Best mobile phones under Rs 5,000

A phone that comes with smart features need not necessarily be a high-priced product. There are numerous affordable handsets for you to pick from.  Good mobile handsets for smart prices ranging from Rs 1,700 to Rs 5,000.

TOUCH
There was a time when touch phones with capacitive displays used to be the envy of the cash-strapped. Today there are a select few that are easy on the wallet.

Karbonn K1616
Price: Rs 4,800
Specs: 3.5-inch capacitive display; 3.2 MP camera; expandable up to 8GB; GPRS, Bluetooth; 1150 mAh battery.

Zen Mobile Flikk M45
Price: Rs 5,000
Specs: 7.1-cm touch display; 3.2 MP camera; 4GB expandable memory card; GPRS, Bluetooth.

-Text by Nidhi Singal

CAMERA PHONE
These days it is difficult to spot a phone that doesn't have a camera. But why be content with a VGA camera or 2 MP one when you can acquire a 3.2 or a 5 MP shooter?

Nokia X2
Price: Rs 4,710
This is a complete package from Nokia that scores on every front: looks, sound and camera. Along with a 5 MP sensor, it has an LED flash for photogarphy at night or in dim light. You can also capture moving images at 20 frames per second. The plus point: the X2 can be used for sharing images and videos with friends on your social network.

-Text by Nidhi Singal

MUSIC PHONE
While most phones come with some music capabilities, there are some that are especially built for the audiophile and often come with a headset.

Lava M30
Price: Rs 4,499
Specs: 2.2-inch display; 2 MP camera; Memory expandable up to 8GB; GPRS, Bluetooth; 1200 mAh battery.

Micromax M2
Price: Rs 3,599
Specs: 2 MP camera; 2GB internal memory, expandable; GPRS, Bluetooth; 850 mAh battery.

-Text by Nidhi Singal

DUAL SIM
Most of the domestic handsets are capable of supporting two SIM cards. So you need one like that, you can easily get yourself a good-looking, cheap phone.

Zen M72
Price: Rs 1,749
Specs: 2.4-inch display; 1.3 MP camera; GPRS, Bluetooth; 1800 mAh battery.

Alcatel ICE3 OT520D
Price: Rs 2,299
Specs: 2-inch display; 2MP camera; 1 MB memory, expandable up to 32GB; GPRS, Bluetooth; 1000 mAh battery.

-Text by Nidhi Singal

MOVIE/TV PHONE
A cell phone often substitutes for an FM radio and a music player. Now you can use it for a video experience too. Here are innovative offers form G'Five and Zen.

G'Five E680
Price: Rs 2,600
How's this for a phone loaded with 20 blockbuster movies? The movies are compressed and stored in the memory card and comes with a software that compresses the size of the movie while transferring. A dedicated movie button gives instant access to this feature.

Zen Z82
Price: Rs 4,000
Specs: 2.4-inch display, 2MP camera; 4GB expandable memory; GPRS, Bluetooth; 1100 mAh battery.

-Text by Nidhi Singal

GAMING PHONE

G'Five G20
Price: Rs 2,900
The G20 is a child's fantasy come true with its gaming console and close to 1,000 16-bit video games. On its 2.4-inch QVGA display, you can play titles like Mario, Contra, Goonies, Battle City, etc. It also has an analog TV and built-in Yamaha amplifier. Specs: 2.4-inch display; dual memory card slot; 1500 mAh battery, motion sensor.

Airfone Game Yo
Price: Rs 2,500
G'Five is not the only company offering a gaming phone with a console. Airfone has joined the bandwagon by adding a game pad to its Game Yo phone. Here, the handset is fitted in a controller attachment and games can be downloaded and played on the microSD card. It come preloaded with 1,650 games. Specs: 2.4-inch display; 4GB microSD card; GPRS, Bluetooth; 1300 mAh battery.

-Text by Nidhi Singal

QWERTY
Rather than tap-tapping away on an alpha-numeric keypad, isn't it far easier to type a note or message on a QWERTY pad?

Samsung Chat 322
Price: Rs 3,949
The Chat 322's metallic looks are complemented by a well-spaced QWERTY keypad, two GSM card slots and an optical trackpad. Specs: 2.2-inch display, Memory expandable up to 8GB; GPRS, Bluetooth; 1000 mAh battery.

Nokia X2-01
Price: Rs 3,500
The X2-01 has a 2.4-inch display and support for email, Yahoo! Messenger, GTalk and Ovi Chat. Plus download music from Ovi Music. Specs: 2.4 inch display, Memory expandable to 8GB; 1020 mAh.

-Text by Nidhi Singal

3G
Considering the erratic service and the high cost of 3G services in India at the moment, many will not be convinced to move to the 3G network. However, there is no harm buying a phone that is 3G enabled just in case things imporve.

Nokia C2-01
Price: Rs 4,279
Specs: 2-inch display; 3.2 MP camera; 46MB internal memory, 16GB expandable; Bluetooth, 3G; 1020 mAh Li-ion battery.

Sony Ericsson Cedar
Price: Rs 4,890
Specs: 2.2-inch display; 2 MP camera; 280 MB internal, 16GB expandable; 3G, Bluetooth; 1000 mAh battery.

-Text by Nidhi Singal