It's not just the price! These smartphones come loaded with great features too.
In the last decade or so, we have seen an explosion of smartphones in our lives. Smartphones -- once a gadget reserved for the privileged ones -- have now become a necessiy for the teeming masses, thanks to a huge reduction in their prices.
Google Android OS based smartphones have come a long way from a modest beginning in 2010 with the launch of its first edition called Android 2.2 Froyo OS that managed to garner only 8 per cent of the smartphone market. Today, Android smartphones have captured 83.6 per cent of the market share, thanks to their affordable pricing, better interfaces and tons of applications available online.
Here is the list of 10 Android smartphones, priced under Rs 10,000, that has led to intense competition in the low-end market:
ASUS ZenFone 5
In recent years, Asus has managed to bring out several budget-friendly smartphones that not only provide amazing features, but more interestingly managed to sell them at rock bottom price.
ASUS Zenfone 5 is one such example, available at an affordable price of Rs 9,999 (8GB). This 145-gram handset packs top-end features and specs, which include a 5-inch IPS capacitive HD display with 720 x 1280 pixels resolution, 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z2560 processor paired with 1GB of RAM, 8MP primary camera with LED flash and 2MP secondary camera.
Apart from this, it also supports a lot of connectivity options such as 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and others.
Motorola Moto E
In the last couple of years, Motorola has introduced smartphones that not only have the looks and boast of premium features, but are also available at a budget price.
Motorola Moto E, available at a price of Rs 6,999, is distinguished by its bright 4.3-inch qHD display that supports 540 x 960 pixels resolution and is protected by the scratch resistant Gorilla Glass 3 Layer.
This 142-gram handset comes with Android 4.4 KitKat OS and is powered by a combination of 1.2GHz dual-core A7 Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor with Adreno 302 400MHz single-core GPU and 1GB of RAM.
The primary camera has 5MP sensor but there is no secondary camera available, a drawback for the device as many other smartphones priced under Rs 6,000, offer secondary camera.
The Motorola Moto E provides a wide range of connectivity options, including 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc., and is packed with a 1,980mAh Li-ion battery, providing 24 hours of mixed usage on a single charge.
Xiaomi Redmi 1S
Xiaomi Redmi 1S is a 7.3mm slim, weighs 158 grams, packs quite a punch in the software and hardware section and can be grabbed for Rs 5,999. This smartphone sports a 4.7-inch HD display with 720 x 1280 pixels resolution.
The dual-SIM device supports connectivity to 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and several others options.
For taking photographs, it houses a powerful 8MP autofocus primary camera along with a 1.6MP front facing camera. This smartphone is powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8228 processor coupled with 1GB of RAM and 8GB in-built memory (microSD card slot available).
A 2,000mAh battery gives the required battery backup to this Android 4.3 Jelly Bean OS based smartphone.
ASUS ZenFone 4
ZenFone 4 is another entrant from ASUS, which falls in the budget smartphone category with a price of Rs 5,999. This dual-SIM smartphone has a 4-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen and runs on the dated Android 4.3 Jelly Bean OS.
For smooth performance, ASUS has provided it with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor interlinked with 1GB of RAM.
Supporting 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and several other connectivity options, this budget smartphone boasts of two shooters; one of them is a 5MP megapixels primary camera and the other is a 0.3MP front camera.
A 1,170mAh Li-Po battery works for the complete day with normal usage.
Micromax Canvas Elanza 2 A121
Micromax has captured the imagination of millions of Indians with its Canvas series of smartphones, which provide the customers with latest features and specs at affordable prices.
Micromax Canvas Elanza 2, priced at Rs 9,340, falls in the same category, which comes with 5-inch IPS LCD display (720 x 1280 pixels) and runs on the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean OS.
For power, it has 1.2GHz quad-core processor, coupled with 1GB of RAM. In terms of multimedia, the smart device offers 8MP primary and 2MP secondary cameras. The handset supports 4GB of inbuilt memory with option for adding 32GB of external storage through a microSD card.
For connectivity, the handset offers many options such as 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc. and is packed with a 2,000mAh battery.
Karbonn Titanium S1 Plus
Karbonn is a well known Indian brand that provides devices with decent features at affordable prices. The new Titanium S1 Plus handset introduced by the company at a reasonable price of Rs 6,490 follows this mantra of the company.
It is a dual-SIM smartphone capable of supporting 3G network. It sports a 4-inch TFT capacitive display that supports 480 x 800 pixels resolution.
The device runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean platform and has a 5MP rear camera, 0.3MP front snapper, 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM 4GB internal memory, microSD card slot.
To provide adequate backup, this handset comes out-of-the-box with a 1,500mAh standard lithium-ion battery that provides a healthy battery backup.
Micromax Unite 2
Micromax, the top Indian smartphone company, has recently released several smartphones in different price bracket to compete effectively with its main rival, Samsung.
Micromax Unite 2 is amongst its most recent release, which is a budget level smartphone available for Rs 6,999 and is blessed with competitive features.
The front of this smartphone is dominated by a 4.7-inch WVGA IPS capacitive display that supports 480 x 800 pixels resolution. This handset runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat OS and is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of ROM.
Other features of the handset include 5MP rear and 2MP front cameras, various connectivity options (3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and several others), support to 20 Indian regional languages and a 2,000mAh battery that provides 8 hours of talk time.
Sony Xperia E1 Dual
This smartphone from Sony comes with the company's signature design at an affordable price of Rs 9,899. This Android KitKat 4.4 OS powered smartphone sports a 4-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen and weighs only 120 grams.
The device draws its energy from a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor mated with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of flash memory.
Hosting numerous connectivity options such as 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and others, Xperia E1 Dual packs in a 1,750mAh Li-ion battery.
Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2
This mid-level smartphone from Samsung is available at a reasonable price of Rs 10,190 (despite the price of this phone being just a shy above Rs 10,000 we could not resist the tempation to include it in this category).
It boasts of a 4-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen and runs on the dated Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS. A 1.2GHz dual-core processor paired with 0.7GB of RAM and 4GB of ROM powers the handset.
Apart from this, a 5MP primary camera with LED flash is supported in the handset along with a VGA front facing camera.
It holds the usual connectivity options such as 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc, and is packed with a 1,500mAh battery that provides the user around 7 hours of talk time over 3G network.
LAVA IRIS 406Q
Lava, like other domestic companies of India, is battling stiff competition from cheap Chinese smartphones. So in recent years, it has tried to strengthen its position in the budget level smartphone market by introducing a spate of smartphones with decent features.
Lava IRIS 406Q is one such smartphone, available for Rs 7,499, which comes with a modern look. It houses a 4-inch TFT capacitive display and is 3G capable.
It is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Cortex A7 processor in conjunction with 1GB of RAM and 4GB ROM.
It sports a 5MP camera at the back and a VGA camera at the front. Supporting a wide range of connectivity options, this smartphone is packed with 1,700mAh Li-ion battery.
With the increasing competition in the budget smartphone market in India, many top players are trying their best to bring in top end features at reasonable price range to strengthen their roots in the Indian market.
