15000 INR (December 2018)
1. ZenFone Max Pro M2
Asus has recently launched the ZenFone Max Pro M2 in India, and the phone comes with huge improvements over the ZenFone Max Pro M1. In fact, the ZenFone Max Pro M2 is good enough that it has dethroned the Redmi Note 6 Pro in this list.
The ZenFone Max Pro M2 features a 6.3-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD display, which is a smidge larger than what you’d find on the Note 6 Pro, and yes, the Max Pro M2 comes with a notch. That said, the design and build here is top notch. The phone comes with Gorilla Glass 6 on the front, which is unheard of in this price range, and the back too has a nice glass-like finish (even though it’s actually not glass) that looks very premium.
The phone also comes with the Snapdragon 660 processor, paired with 3GB/4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of storage. There’s a 6GB/64GB variant available as well, but that’s above the Rs. 15000 price range that we’re following in this article. With specs like that, the ZenFone Max Pro M2 has absolutely no problem handling everyday tasks without breaking a sweat. Plus, thanks to the Snapdragon 660 here, playing games will not be an issue either, and in this price range, this is one of the best phones for gaming as well.
In terms of cameras, the ZenFone Max Pro M2 features a 12MP + 5MP rear camera, which is lower than the 13MP + 5MP set up on the Max Pro M1, but the primary lens comes with a wider f/1.8 aperture this time around which results in way better low light photography. Photos from the ZenFone Max Pro M2 are definitely top notch in this price bracket, and the phone doesn’t leave a lot to complain about.
Other than that, the ZenFone Max Pro M2 comes with the same, massive, 5000mAh battery as its predecessor, the Max Pro M1, but this time around the phone is a lot more sleek, and very lightweight. What’s more, the phone comes with stock Android 8.1 Oreo, which means no bloatware and just smooth performance all around. If you’re looking for the best phones under Rs. 15000, the ZenFone Max Pro M2 should definitely be on your list.
Buy the ZenFone Max Pro M2 from Flipkart (starts at Rs. 12,999)
2. Redmi Note 6 Pro
Earlier this year, Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 5 Pro, and up until now it was by far the best phone under Rs. 15,000 in our opinion. Now, however, the company has launched the Redmi Note 6 Pro, and if you’re looking to buy a new smartphone under Rs. 15,000, you should definitely check out the Note 6 Pro.
The Redmi Note 6 Pro features a 6.26-inch FullHD+ display, which is only slightly bigger than the Redmi Note 5 Pro, but this time around the phone comes with a notch as well as chin; the side bezels are very thin though, so that’s definitely great and a lot better than the Redmi Note 5 Pro as far as design is concerned.
In everything else, the Redmi Note 6 Pro is almost the same phone as the Redmi Note 5 Pro. It has the same Snapdragon 636 Mobile Platform with an Adreno 509 GPU humming along for graphical performance. There’s 4GB/6GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage. As far as performance is concerned, the Redmi Note 6 Pro will not disappoint you whether it’s for everyday usage, or for gaming.
On the rear, the phone features a 12MP + 5MP dual rear camera (same as the Redmi Note 5 Pro) and it takes images that are pretty much the same as the Redmi Note 5 Pro except for some improvements here and there, and slightly better low light performance thanks to the wider f/1.9 aperture. On the front, the Redmi Note 6 Pro features a 20MP + 2MP dual camera and here the differences are far more pronounced. It’s definitely much better than the Redmi Note 5 Pro.
Other than that, the Redmi Note 5 Pro comes with the same, huge, 4,000 mAh battery that will easily last you through the day, and probably even longer if your usage is not very intensive. Also, the Redmi Note 6 Pro comes with MIUI 10, which is the latest iteration of Xiaomi’s in-house Android skin and is built on top of Android 8.1 Oreo.
Buy the Redmi Note 6 Pro from Flipkart (starts at Rs. 13,999)
3. Realme U1
Oppo’s sub-brand, and now independent company, Realme has been launching a bunch of phones. The Realme 2 Pro is already on this list, and it’s a pretty compelling smartphone to be honest. However, the Realme U1 has also been launched by the company and it too is a pretty solid phone priced under Rs. 15,000.
The phone comes with a big 6.3-inch FullHD+ LCD display and even though it’s not an AMOLED panel, it’s a gorgeous display. In our usage of the phone, we noticed some excellent brightness and sunlight visibility, but all of that doesn’t come at the expense of color accuracy — the Realme U1’s display has a pretty great color reproduction as well. On top of that, there’s a dewdrop (or teardrop) notch here, which is quite simply the best way to implement a notch for the front camera in my opinion, and it looks gorgeous as well.
The Realme U1 is the first smartphone to come with the Helio P70 processor, and the performance here is way better than the Snapdragon 636 and even the Snapdragon 660. The P70 is paired with up to 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB of internal storage, however, you can expand that to 256GB with a microSD card.
