Over the last year, we have witnessed a revolution of sorts when it comes to ‘budget Android phones’, with several Chinese players easily jumping through, thanks to the online exclusive retail channels. However, towering spec sheets from new Chinese entrants and desi competition has surely made buying a smartphone a complicated affair, especially because in spite of all that glitters, there are compromises involved with each handset.
Based on our first hands experience, here are a few names which you can consider from.
Lenovo K3 Note
The Lenovo K3 Note is perhaps the most popular handset in its league today. It does most things right and comes with a gorgeous 5.5 Inch Full HD display, is powered by 1.7 GHz octa core MT6752 chipset with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage, flaunts a juicy 2900mAh battery and comes wrapped in a simple yet elegant matte finish body.
Added pixels do take their toll, especially with high end gaming, but for other simple day to day tasks, performance is smooth. Its younger and cheaper sibling A7000 should be a better option for casual high end gamers on a budget.
Also Check: Lenovo K3 Note VS Lenovo A7000 Comparison
Key Features and Specifications
| Phone | Lenovo K3 Note |
| Display | 5.5 Inch Full HD |
| Processor | 1.7 GHz MT6752 octa core |
| RAM | 2GB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB, Expandable up to 32GB |
| Software | Android 5.0 Lollipop based Vibe UI |
| Primary Camera | 13MP, dual LED flash |
| Selfie Camera | 5MP |
| Dimensions and Weight | 152.6 x 76.2 x 8 mm ; 150g |
| Battery | 2900 mAh |
| Price | 9,999 INR |
Pros
- Great display
- Efficient day to day performance.
- Decent camera
- Reasonable battery life
- 4G LTE on both SIM (You can use 4G on only 1 SIM at a time)
Cons
- Low speaker volume
- Reflective display glass
Yu Yureka Plus
Yureka Plus is an upgrade to Yureka which was designed to check soaring popularity of Lenovo K3 Note. This new Yureka variant improves on camera performance, is more durable with reinforced frame and Gorilla Glass 3, and has a full HD 1080p display.
Colors are more accurate when compared to Yureka. Cyanogen OS is light, fluid and offers ton of customization options without being overwhelming. The only drawback here is the mediocre battery life (i.e, if you don’t mind the plain jane looks).
Key Features and Specifications
| Phone | Yu Yureka Plus |
| Display | 5.5 Inch Full HD, Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Processor | 1.5 GHz Snapdragon 615 octa core |
| RAM | 2GB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB, Expandable up to 32GB |
| Software | Android 5.0.2 Lollipop based Cyanogen OS 12 |
| Primary Camera | 13MP |
| Selfie Camera | 5MP |
| Dimensions | 154.8 x 78 x 6-8.5 mm |
| Battery | 2500 mAh |
| Price | 8,999 INR |
Pros
- Great performance
- Customizable and light software
- Great Display
- Decent camera
- 4G LTE on both SIM
Cons
- Unimpressive battery backup
Also Check: Yu Yureka Plus VS Lenovo K3 Note comparison
Zenfone 2 Laser
Though we have come to expect unmatched hardware specifications even at budget price, we are often cynical about the camera performance in low cost phones. Zenfone 2 Laser isn’t high on specs, but still tries hard to impress with its rear camera, and fairly succeeds too.
The handset is meant for basic and moderate users and offers smooth day to day performance, sharp 5.5 Inch HD display, along with a gratifying battery backup.
Key Features and Specifications
| Phone | Zenfone 2 Laser |
| Display | 5.5 Inch HD, Gorilla Glass 4 |
| Processor | 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 410 quad core |
| RAM | 2 GB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB, Expandable up to 128GB |
| Software | Android 5.0.2 Lollipop based Zen UI |
| Primary Camera | 13MP, laser AF, Dual LED flash |
| Selfie Camera | 5MP |
| Dimensions and Weight | 152.5 x 77.2 x 10.8 mm; 170 Grams |
| Battery | 3000 mAh |
| Price | 9,999 INR |
Pros
- Good camera with Laser AF
- Great battery backup
- Gorilla Glass 4
- 4G LTE on both SIM
Cons
- To many preloaded apps
Redmi 2 Prime
The Xiaomi Redmi 2 Prime is a much needed upgrade to Redmi 2. The handset doubles RAM and storage to eliminate some of the major flaws of its predecessor, and in turn resulting in a very compelling handsets at 6,999INR.
The handset benefits from a very vibrant 4.7 Inch HD display complimented by colorful MIUI6, is easily manageable with a compact design, has durable day to day performance, decent camera hardware and above average battery backup.
Key Features and Specifications
| Phone | Xiaomi Redmi 2 Prime |
| Display | 4.7 Inch HD |
| Processor | 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 410 quad core |
| RAM | 2GB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB, Expandable up to 32GB |
| Software | Android 4.4.4 KitKat based MIUI 6 |
| Primary Camera | 8MP |
| Selfie Camera | 2MP |
| Dimensions | 134 x 67 x 9 mm |
| Battery | 2200 mAh |
| Price | 6,999 INR |
Pros
- Great HD display
- Reasonably good camera
- Feature rich and vibrant MIUI 6 ROM
- Smooth performance
- 4G LTE on both SIM
Cons
- Base software is slightly dated Android 4.4 Kitkat
Yu Yuphoria
If you have a craving for metallic feel, Yuphoria is your only option in this budget. Initially, we felt that the rounded metallic RIM on the Yuphoria was overhyped, but over a period of time, it kind of grew on us (nope, we didn’t put a case on it).
Keeping all that metal aside, the handset is still a convincing Android option. A trimmed down variant of Cyanogen is running on the device, fired by Snapdragon 410 quad core SoC aided with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage. Camera and device performance has noticeably improved after the latest OTA update.
Also Check: Xiaomi Redmi 2 Prime VS Yu Yuphoria Comparison
Key Features and Specifications
| Phone | Yu Yuphoria |
| Display | 5 Inch HD |
| Processor | 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 410 quad core |
| RAM | 2GB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB, Expandable up to 32GB |
| Software | Android 5.0.2 Lollipop based Cyanogen OS 12 |
| Primary Camera | 8MP |
| Selfie Camera | 2MP |
| Dimensions and Weight | 42.4 x 73 x 8.2-9.35 mm, 143 Grams |
| Battery | 2230 mAh |
| Price | 6,999 INR |
Pros
- Metallic side frame
- Sturdy build
- Android Lollipop based Cyanogen OS 12
- 4G LTE on both SIM
Cons
- Cuts corner with the display quality
- No USB OTG
Wrap-Up
Some compromises are always involved with budget Android smartphones, but if you are not a power user, you can draw great experience even at this price. The key is to know exactly what matters and what doesn’t, specifically for you.
