If you’re considering a first smartphone for yourself or your family, it’s best to choose a budget option, at least until your family gets used to it. Cheap smartphones have significantly improved in performance over the past few years. A solid device that offers a comprehensive smartphone experience including 5G connectivity is now available for less than Rs 12,000.
Here are 6 smartphones priced under Rs 12,000 that offer great user experience and battery life.
Samsung Galaxy M15 5G
10,999 rupees
Galaxy M15 is equipped with a large 6,000 mAh battery (Image source: Samsung)
Currently priced at less than Rs 11,000, the Galaxy M15 is a great 5G-enabled budget smartphone worth considering in 2024. Equipped with a 6.5-inch AMOLED screen and 6,000 mAh battery, it offers a great content consumption experience and battery life. Along with that, it offers 128GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot for additional storage expansion.
Motorola G45 5G
11,999 rupees
Colorful cheap smartphones. (Image source: Motorola)
One of the most powerful smartphones under Rs 12,000. Based on the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 chip with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, the device offers stock Android 14 and features a 6.5-inch HD+ resolution screen with 120Hz refresh rate.
iQOO Z9 Lite 5G
10,498 rupees
A great entry-level smartphone with 5G connectivity. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
iQOO Z9 Lite (Review) features a 6.56-inch 90Hz display with 720p resolution and IP64 rating, making it one of the most affordable waterproof smartphones on the market. It has a best-in-class 50 MP main camera, a 5,000 mAh battery, and comes with FuntouchOS 14 based on Android 14.
Nokia G42 5G
11,499 rupees
The Nokia G42 features an easily replaceable back panel, charging support, and screen. (Express photo)
The Nokia G42 (review) is another great smartphone that offers stock Android. This product from HMD has a rugged design and even the base model comes with 6 GB RAM, ensuring smooth multitasking. The smartphone is powered by a 5,000 mAh battery with 20W fast charging support, and the device has a triple rear camera setup including a 50 MP AI camera.
Poco M6 Pro 5G
10,749 rupees
Poco M6 Pro 5G
This is one of the most well-rounded smartphones priced under Rs 11,000. It is equipped with the high-performance Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 SoC. It features a large 6.79-inch screen with FHD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate, ensuring a smooth gaming and content consuming experience. In terms of looks, it’s clearly one of the best-looking smartphones in this price range.
realme NARZO N65 5G
10,499 rupees
A great-looking, low-cost 5G smartphone. (Image credit: Realme)
One of the best-looking smartphones in its segment, the Narzo N65 is based on the Dimensity 6300 SoC, the same chip found in many similarly priced smartphones. Stand out from the crowd with a large display with a circular camera island and 120Hz refresh rate.
