7 Best Smartphones Under Rs 15,000

Looking to buy a smartphone with a big display, decent battery and a few extra distinguishing features, but don’t want to spend more than Rs 15,000?

We have listed a few options. These mid-range smartphone will work well for most mobile tasks, including web browsing, ebook reading, working on documents, some movie watching and casual gaming.

So, take your pick …

1. Motorola Moto G 2nd Generation (Rs 12,999)

The Moto G runs on Android, which means you get the largest number of free apps. The device is devoid of any bloatware, which makes it a spiffy performer.

Besides, you get well over a day's worth of service from a single charge, a decent 8MP rear camera, a water-resistant coating to protect against splashes and a Gorilla Glass 3 display that makes it scratch resistant.

2. Asus Zenfone 5 (Rs 9,499)

If you are looking for a better out-of-the-box experience for entertainment and photography, then opt for the Zenfone.

This Android phone ­ which offers 2GB RAM as opposed to 1GB on the rest of the phones listed here also sports a scratch-resistant touchscreen, comes with support for popular multimedia formats, an audio enhancement for louder output, a proprietary camera software technology that takes better low-light shots, and a cloud storage management app.

The only drawback is the Zenfone's battery life, which will have you reaching for the charger before the day is done.

(Buy Now @ Amazon.in)

3. Microsoft Lumia 730 Dual Sim (Rs 13,681)

This handset runs Microsoft's Windows Phone 8.1 and even though the Lumia 730 has a slightly smaller 4.7-inch screen, its scratch-resistant OLED display is bright and renders vibrant colours.

Its Zeiss lens rear snapper takes quality pictures and the 5MP front cam is ideal for video calls. The phone also includes built-in filters and editing options. Plus, you get Office Mobile for editing word documents and spreadsheets, which is integrated to OneDrive, Microsoft's cloud storage.

Its Here Maps services is arguably the best navigation utility we've seen for India. Its app store has most of the popular social networking and messaging apps. If not, there are excellent alternatives available.

(Buy Now @ Amazon.in)

4. Blackberry Z3 (Rs 13,650)

The Z3 is for anybody who needs robust e-mail support coupled with messaging. Based on BlackBerry 10 OS, this handset is preloaded with BBMessenger, Documents to Go, and a proprietary virtual keyboard that learns your typing style to improve text prediction. Even though this device is not meant to be a multimedia phone, it supports a wide range of multimedia formats.

Moreover, BB10, which gives you over a day's battery life, is compatible with Android apps too. You can install the Amazon Appstore to browse and install Android apps on to the Z3.

All the handsets, except the BB Z3, listed here have a 1280x720px display and two SIM slots. The Z3 sports a 960x540px resolution and is a single SIM phone. As far as storage is concerned, the Moto G and Zenfone 5 offer 16GB storage while the Lumia 730 and Z3 come with 8GB of space. That said, all have a microSD slot for storage expansion.

(Buy Now @ Amazon.in)

5. Gionee Marathon M3 (Rs 14,000)

If you are in search for a smartphone with long-lasting battery, then Gionee's Marathon M3 is the perfect model for you. The smartphone has a 5,000mAh battery that offers talk time of over 50 hours on 2G networks, the company claims. However, it is a little heavy at 180gram.

Gionee Marathon M3 has a 5-inch HD display and is powered by Android 4.4 (KitKat) operating system. It packs a 1.3GHz quad-core processor with 1GB RAM under the hood and comes with 8GB internal storage and 128GB microSD card support. The smartphone has an 8MP rear camera with LED flash and 2MP front camera.

(Buy Now @ Amazon.in)

6. Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G (Rs 9,999)

If you are looking for a 4G-enabled smartphone, then Xiaomi's Redmi Note 4G should be on top of your list. This smartphone is compatible with the TD-LTE network used in India for 4G networks and offers decent hardware and software for the price.

This phablet has a 5.5-inch HD screen with 267ppi pixel density and runs on Xiaomi's custom MIUI, based on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). It is powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor with 2GB RAM. The model only supports one sim card and comes with 8GB on-board storage and microSD card expansion up to 64GB.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G has a 13MP camera with LED flash on the back and a 5MP selfie camera. It is powered by a 3,100mAh battery and has standard connectivity options like Wi-Fi, 2G, 3G, Bluetooth 4.0 and microUSB 2.0, apart from 4G.

7. Huawei Honor 3C (Rs 13,500)

Huawei's Honor 3C is easily among the best smartphones under Rs 15,000 you can buy today. Though its Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)-based Emotion Lite UI may not charm everyone, the hardware more than make up for it. The smartphone has a 5-inch HD display, 1.3GHz quad-core Mediatek processor and 2GB RAM.

For casual photographers, it packs an 8MP camera with LED flash on the back, whereas selfie lovers can make use of its 5MP front camera. Other key features of the smartphone include 8GB internal storage, 32GB microSD card support and 2,300mAh battery.