The cameras here are impressive as well. On the back, the Realme U1 comes with a 13MP + 2MP dual camera set up and it performs very well in good and low lighting conditions with ample light, detail, and usually great results. There are issues with oversharpening in good light shots sometimes, but for the most part the rear cameras here are pretty impressive. On the front, the Realme U1 comes with a 25MP camera which is also a pretty solid performer. In good light, photos from the front camera are great, but even in low light the camera performs admirably and it’s definitely impressive.
To keep things running, the Realme U1 packs in a 3,500 mAh battery which may not be a huge battery as you might find in some other phones in this price range, but it does last long enough to be used for over a day. The Realme U1 will be going on sale from December 5th, so if you’re looking to buy it, make sure you’re logged in on Amazon at 12PM for the first sale.
Buy the Realme U1 from Amazon (starts at Rs. 11,999)
4. Realme 2 Pro
Realme recently launched the new Realme 2 Pro and it’s a pretty capable smartphone. First of all, it has a beautiful design. There’s 6.3-inch FHD+ display with a teardrop notch, which by the way, makes the Realme 2 Pro the only phone with a teardrop notch in this price range. Along with the great design, the Realme 2 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 660 with up to 8 gigs of RAM. Yes, that sounds insane. While you won’t be able to get the 8GB version of the phone under 15000, but the 4GB version of the phone performs admirably well.
Then, there’s the cameras. The Realme 2 Pro comes with a 16MP+2MP dual camera setup on the back and a 16MP front facing camera. In our camera review of the Realme 2 Pro, we found out that although the Realme 2 Pro does not do videos too well, the pictures taken from the phone are pretty good. So, if you are looking for stylish yet powerful budget phone under 15000 rupees, you should definitely check out the Realme 2 Pro.
Buy on Flipkart: (starts at ₹13,990)
5. Redmi 6 Pro
Xiaomi recently launched the Redmi 6 Pro and it’s another great budget smartphone. The Redmi 6 Pro brings the notch to the Redmi smartphones and a lot of people love it. There is a 5.84-inch FHD+ IPS LCD display on the front and a metal back, similar to most Xiaomi phones. Another similarity that the Redmi 6 Pro has with other phones is the Snapdragon 625, which does seem outdated now but it’s still a capable and trusted processor in this price range. Apart from that, the phone comes with up to 4 gigs of RAM and up to 64GB of storage.
On the cameras front, the Remdmi 6 brings a 12+5MP dual camera setup, which is very similar to the Redmi Note 5 Pro. There’s AI Portrait Mode and EIS, which is great to have. On the front, the Redmi 6 Pro comes with a 5MP camera with portrait mode. Lastly, it has a huge 4,000 mAh battery, which makes the Redmi 6 Pro a solid phone under 15000 rupees.
Buy on Amazon: (starts at ₹10,999)
6. Honor 8X
Honor’s upgrade to last year’s Honor 7X, the Honor 8X is a pretty solid smartphone under Rs. 15000. The phone comes with a Kirin 710 processor as compared to the Kirin 659 in last year’s Honor 7X, and it packs in a huge 6.5-inch display with a small OnePlus 6-like notch at the top which is not very intrusive. As far as optics are concerned, the smartphone comes with a 20MP + 2MP dual rear camera that takes great pictures along with a 16MP front facing camera for selfies. The phone runs on Android 8.1 Oreo with Huawei’s EMUI 8.2 on top. However, the Honor 8X is expected to receive the EMUI 9 update with Android Pie sometime in Q2 2019 so that’s definitely great. The phone comes in two variants: a 4GB/64GB variant that is priced at Rs. 14,999 and a 6GB/64GB variant that’s priced at Rs. 16,999. The Honor 8X is definitely a big contender for the best smartphone under 15000 INR.
Buy the Honor 8X from Amazon (starts at Rs. 14,999)
7. Honor 8C
There are a bunch of Honor phones on this list and for good reason. The company has been launching some pretty compelling smartphones in the last few months, and the lastest addition to the company’s lineup is the brand new Honor 8C. The Honor 8C comes with a design that’s very similar to that of the Honor 8X, but this one isn’t a glass back. It still looks really good though, and is definitely an attractive looking phone.
The phone comes with a large 6.26-inch LCD display and while I’d have been happy with that, the company has put in an HD+ display on this phone. Anyway, while this doesn’t meant the display on the 8C is terrible, it could be a deal breaker, especially when most other phones in this price range feature FullHD+ displays.
Apart from that, the Honor 8C comes with the Snapdragon 632 processor, paired with up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It’s also the first phone to be powered by the Snapdragon 632, so there are some bragging rights involved here as well. The higher end variant (4GB + 64GB) of the phone (which is actually the one I would recommend you to buy in this price range) is a pretty solid performer, even for playing PUBG (although it’ll run at low settings).
