If you are looking to buy a phone under 15000 rupees, you probably search this query “best smartphone under 15000 rupees in India” either in youtube or google search or ask this question to a techie friend. We are trying to make this “finding” process very simple here, and you can always count on us and come back here to get the latest updated list in our Best Picks section.
When it comes to under 15000 rupees price segment, there is no best phone or second-best phone. If you check our Sub-12K, Sub-10K or Sub-8K list, we mentioned them in ranking order. But about the 12K segment, most of the phones come with every basic feature. So from this price segment onwards, it is more about the refinement. So what anyone should do is pick the right smartphone for your specific needs and not for others.
So in this list, we pick some of the best smartphones in this price segment, and we will explain briefly about each one to help you find if the device is suitable for your needs. So along with each device in this list, we will provide a small explanation, key specifications, price, storage options and product links.
Disclaimer
we haven’t used many of these devices ourselves. This list is based on our knowledge, opinions from our trusted reviewers(YouTubers and content writers), etc. There is no particular order for this list because it would be different for different use cases.
Software
Before going to the final list, it would be better to talk about software in different sections. In this list, we have Realme, 3 Xiaomi(Redmi and Poco) and Samsung Phones. All of them are running on their custom skin over android, like Realme OS, MIUI and One UI.
Among these, Realme UI is the best skin due to the least amount of bloatware and ads. But you may end up seeing some occasional ads in some areas but our guide can easily turn it off. In terms of features, they have plenty of features and Realme UI is well optimised now.
MIUI was one of the best Android skins out there. But right now, along with plenty of ads there is a noticeable lack of optimisation in MIUI. Also, there will be plenty of unwanted notifications and some amount of bloatware too. You can control them to a greater degree by following our guide.
One UI has plenty of features, and sometimes it makes it very hard to find some things, but it is well optimised. But like MIUI here we have some level of ads. But the most annoying thing about the current One UI is there will be plenty of bloatware and plenty of unwanted notifications and promotions from Samsung apps and other third-party bloatware. Luckily we have a guide for that too.
Camera Performance:
If you read our detailed smartphone buying guide, you would probably know that the final camera performance would heavily depend upon computational photography(software) In these days. So each company has its own method of tuning, and having better hardware improves the results further.
Anyways the camera performance of these phones are very close, and there are some slight differences, we will mention it in the specific section of each phone.
Best Smartphone Under 15000 Rupees
Note: Some of these phones may come with cheaper price tags in the offer periods. We are using regular pricing here. All of these phones in this list comes with Full HD panels, dedicated SD card slot, 5GHz Wi-Fi ,Bluetooth 5.0 and Type-C Port. So will not mention them separately on each phone specifications.
Realme 7
If someone comes to us to ask for the best smartphone under 15000 rupees without saying any priorities Realme 7 would be our pick. It is the most well-balanced smartphone under ₹15K segment with a lot of right choices. It got the best processor in this segment, a good LCD with 90Hz refresh rate, renowned Sony primary sensors on rear and front, reliable and fast 30W dart charging, etc.
In terms of camera, both primary cameras on the front and rear give great results due to excellent hardware and reliable software, the ultra-wide is not good like other phones in this segment, and the other two are for marketing purpose and no use at all.
Realme 7 Specifications
Helio G95, 6.5inch 90Hz FHD+ LCD, 5000mAh battery, 30W Dart Charging(0-100% in 60-70 minutes), Sony IMX682 64MP(f/1.8) Primary + 8MP(119°, f/2.3) Ultra-Wide + 2MP Macro + 2MP B/W, Sony IMX471 16MP Selfie Camera, Protect Case, Protect Film
Dimensions: 162.3mm x 75.4mm x 9.4mm , 196.5g
Pricing: 6GB+64GB at ₹14,999 and 8GB+128GB at ₹16,999
Realme Narzo 20 Pro
Realme Narzo 20 Pro is very similar to Realme 7 with some small differences. First of all Narzo 20 Pro comes with 65W SuperDart instead of 30W Dart charging. But due to this, they have to use dual cell batteries which affect the total battery capacity, and now it comes with 4500mAh which is 500mAh less compared to Realme 7.
Due to this expensive 65W charging, they have to compromise on other things too, like the primary camera is now a 48MP Samsung sensor instead of Sony’s 64MP and the rear plastic back panel is slightly cheaper quality one compared to Realme 7. The rest of the specs and pricing are the same. So it couldn’t match Realme 7 in terms of camera, even though the margin is small.
