Ameya Dalvi

Our list of phones under Rs 15,000 undergoes a drastic change quarter after quarter. If you had a phone with 48 MP camera last quarter, you can get one with a 64 MP sensor now. If 4 GB RAM seemed decent for the budget then, you now have 6 GB on every handset in this list. And the evolution continues. So let’s see which are the top smartphones one can buy under Rs 15,000 this month.

Best phones under Rs 15,000 you can buy in India

Redmi Note 8 Pro

You can now get the base variant of the Redmi Note 8 Pro (Review) in this budget. It comes with quad cameras at the back with a combination of 64 MP primary sensor, 8 MP (ultra-wide), 2 MP (macro) and 2 MP (depth sensor). The phone's design is quite elegant with a glass back and Gorilla Glass 5 protection at the front as well as at the back. The phone is on the larger side courtesy of its 6.53-inch Full HD+ display that’s sharp and supports HDR. You get 6 GB RAM and 64 GB internal (expandable) storage.

The Redmi Note 8 Pro is powered by a MediaTek Helio G90T SoC which is quite a powerhouse for this segment and raises the performance bar. Not only does it outperform its Qualcomm counterparts in system benchmarks but comfortably takes the honours in gaming performance too. One can play PUBG Mobile on it in Ultra mode with HDR on. It has a 4,500 mAh battery that can last you for a couple of days of moderate usage without much gaming, and just over a day if you indulge in ample gaming. It runs Android Pie with MIUI 10 on top.

Redmi Note 8 Pro price in India: Rs 14,999 for 6 GB RAM/64 GB storage

Realme 5 Pro

Realme 5 Pro (Review) is another stylish phone that offers great value proposition along with quad cameras at the back. The camera combination here is similar to that of the Redmi Note 8 Pro except for the primary camera, which has a more than capable 48 MP sensor instead of 64 MP. The rear cameras manage to capture excellent shots with a great amount of detail, accurate colours, and sharpness. They do a good job with night photography too, and you have the Nightscape mode to take it a notch higher. The 16 MP front shooter won’t disappoint selfie enthusiasts either.

The textured back makes the Realme 5 Pro look eye-catching. A layer of Gorilla Glass 3+ on its 6.3-inch Full HD+ screen protects it from scratches. It is powered by a Snapdragon 712 chip with 6 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage that can be expanded further, thanks to a dedicated microSD card slot. Its 4,035 mAh battery easily lasts beyond a day, and in case it is running low at a crucial time, the company bundles a 20 W fast charger with VOOC Charge 3.0 to charge the battery doubly fast. It runs Android Pie with a fairly clean ColorOS 6.0 user interface.

Realme 5 Pro price in India: Rs 13,999 for 6 GB RAM/64 GB storage

Poco F1

This phone just refuses to go away. And now that Poco has been floated as a separate entity, we can expect a Poco F2 sometime this year. Poco F1 (Review) arrived in late 2018 with Qualcomm’s then flagship, Snapdragon 845 SoC for just over 20K. While its base variant was priced at 21K at launch, you can now get its mid variant with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage under Rs 15,000. You can add up to 256 GB further to it using a microSD card, if you wish to. The design isn’t the most eye-catching but it is still a beast in this segment when it comes to performance.

The Poco F1 comes with a 6.18-inch full HD+ notched display and a 12 MP + 5 MP dual-camera setup at the back that does a good job in average to good lighting. The image quality is pretty good but nothing fancy for 2020. There’s a more than decent 20 MP front camera for selfies. This is mainly a phone for gamers on a budget than camera enthusiasts. If you are looking to play PUBG Mobile in its full glory on a tight budget, Poco F1 is still a great option. The Poco launcher on top of Android Pie remains a better alternative to MIUI that you get on most Xiaomi phones.

Poco F1 price in India: Rs 14,999 for 6 GB RAM/128 GB storage

Vivo U20

Vivo U20 is a fairly recent launch that offers a bit of everything for a good price. This phone flaunts three rear cameras with a combination of 16 MP (primary) + 8 MP (ultrawide) + 2 MP (macro) lenses. The cameras do an acceptable job in various conditions for this budget range. This handset will keep the selfie enthusiasts interested with a 16 MP front shooter that captures some crisp shots.

The Vivo U20 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 SoC with 6 GB RAM and 64 GB expandable storage. It has a 6.53-inch Full HD+ display with a drop notch. The battery life here is quite impressive with a 5,000 mAh battery keeping the phone powered for close to two days of moderate usage. It supports fast charging and the company bundles an 18 W fast charger too to charge it quickly. The phone runs Android Pie with a layer of FunTouch OS 9.2 on top.

Vivo U20 price in India: Rs 11,990 for 6 GB RAM/64 GB storage

Lenovo K10 Note

Lenovo manages to hold on to its position in our list in this crowded midrange space with the highly competent K10 Note. The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 710 SoC and comes bundled with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage. It has a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display with a drop notch. There’s a 4,050 mAh battery that can keep it powered for a day.

Camera department comprises of triple cameras with a combination of 16 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP sensors. But what’s interesting here is that the company has opted for a telephoto lens instead of ultra-wide. So the Lenovo K10 Note provides you with 2X optical zoom, something not very common in this segment. There’s a 16 MP front camera for selfies. The phone runs Android Pie with ZUI 11 on top. Its price has come down by a good 20 percent in the past few months making it an even better deal.

Lenovo K10 Note price in India: Rs 11,999 for 6 GB RAM/128 GB storage

That’s it for now. If you are on a tighter budget, you may want to check our list of best phones under Rs 10,000 this month.