Talking about cameras, things are a little wonky here. The Honor 8C features a 13MP + 2MP dual rear camera, and while they perform decently in good lighting, there are issues with oversharpening. Plus, in low light, the photos usually turn out dull. The front camera here is in the same boat; it’s an 8MP camera that takes decent selfies, but nothing really extraordinary. To round it all off, the Honor 8C comes with a big 4,000 mAh battery that should easily last you well over a day.
If you want a phone with nice performance and battery life, and you’re okay with compromising on the cameras, the Honor 8C might be worth looking into.
Buy the Honor 8C from Amazon (starts at Rs. 11,999)
8. Nokia 5.1 Plus
If you’re looking for a Nokia phone under Rs. 15,000 that brings a beautiful design, the Nokia 5.1 Plus is the phone to go for. The phone comes with a polycarbonate shell that’s protected by Gorilla Glass 5, so it’s pretty scratch resistant as well. Plus, the design is overall very minimal, with nice rounded edges that give off a very glass-like look. Plus, the phone features a USB-C port, which is definitely something not many phones in this price range offer.
In terms of specs, the Nokia 5.1 Plus comes with a 5.8-inch display (same as the Nokia 6.1 Plus). There’s a 13MP + 5MP dual camera set up on the back and they are decent performers. The front has an 8MP unit that takes decent selfies too. The phone comes with a bunch of camera features as well; there’s portrait mode, obviously, but there’s also the Bothie mode, PiP mode, AR filters, light settings, and should you need it, a manual mode.
The phone is powered by the Helio P60 processor, and is paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage so the performance here should be okay. The phone also comes with Android Oreo on board, and is a part of the Android One program, so it should receive updates too.
Buy the Nokia 5.1 Plus from Flipkart (Rs. 10,999)
9. Honor 9N
If you care about how your smartphone looks more than how it performs, Honor 9N is the smartphone for you. I mean, the smartphone looks absolutely beautiful and there is no other smartphone that comes even close to it when it comes to just the looks. Like premium flagship devices, the smartphone features a glass on glass construction with an aluminum frame running in between. Honor doesn’t seem to have cut any corners with this smartphone as not only it looks beautiful but it also feels sturdy and solid. Despite packing a big 5.84-inch IPS LCD panel which has a resolution of 1080 x 2280 pixels, the smartphone is easily manageable with one hand, thanks to its almost bezel-less display.
Coming to the display quality itself, it is one of the best IPS panels I have seen in this price range. The colors are on point and the display features very good viewing angles. It also gets fairly bright and sunlight visibility is no problem here. All in all, this is the best looking and a well-built phone that anyone can buy in the sub 15000 INR category. That said, the same cannot be said about its cameras and performance. The performance is just average and the cameras, especially the selfie one, are trash. That said, hardware doesn’t seem to be a problem here as the smartphone is packing decent hardware such as the HiSilicon Kirin 659 processor, Mali-T830 MP2 GPU, and dual 13 MP + 2 MP camera at the back along with a 16 MP selfie shooter. But until Honor fixes the Honor 9N’s problems, I recommend this to only people who prefer looks over everything else.
Buy from Flipkart: Starting at ₹11,999
10. Redmi Y2
Xiaomi’s selfie-camera focused Redmi Y2 is another smartphone under Rs. 15000 that you can consider buying. While the base variant of the phone is priced at Rs. 9,999, it’s still a contender in this list thanks to the higher end variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage that’s priced at Rs. 11,999. The phone brings in a Snapdragon 625 processor which performs decently in almost every situation (including gaming) so you shouldn’t face any issues. Plus, the phone comes with face unlock which is definitely a plus, and brings a 12MP + 5MP dual rear camera along with a 16MP front facing camera that takes decent selfies. The Y2 is basically the same phone as the Redmi 6 Pro when it comes to internals, except for the better front facing camera that brings AI portrait mode to selfies as well. This is definitely a phone you can consider under Rs. 15,000.
Buy the Redmi Y2 from Amazon (Rs. 11,999)
SEE ALSO: 10 Best Dual Camera Phones Under 15000 INR
Which are the Best Phones Under 15000 INR According to You?
Within this price range, we get a plethora of options, mostly dominated by the dual camera, or selfie-focused offerings. We’ve given an honest effort to listing the top devices which can fall under the list of best smartphones under 15000 INR based on not just the two characteristics but also features like availability of Hybrid SIM slot, chances of getting Android Pie, fast charging, and custom Android skin.
In case, you feel that we’ve missed out on a device or want us to write about devices in other price ranges, hit us up in the comments section below and we will follow your command.
Abubakar Mohammed
