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At a time when all smartphone manufacturers are busy releasing high-end devices sporting expensive price tags (best example being Samsung's GALAXY S4, the Apple iPhone series, and Sony Xperia Z and its brethren), and targeting the so-called elite sector and youth with money, we sometimes feel that the common man is not getting his due when it comes to using latest technology smartphones.
Since feature phone users today are being bombarded with myths about spending at least Rs 10,000 for a decent smartphone, people with not so high monthly income are almost deprived of the smartphone experience. Also, there are these doubting Thomases who would first want to get their feet wet before investing a large sum in premium smartphones. Having said that, we would like to add that not all inexpensive phones available in the market offer great value for money. In fact, Android devices with less than 512 MB of RAM can be highly sluggish and experience breakers.
Keeping all that in mind, we have compiled a list of smartphones that can be purchased for an amount less than Rs 6,000 in India. These smartphones may not be "the latest" as some of today's high-end phones (with Quad-core processors and HD screens), but provide good value for money and a smooth smartphone experience to people using them. Here are the smartphones that you can purchase for Rs 6,000 (or less) in India:
Xolo A500: (Rs. 5,900)
Coming from the company that holds the distinction of launching the first Intel powered smartphone, Xolo A500, though not Intel based, comes with a dual-core processor, 512 MB RAM, and runs Android 4.0 Ice-Cream sandwich operating system. It also provides users dual cameras as well as 3G connectivity. This smartphone can be bought for Rs 5,900.
Key technical specifications of Xolo A500 are as follows:
- 4-inch capacitive display (800x480 pixels).
- Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS.
- 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor.
- Dual-SIM support.
- 4GB internal memory which can be upgraded up to 32GB with the help of microSD card.
- 5 MP Primary camera with LED Flash and 0.3 MP front camera.
- 512MB RAM.
- 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity.
Priced at Rs 5,900, the Lava Iris 405 runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS, and has twin cameras. The smartphone claims to provide a talktime of upto 6 hrs on 2G, and supports FOTA (Firmware-Over-The-Air) to carry out future firmware upgrades. Again, it has a 1 GHz dual-core processor and 512 MB RAM.
Its key tech specs are:
- 4" capacitive touch screen having 480 x 800 pixels.
- Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system.
- 1 GHz dual-core CPU.
- 5 MP rear camera with LED flash, and a 0.3 MP front camera.
- 512 MB RAM.
- Dual-SIM support.
- 4 GB internal storage.
- MicroSD card slot for expansion up to 32 GB.
- Wi-Fi with hotspot, 3G, Bluetooth, 3.5 mm audio jack, FM radio, aGPS.
- 1400 mAh Li-Polymer battery, with 6 hours 2G talk time.
Micromax A89 Ninja: (Rs 6,000)
An economical Micromax offering, the A89 Ninja is priced at Rs 6000, and provides dual-SIM support, and runs on the Android 4.0 operating system. This smartphone is suited for basic internet browsing and regular usage, apart from being used as a "music-phone". This may not be ideal for camera enthusiasts or those thinking about making video calls as it comes with a 3 MP camera, and no front camera.
Tech-specs of Micromax A89 Ninja:
- 4-inch capacitive touch screen display having 480 x 800 pixels
- Android 4.0 operating system
- 1 GHz dual-core CPU
- Dual-SIM support
- 3 MP rear camera
- 512 MB RAM
- 4 GB internal storage
- MicroSD card slort for expansion up to 32 GB
- Bluetooth, A-GPS, Wi-Fi, and USB connectivity
- 1450 mAh battery with claimed talktime of 4 hours and standby time of 7 days.
Spice Smart Flo Pace Mi-422: (Rs 4,800)
Priced at Rs 5,000, the Smart Flo Pace Mi-422 from Spice is the cheapest Android phone in this list. Unlike the rest, this one does not have 3G connectivity or a dual-core processor. But it does have a 1GHz CPU along with 512 MB of RAM, and dual cameras. It runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS. For that price, it's a good dual-SIM Android smartphone for beginners.
Tech-specs of the device are:
Tech-specs of the device are:
- Android 4.0 OS.
- Dual-SIM.
- 4" capacitive multi-touch screen with pixel dimensions of 800x480 pixels.
- 1 GHz CPU.
- 512 MB RAM.
- microSD card support for up to 32 GB.
- 3.2 megapixel rear camera with LED flash, 0.3 megapixel front camera.
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Edge, A-GPS.
Karbonn A7 Star: (Rs 6000)
Karbonn A7 Star has a price tag of Rs 6,000 and is the only phone in this list that offers a 4.5-inch display at an affordable price. Apart from this, the smartphone has a 5MP camera. However, there is only 164 MB internal storage by default, but it does have a microSD card slot to expand it further by 32 GB. The only catch here is that the phone does not support 3G.
Tech-specs of Karbonn A7 Star:
- 4.5" Capacitive screen with 480x854 pixels.
- Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).
- 1 GHz dual-core CPU.
- Dual-SIM support.
- 5 megapixel rear camera with LED flash, VGA front camera.
- 512 MB of RAM.
- 164 MB internal storage.
- MicroSD card slot for expansion up to 32 GB.
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, FM radio.
- 3.5 mm jack, microUSB port.
- 1400 mAh battery.
So that's the list of quality budget smartphones as of now. Going by the speed at which mobile technology is advancing, I would not be surprised to see quad-core phones in this list next quarter.
