The display quality offers a pretty good visual experience
In India, finding a smartphone that is both quality and budget-friendly can be difficult for a number of reasons.
Many Indians opt for Android devices due to iPhones being way too expensive.
But there are also a lot of Android phones that are costly, with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra costing well over Rs. 100,000 (£950).
Given that the average salary in India is Rs. 32,800 (£314) per month, a cheaper option is more viable.
Fortunately, there is a variety of budget smartphones that have decent specifications and good build quality.
Some are well-known manufacturers while others are more obscure.
Here is a selection of smartphones you can purchase in India for Rs. 10,000 (£95) or less.
JioPhone Next
Price: Rs. 4,750
When it comes to cheap smartphones in India, the JioPhone Next is a great budget option.
With a display of 5.45 inches and a resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels, the JioPhone Next offers a decent and compact display.
This smartphone is powered by a Qualcomm 215 processor, which is more than capable for day-to-day usage.
But the cheap price means the processor is not at the top of the range so expect the phone to experience lag from time to time.
It has a 3,500mAh battery, which may be small but is capable enough at this price.
When it comes to the camera, the JioPhone Next has a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP camera on the front, both with decent quality.
In terms of connectivity, the smartphone supports WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, Micro-USB and headphones.
One enticing factor is that it comes with Jio’s prepaid plans, which makes it easier to use with Jio’s pan-India network.
Realme C30
Price: Rs. 6,100
Realme is known for its budget-friendly smartphones, with many options under Rs. 10,000 (£95).
One of the cheapest phones in India is the Realme C30.
It has a 6.5-inch display with a 20:9 aspect ratio. The display quality offers a pretty good visual experience, making it ideal for watching films or browsing web pages.
The Unisoc T612 processor used by the Realme C30 is powerful enough to handle multitasking easily.
Regarding battery capacity, the Realme C30 packs a respectable 5,000mAh battery.
When it comes to cameras, the Realme C30 has an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera.
Infinix Smart 6
Price: Rs. 6,500
Infinix became popular in India thanks to its feature-packed smartphones on a budget.
The Smart 6 follows this trend, with prices starting from Rs. 6,500 (£62).
It has a massive 6.6-inch display and a resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels. This provides it with a great HD+ display.
The device is powered by a MediaTek Helio A22 processor, which is decent enough when using apps or browsing the internet.
It packs a 5,000mAh battery and when fully charged, it can last up to nearly a day.
Moving on to the camera, the Infinix Smart 6 has an 8MP+ depth sensor at the back and a 5MP camera at the front.
The camera performance is not the best in comparison to other smartphones but at this price, it is more than adequate.
Redmi 9A Sport
Price: Rs. 6,700
In India, Redmi is one of the top smartphone manufacturers as they sell a variety of reliable and robust devices that are reasonably priced.
For those looking to buy a phone for Rs. 10,000 or less, the 9A Sport is an option to consider.
With a screen size of 6.53 inches, 60Hz refresh rate and 720 x 1600 pixel resolution, the Redmi 9A Sport offers a decent display system.
The MediaTek Helio G25 processor powers the smartphone, making this device great for gamers.
The Redmi 9A Sport has a 5,000mAh battery with super-fast charging support.
It features a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front-facing camera. While it is decent, it could be better.
This dual-SIM phone has WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, headphones, Micro-USB, 3G and 4G connectivity options.
Xiaomi Redmi A1 Plus
Price: Rs. 7,500
The Xiaomi Redmi A1 Plus offers decent features for its price and boasts an Android interface.
It has a 6.52-inch screen size, with a HD+ resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels.
Browsing apps and the internet should be no problem as the smooth performance is down to the MediaTek Helio A22 processing chip.
With a 5,000mAh battery, this device provides extensive autonomy with a single charge. It allows for up to 30 hours of calls, 161 hours of music or up to 22 hours of video playback.
The Xiaomi Redmi A1 Plus has a dual-camera setup, with 8MP and 0.8MP rear cameras. On the front is a 5MP camera.
The range of features coupled with the sleek design makes this smartphone of the best budget-friendly options in India.
Micromax IN 2C
Price: Rs. 7,500
The Micromax IN 2C features a 6.52-inch LCD display with HD+ resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate.
It is powered by a MediaTek Helio G35 processor and comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.
This can be expanded up to 256GB via a microSD card.
The device runs on Android 11 and is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery, with support for 10W charging.
On the back of the phone is a 13MP primary camera and a 2MP depth sensor. The front houses a 5MP camera.
Other features include a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and facial recognition unlock.
LYF Earth 2
Price: Rs. 7,770
With an appealing aesthetic and numerous features, the LYF Earth 2 is a cheap smartphone option to consider.
Featuring Android technology and a 5-inch display, this device is one of the more convenient options, easily able to carry in a pocket or clutch bag.
It also comes with 32GB internal memory that is expandable up to 64GB.
The camera is okay, given the cost. It has 13MP cameras on both the front and the back.
It has a 2,500mAh battery, which is quite small but is still respectable on a single charge.
There is no doubt that quality, budget smartphones are a huge demand in the smartphone world.
And in India, a budget smartphone is helpful, especially for those on lower salaries.
These smartphones offer a broad range of features and are very effective for their price.