Best Phones of 2018: The Budget Smartphones We Loved This Year...
We have seen a lot of smartphone launches this year across different price segments. But the segment that has seen the most amount of action is the budget segment. Here manufacturers have constantly tried to outdo each other fighting for the top spot. As a result, we have seen quite a lot of smartphones in the sub Rs. 15,000 budget segment. Here is a list of some of the best budget smartphones to hit the Indian market in 2018.
Here are the top 10 budget smartphones of 2018 based on how they performed in our tests, and the value for money proposition that they offered.
Best budget phones of 2018:-
Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1
Asus has been quite aggressive this year and one of its most popular product is the ZenFone Max Pro M1. This smartphone was launched to compete with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro and offers a powerful Snapdragon 636 processor. There are multiple RAM and storage variants to choose from and users opting for the higher 6GB RAM /64GB storage variant also got better cameras.
Asus has been quite aggressive this year and one of its most popular product is the ZenFone Max Pro M1. This smartphone was launched to compete with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro and offers a powerful Snapdragon 636 processor. There are multiple RAM and storage variants to choose from and users opting for the higher 6GB RAM /64GB storage variant also got better cameras.
The ZenFone Max Pro M1 also gained popularity because of its good build quality and a vibrant display. Asus also managed to plonk in a 5000mAh battery while keeping the weight down. What we weren't fond of when we reviewed the device was the awkward camera app and a relatively disappointing battery life, which seems to have improved after a few software updates.
- Good
- Good looks and construction quality
- Vibrant screen
- Great performance
- Decent cameras
- Excellent value for money
- Bad
- Relatively disappointing battery life
- Awkward camera app interface
Realme started off as a sub-brand of Oppo but soon went on to become an independent company. The Realme 1₹ 10,490 is the first smartphone from the company and it managed to make a significant impact on the market. Powered by a MediaTek Helio P60 SoC, the Realme 1 undercut a lot of smartphones. Realme launched the 1 with a price tag of Rs. 8,990 for the 3GB RAM/32GB storage.
The Realme 1 has a unique design and the 3410mAh battery delivers good battery life. It offers very good value for money but lacks a fingerprint scanner, has a cluttered OS and average cameras. Sadly, Realme discontinued the base 3GB variant of the 1 making the 4GB variant the base model at Rs. 10,990.
- Good
- Unique design
- Great performance
- Value for money
- Good battery life
- Bad
- Average cameras
- No fingerprint sensor
- Cluttered OS
Realme used the same formula as the Realme 1 for the Realme 2 Pro. As a result, you get a powerful Snapdragon 660 processor and a big 3500mAh battery. Sticking to the new design trend, the Realme 2 Pro₹ 13,990 sports a dewdrop notch on the display. You can choose from three variants of the Realme 2 Pro which are 4GB RAM/64GB storage, 6GB RAM/64GB storage and 8GB RAM with 128GB storage.
It is also one of the few phones to offer 8GB of RAM under the Rs. 20,000 price point. The Realme 2 Pro starts at Rs. 13,999 and goes all the way up to 17,990 for the higher variants. It offers good build quality and quick face recognition but the laminated back scuffs easily and low-light camera performance is average.
- Good
- Solid build quality
- Minuscule notch
- Plenty of storage and RAM
- Bright and lively display
- Face recognition is quick
- Bad
- Laminated back scuffs easily
- Average low-light camera performance
Honor launched the 8X to claim a piece of the pie in the budget segment. The stand out feature for this phone is the design. It is definitely well designed and manages to offer a premium feel compared to some other smartphones on this list. Huawei's Kirin 710 SoC is powering the Honor 8X₹ 14,999 which is a newer chip and performs better than the Snapdragon 636 and Snapdragon 660 powered devices.
Like most other phones on the list, the Honor 8X also has a notch on the display. What we did not like about the Honor 8X when we reviewed it was that it was bulky to use and the camera performance was average.
- Good
- Premium design
- Good performance
- Good value for money
- Bad
- Relatively bulky and difficult to handle
- Average cameras
- Lacks fast charging
Nokia 5.1 Plus
HMD Global has been producing smartphones under the Nokia brand and targeting different segments. The Nokia 5.1 Plus₹ 9,999 was one of its smartphones in the budget segment that is well equipped to face the competition. Powered by a Helio P60 processor, it has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. HMD Global has priced it aggressively at Rs. 10,999 which makes it quite interesting.
HMD Global has been producing smartphones under the Nokia brand and targeting different segments. The Nokia 5.1 Plus₹ 9,999 was one of its smartphones in the budget segment that is well equipped to face the competition. Powered by a Helio P60 processor, it has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. HMD Global has priced it aggressively at Rs. 10,999 which makes it quite interesting.
The Nokia 5.1 Plus is a part of Google's Android One Programme and is guaranteed to receive software and security updates. The build quality of the smartphone is impressive and we liked that it sports a USB Type-C port. The hybrid-SIM slot and the camera performance is low-light are two of its shortcomings.
- Good
- Looks very stylish
- Android One with regular updates
- Great battery life
- Good app and gaming performance
- Bad
- Hybrid dual-SIM
- Cameras struggle in low light
- Gets warm quickly in games
Xiaomi Mi A2
The Xiaomi Mi A2₹ 15,290 came as a pleasant surprise as it offered a combination of Xiaomi's hardware and stock Android. It has a powerful Snapdragon 660 processor and comes in 4GB RAM and 6GB RAM variants. You get 64GB of storage and 128GB of storage respectively which isn't expandable further.
