Top 5 smartphones under Rs 10,000

Smartphone market is on a boom and majority of sales are coming from under Rs 10,000 price segment. Until a few years ago, you only had a few options to choose from players such as Micromax, Karbonn, Lava and its likes. But times have changed. Players such as Motorola, Huawei, Lenovo and Asus, too, have some compelling offers in the market. We have shortlisted the best five smartphones that you can consider. (Text by Nidhi Singal)

LENOVO K3 NOTE: Rs 9,999

The device is the company's latest entrant with a 5.5-inch full HD display. Powered by 1.7GHz octa-core processor by Mediatek, it is paired with 2GB of RAM and runs on Android Lollipop operating system. It comes with 16GB internal storage and supports up to 32GB expandable memory. This is a dual SIM device with standby mode and supports 4G network on one connection. Making it a imaging powerhouse, Lenovo has added a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front facing camera. It also packs in a 2900 mAh battery that easily lasts a day on a single charge.  The only issue with the Lenovo K3 Note is that it is only available through flash sales on Flipkart.

MOTOROLA MOTO G (2ND GEN): Rs 9,999

The device is powered by a 1.2Ghz Qualcomm quad-core processor, paired with 1GB RAM. When launched, it was running on Android KitKat but has received Android Lollipop upgrade. Even this one is a dual SIM smartphone. Having a sturdy build, it weighs 149 grams and packs in a 5inch HD display. The biggest plus point of the device is the stock Android OS that makes it much faster in comparison to the smartphones with custom UI. It comes with an 8MP rear camera and a 2MP front facing camera, and has a 2070 mAh battery.

HUAWEI HONOR 4X: Rs 9,999

The device has a decent piece of hardware with a 5.5inch touch display with 1920x1080p resolution. It runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 quad-core chipset and is paired with 2GB of RAM. The onboard storage is limited to 8GB only but it supports an expandable memory of up to 32GB. The 3000 mAh battery onboard is impressive. The Honor 4x comes equipped with a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front facing one. Even this one is a dual SIM device with LTE support on both the SIM slots. It is 8.7mm thick and weights 170 grams.

ASUS ZENFONE 5: Rs 9,999

The Zenfone 5 has been one of the best selling smartphones under Rs 10,000. It is powered by 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z2560 processor and comes with 2GB of RAM. It has an internal storage of 16GB and support up to 64GB of expandable memory. It comes with a 5inch HD display, 8MP rear camera, 2MP front facing camera and a 2110mAh battery. Overall, this is a neat smartphone with impressive performance. While the 16GB variant of this smartphone is retailing online for Rs 9,999, there is also an 8GB variant available for 8,499.

XIAOMI REDMI NOTE 4G: Rs 7,999

It runs on Xiaomi proprietary MIUI software and has got a little slippery rear. There is a 5.5inch HD display, 1.6Ghz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 8GB internal storage. It supports expandable memory up to 64GB. There is a decent 13MP camera at the back and a 5MP camera at the front for capturing selfies.

A little more than Rs 10,000:

In May this year, Xiaomi had launched its Mi4i smartphone for India priced at Rs 12,999. It has a beautiful built quality and the 13MP camera offers clear and sharp images, undoubtedly the best in its price segment.

You can also look at Yu Yureka Plus. Yu is the online only brand from Micromax available on Amazon India. The best part about Yu is that it runs on Cyanogen OS and offers snappy performance.

Moto G 3rd Gen: Rs 11,999
Motorola has also introduced a successor to the Moto G 2nd Gen. The Moto G 3rd gen has been launched in two variants - RS 11,999 and Rs 12,999. If you can stretch your budget a bit, we will recommend you to go for the Moto G 3rd gen as it is a water resistant smartphone with better camera, battery and processor. Available exclusively with Flipkart, Moto G is easily available and at times even has some exchange offers.