Realme Narzo 20 Pro Specifications
Helio G95, 6.5inch 90Hz FHD+ LCD, 4500mAh battery,65W SuperDart Charge(0-100% in 35-40 minutes), 48MP(f/1.8) Primary + 8MP(119°, f/2.3) Ultra-Wide + 2MP Macro(4cm focus) + 2MP B/W, Sony IMX471 16MP Selfie Camera, Protect Case, Protect Film
Dimensions: 162.3mm x 75.4mm x 9.4mm , 191g
Pricing: 6GB+64GB at ₹14,999 and 8GB+128GB at ₹16,999
Poco M2 Pro
Poco M2 Pro is Xiaomi’s best bet from under 15K segment. But it couldn’t match Realme’s offering in terms of specs. But that reflects in its pricing too, and it is 1000 rupees cheaper compared to Realme’s offerings for similar configuration. So it still offers excellent value for money.
Compared to Realme 7, Poco M2 Pro mainly lacks in screen refresh rate, fast charging(even though wattage is higher than Realme’s 30W, Dart charging is more efficient and faster) and In terms of primary camera hardware. But in real life, the camera performance is similar or better in many sceneries due to better computational photography(software).
Comparatively, the Poco M2 Pro Macro camera is Usable, but still, it is there for marketing purposes. But lot users complaints about lack of MIUI optimisation in case of this device. The processing capabilities is around 94% of Realme’s, but in real life, many users will not see any difference at all
Poco M2 Pro Specifications
Snapdragon 720G, 6.67 inch 60Hz FHD+ LCD (center punch hole), 450nit, NTSC: 84%, 5020 mAh, 33W fast charging(0-100% in around 1 hour 15 minutes), 48MP primary camera( f/1.79) + 8MP ultra-wide(f/2.2，FOV 119°) + 5MP macro(2cm focus), 2MP depth, 16MP Front Camera, Splash-proof by P2i, Side-Mounted Fingerprint Sensor, Z-Shocker Haptics, Soft protective case
Dimensions: 165.75mm x 76.68mm x 8.8mm, 209g
Pricing: 4GB+64GB at ₹12,999, 6GB+64GB at ₹13,999 and 6GB+128GB at ₹15,999
Redmi Note 9 Pro
I wouldn’t need to talk about Redmi Note 9 Pro because it is Poco M2 Pro with slower charging. That is 18W fast charging instead of 33W. Even their prices are very similar, and we would not see any point to recommend it over Poco M2 Pro
Redmi Note 9 Pro Specifications
Redmi Note 9 Pro= Poco M2 with 18W fast charging(0-100% around 1 hour 45 minutes)
Dimensions: 165.75mm x 76.68mm x 8.8mm, 209g
Pricing: 4GB+64GB at ₹12,999, 4GB+128GB at ₹13,999 and 6GB+128GB at ₹15,999
Redmi Note 9
If you are looking for an affordable (₹13K) smartphone with 128GB in this price segment, Redmi Note 9 would be a great option. But compared to its Redmi Note 9 Pro, you get a less powerful processor(72% of SD720g), inferior front camera and macro camera.. But at this price, it still offers excellent value
Redmi Note 9 Specifications
Helio G85, 6.53 inch Full HD+ display with punch hole (left corner), 450nit, 84% NTSC, 48MP(f/1.79)+8MP Ultra Wide+2MP Macro+2MP Depth, 13MP Selfie, 5020mA, 18W Charging(22.5W Charger in the box),9W reverse charging, Gorilla Glass 5, TPU Case included, Splash-proof by P2i, IR remote, Simple protective cover
Dimensions: 161.48 mm x 76.7 mm x 8.95 mm, 199g
Pricing: 4GB+64GB ₹10,999, 4GB+128GB ₹12,999, 6GB+128GB ₹14,499
Galaxy M21
If you are a light user (gaming is not a priority) and media conception and social media usage is your primary use purpose and looking for a smartphone with excellent display, only Samsung offers AMOLED displays at this price range.
The performance capability of this phone is similar to other 10K-12K smartphones from Xiaomi or Realme, So not a good option for youngsters. The camera performance is good too for the price segment. It offers excellent battery life, but the charging speed is pretty slow. It wouldn’t be a big concern due to the massive battery.
Galaxy M21 Specifications
Exynos 9611, 6.4 inch FHD+ Super AMOLED, 420 nits, Gorilla Glass 3, 48MP(f/2.0) + 8MP (f/2.2) ultrawide) + 5 MP depth, 20 MP Front, 6000 mAh, 15W fast charging(More than 2.5 Hours)
Dimensions: 159 x 75.1 x 8.9 mm, 188 g
Pricing: 4GB+64GB at ₹12,499 and 6GB+128GB at ₹14,499
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