The Xiaomi Mi A2₹ 15,290 came as a pleasant surprise as it offered a combination of Xiaomi's hardware and stock Android. It has a powerful Snapdragon 660 processor and comes in 4GB RAM and 6GB RAM variants. You get 64GB of storage and 128GB of storage respectively which isn't expandable further.
In typical Xiaomi fashion, the Mi A2 was priced aggressively at Rs. 16,999. We were impressed with the dual cameras on the Mi A2 which could click good photos in low-light. The battery capacity is low at 3000mAh and as a result, the phone has an average battery life.
- Good
- Excellent value-for-money
- Good camera performance
- Bad
- Below-average battery life
- Non-expandable storage
Realme U1
Realme's third smartphone on this list, the U1 is a selfie-focused smartphone. It is also the first smartphone to sport the MediaTek Helio P70 processor in India. The Realme U1₹ 11,999 has a dewdrop notch on its 6.3-inch display and comes in two variants; 3GB RAM with 32GB storage and 4GB RAM with 64GB storage.
Realme's third smartphone on this list, the U1 is a selfie-focused smartphone. It is also the first smartphone to sport the MediaTek Helio P70 processor in India. The Realme U1₹ 11,999 has a dewdrop notch on its 6.3-inch display and comes in two variants; 3GB RAM with 32GB storage and 4GB RAM with 64GB storage.
It performs better than the Helio P60 processor as well as the Snapdragon 660 for CPU tests. We liked the camera performance in daylight and the quick face unlock feature on the Realme U1. However, we didn't like the low-light performance of the camera and the fact that it lacked 4K video recording and video stabilisation.
- Good
- Smooth app and gaming performance
- Looks good
- Bright and crisp display
- Cameras do well in good light
- Fast face unlock
- Bad
- No 4K recording and video stabilisation
- Cameras struggle in low light
- Body attracts smudges easily
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
The Xiaomi Redmi 6A₹ 5,999 was launched as the successor to the popular Redmi 5A smartphone. Xiaomi priced its entry-level smartphone at Rs. 5,999 but the price was soon increased to Rs. 6,599 owing to the rupee-dollar fluctuations, before being slashed back to the original price. The Redmi 6A sports a bigger 18:9 display in a small body that is good-looking and comfortable to hold.
The Xiaomi Redmi 6A₹ 5,999 was launched as the successor to the popular Redmi 5A smartphone. Xiaomi priced its entry-level smartphone at Rs. 5,999 but the price was soon increased to Rs. 6,599 owing to the rupee-dollar fluctuations, before being slashed back to the original price. The Redmi 6A sports a bigger 18:9 display in a small body that is good-looking and comfortable to hold.
It is powered by a MediaTek Helio A22 processor and has 2GB of RAM. Buyers have the option to choose between 16GB and 32GB of storage. The Redmi 6A has support for dual 4G but VoLTE can only be supported at one SIM at a time. Just like other Xiaomi smartphones, there are too many ads on the smartphone.
- Good
- Good-looking and easy to handle
- Excellent battery life
- Reasonable performance for the price
- Bad
- Too much bloat and too many ads
- Price will rise after introductory offer
Infinix Note 5
One of Infinix' first smartphone to be a part of Google's Android One programme, the Infinix Note 5₹ 7,999 offers good value to buyers on a budget. Priced under Rs. 10,000 the Note 5 has a crisp and vivid display. It is powered by a MediaTek Helio P23 chip which offers good performance for the price.
One of Infinix' first smartphone to be a part of Google's Android One programme, the Infinix Note 5₹ 7,999 offers good value to buyers on a budget. Priced under Rs. 10,000 the Note 5 has a crisp and vivid display. It is powered by a MediaTek Helio P23 chip which offers good performance for the price.
We also liked the big 4500mAh battery which offered good battery life. What we didn't like about the Note 5 was the sub-par camera performance in low-light and the unreliable fingerprint scanner.
- Good
- Good battery life
- Vibrant screen
- Bad
- Sub-par camera performance
- Unreliable fingerprint scanner
Xiaomi Redmi 6
The successor to a popular smartphone, the Xiaomi Redmi 5, the Redmi 6₹ 8,439 is a fitting replacement. Xiaomi has opted for a MediaTek Helio P22 SoC and paired it with 3GB of RAM. Buyers have the option to choose between 32GB and 64GB of internal storage. You do get the option to expand storage up to 256GB via the dedicated microSD card slot.
The successor to a popular smartphone, the Xiaomi Redmi 5, the Redmi 6₹ 8,439 is a fitting replacement. Xiaomi has opted for a MediaTek Helio P22 SoC and paired it with 3GB of RAM. Buyers have the option to choose between 32GB and 64GB of internal storage. You do get the option to expand storage up to 256GB via the dedicated microSD card slot.
The Redmi 6 is a dual-SIM phone with support for 4G as well as VoLTE on both SIM slots. We liked the build quality on the smartphone as well as the battery life that it offered. Something buyers need to keep in mind is that the low-light camera performance is below average and MIUI is a little spammy with notifications.
- Good
- Good build quality
- Dedicated microSD card slot
- Good battery life
- Bad
- Below average low-light camera performance
- Bloated UI, spammy notifications
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Best Phones of 2018: The Budget Smartphones We Loved This Year...
Reviewed by TECHNICAL DHIMAN
on
December 17, 2018
Rating:
Reviewed by TECHNICAL DHIMAN
on
December 17, 2018
Rating:
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