shootout Best 10 under 10k Indian market has witnessed some real action in last few months and the focus has been shifted from feature phones to budget smartphones – Rohit Arora

martphone manufacturers have started develop- backed by low end first generation dual-core CPUs. ing handsets which despite being affordable don’t Smartphones these days are equipped with Quad-core compromise on performance. processors and powerful GPU units to deliver decent S Having said that, here’s what you can expect gaming experience. from a smartphone under 10,000. 3G and 4G connectivity: The chipsets empowering HD display: In the age of touch screen devices, the the smartphones these days are equipped with 3G and first and foremost aspect to consider before buying a 4G antennas, which let you consume internet at faster smartphone is the display. There are various smartphones speeds. under 10,000, which feature an HD screen but the Decent cameras: Smartphones in budget category per inch, which actually translates into the crispness of also don’t compromise on camera technology. Manufac- the content differs according to their size. turers integrate their products with sensors that can take 2 GB RAM: We would not have thought of a smart- some really good shots and can even shoot in HD quality. phone with 2 GB RAM in this budget a year back, however You can easily get a smartphone with 8 to 13 MP rear the competition has now made it possible. So if you are and 2 to 5 MP front camera sensors under 10k. a power user, you can opt for a smartphone with 2 GB Besides all these smartphones these days have large RAM. battery units that can last a day or long even with a Quad-core processors and GPU units for gaming: heavy usage. You can expect a battery unit of 2500 to Gone are the days when budget smartphones were 3000 mAh in smartphones under 10k.

1) Micromax Yureka Price: `8,999 Yureka is one of the best smartphones that we have tested in sub 10K category. This is the first device with Cyanogen OS, which makes it perfect for those who like to experience the full power of Android OS. Moreover, it also gives a tough competition in terms of performance to all other contenders in its price bracket and even some best mid-range smartphones.

Key Specs • 5.5” IPS LCD capacitive HD display (267ppi) • 1.5GHz 615 chipset, 2 GB RAM • 13 MP rear with LED Flash & 5 MP front camera • Android 4.4.4 Kitkat OS, Cyanogen OS 12 • 16GB in-built storage, expandable up-to 32 GB • 2500mAh

The best value for money smartphone, nice design, 4G enabled, Cyanogen OS with its customization abilities, loud and clear output speakers, snappy performance

Display has a bluish tone and pixel count is not the best Price 9/10 Features 9/10

(267ppi), available online only Performance 8/10 Overall 9/10

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2) 2 Price: `6,999 Xiaomi has the credit to change the budget smartphone landscape and its latest device Redmi 2 is one solid contender. The smartphone has an amazing camera, decent screen and delivers good multitasking experience. Moreover, it offers 4G connectivity on both the SIM cards. Key Specs: • 4.7 “ IPS LCD capacitive HD display (312 ppi) • 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 CPU, 1 GB RAM • 8 MP rear with LED flash & 2MP front camera • Android 4.4 with MIUI 6 • 8GB in-built storage, expandable up-to 32GB • 2200 mAh battery One of the best camera at this price, sleek design, good battery back-up, smooth Price 8/10 Features 8/10 computing performance, 4G enabled Performance 8/10 Overall 8/10 MIUI 6 lags occasionally, plastic built

3) 3G and 4G Price: `6,999 and `7,999 respectively One of the best selling budget smartphones from the house of Motorola gets noticeable updates such as 3G and 4G connectivity, front camera and expandable memory. Though it’s not the best in terms of performance in this price bracket, but it surely has a trusted brand name, which works quite a lot in a market like India. Key Specs: • 4.5” IPS LCD capacitive display 540x960 pixels (245 ppi) • 1.2 GHz Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 CPU, 1 GB RAM (Qualcomm Snap- dragon 410 CPU in 4G model) • 5 MP autofocus rear & VGA front camera • Android 5.0 Lollipop • 8GB in-built storage, expandable up-to 32GB • 2380 mAh battery unit

Price 8/10 Features 7/10 Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box, sturdy design, Motorola branding

Performance 7/10 Overall 7/10 Poor camera performance, no flash, computing performance not as good as Redmi 2 or Lenovo A7000

4) Plus Price: `7,499 Lenovo A6000 marked the impressive entry of Lenovo in budget smartphone category. The smartphone is quite capable to deliver a smooth multitasking experience without compromising on performance. And you also get 4G connectivity which makes it one of the few budget smartphones in this price bracket. Key Specs: • 5” IPS LCD capacitive HD display (294 ppi) • 1.2 GHz Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 CPU, 2 GB RAM • 16 MP rear with LED flash & 2 MP front camera • Android 4.4.4 Kitkat OS • 8GB in-built storage, expandable up-to 32GB • 2300 mAh battery unit Price 7/10 Features 7/10 Good battery back-up, 64-bit processor offers good performance, 4G enabled Performance 8/10 Overall 7/10 Average camera performance, no screen protection pcquest.com twitter.com/pcquest facebook.com/pcquest linkd.in/pcquest [email protected] MAY 2015 PCQuest 63 shootout

5) Lenovo A7000 Price: `8,999 Lenovo A7000 is surely an upgraded version of the A6000. The smartphone has a large 5.5 inch sharp HD display, a snappier Octa-core processor coupled with a decent GPU and is also the first smartphone to pack Dolby Atmos surround sound at this price point. Key Specs: • 5.5” IPS LCD capacitive HD display (~267ppi) • 1.5 GHZ Octa-core MediaTek CPU, 2 GB RAM • 8MP rear with LED flash & 5 MP front camera with wide angle lens • Android 5.0 Lollipop • 8 GB in-built storage, expandable up-to 128 GB • 2900 mAh battery

Good design, lag free multitasking, decent screen, good audio performance, Price 8/10 Features 8/10 4G enabled Performance 9/10 Overall 8/10 Tough to use with one hand

6) Lumia 535 Price: `7,695 The budget attempt from Microsoft offers a good overall performance. Its large screen works well for consumption of multimedia content, the rear and front cameras are capable of taking good shots and it also delivers a good level of multitasking. Moreover, it comes with various additions from Windows OS that increases day to day smartphone experience. Key Specs: • 5” IPS LCD capacitive display 540x960 pixels (~220 ppi pixel density) • 1.2 GHZ Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 CPU, 1 GB RAM • 5 MP rear with LED flash & 5 MP front camera with wide angle lens • Microsoft Windows 8.1 OS • 8 GB in-built storage, expandable up-to 128 GB • 1905 mAh battery Price 8/10 Features 7/10 Good camera performance, good battery back-up, support for up-to 128 GB via microSD card Performance 7/10 Overall 7/10 Plastic built, not so sharp display

7) Lumia 640 Price: `9,999 The smartphone is launched recently and offers a solid design, decent display and will also receive an update to Windows 10. It is integrated with Lumia camera which is the best camera UI we have tested. Key Specs: • 5” IPS LCD capacitive HD display (294ppi) • 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 CPU, 1 GB RAM • 8 MP rear with LED flash & 1 MP front camera • 8 GB in-built storage, expandable up-to 128 GB • Microsoft Windows 8.1 with Lumia Denim • 2500 mAh battery Price 8/10 Features 7/10 Amazing camera performance, good battery back-up, vibrant display Plastic construction makes it slippery and does not offer a premium feel Performance 8/10 Overall 8/10

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8) Asus Zenfone 5 - A501CG Price: `8,499 Asus entered Indian market with the Zenfone 5 and since then the smartphone is doing quite well in the budget category. The smartphone has got a price cut recently, which makes it a good value for money product. Key Specs: • 5” IPS LCD capacitive HD display (294ppi) • 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Atom CPU, 2 GB RAM • 8 MP rear with LED flash & 2 MP front camera • 8 GB in-built storage, expandable up-to 64 GB • Android 4.4.4 KitKat OS • 2110 mAh battery Feature-rich camera, refreshing UI, smooth multitasking performance Price 8/10 Features 8/10

Signs of heat when used aggressively, average battery back-up Performance 7/10 Overall 8/10

9) Redmi Note 4G Price: `9,999 The Chinese smartphone maker has produced the best phablet in the sub 10K range. Redmi Note 4G comes with a sharp and mammoth 5.5” HD display, snappy processor, good camera hardware and 4G connectivity. It is perfect for those who wish to do everything without spending a fortune. Key Specs: • 5.5” IPS LCD capacitive HD display (267ppi) • 1.6 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 CPU, 2GB RAM • 8 GB in-built storage, expandable up-to 64GB • 13 MP rear with LED flash & 5 MP front camera • Android 4.4.2 with MIUI 5.0 • 3100 mAh battery Smooth performance, good rear and front cameras, good battery back-up, expandability up-to 64GB, 4G enabled, large screen works well Price 8/10 Features 9/10 for watching videos

Performance 9/10 Overall 9/10 Bulky design and plastic construction, MIUI crashes occasionally, only 4.98 GB available out of 8 GB storage

10) Huawei Honor Holly Price: `6,999 The budget smartphone from Huawei packed a lot of punch when it was launched and it still has the potential to meet up the demands of smartphone experience at an affordable price. Key Specs • 5” IPS LCD capacitive HD display (294ppi) • 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek CPU, 1 GB RAM • 8 MP rear with LED flash & 2 MP front camera • 16 GB in-built storage, expandable up-to 32 GB • Android 4.4.2 Kitkat OS • 2000 mAh battery Price 8/10 Features 7/10 Good display, smooth performance, good battery back up Performance 6/10 Overall 7/10 Plastic built, average camera performance pcquest.com twitter.com/pcquest facebook.com/pcquest linkd.in/pcquest [email protected] MAY 2015 PCQuest 65