If there is one category where two entirely different devices can exist, it is the category from Rs 10,000 – Rs 20,000. The reason we say this is because at one end you get more of a budget offering and on the other extreme you bounce through a flagship offering. We have to admit, it gets really difficult for one to decide as to which end comes with more value for money. Don’t Worry!, we have got you covered irrespective of which side of the pool you belong to. Note that, we have taken the devices which are priced from Rs 10,001 to Rs 20,000 in this category. So here goes the list of top 5 best smartphones of 2016, according to The Mobiel Indian, which are priced less than Rs 20,000.
Redmi Note 3 (32GB) – Rs 11,999
Probably the most sold smartphone from Xiaomi in India, the Redmi Note 3 offers great value for its price. The smartphone features a beautiful metallic unibody design which curves around the edges to make it a comfortable piece of hardware in hand. The Redmi Note 3 features a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS LCD display and measures at 150 x 76 x 8.7 mm weighing at 164 grams. Underneath the hood, the device boasts a pretty decent 1.4 GHz Hexa-Core Snapdragon 650 processor with Adreno 510 GPU. The 32GB variant of the Redmi Note 3 features 3GB RAM and the storage is further expandable up to 256GB via MicroSD card. Coming to the camera, there is a 16 MP primary shooter with f/2.0 aperture, phase detection Autofocus (PDAF), dual-LED (dual tone) flash paired with a 5-megapixel front facing camera with f/2.0 aperture. To power all this, Xiaomi has also given in a 4050 mAh battery. For connectivity, the story is similar to every other smartphone – built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v4.1, GPS, microUSB and there is also a fingerprint scanner at the back. In addition to this, you also get an infrared blaster and support for USB OTG.
Moto G4 Plus (32GB) – Rs 14,999
Next up in our list is Lenovo’s most successful smartphone of 2016 – the Moto G4 Plus. Even though we were pretty confused between the Moto G4 Plus and the Moto M, the former eventually made it in this one, thanks to its pretty decent specs and some good camera sensors. Moto G4 Plus features a 5.5-inch Full HD display running on a 3000 mAh battery which is non-removable. Further, going inside, the device is powered by a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 Chipset with Adreno 405 GPU. The device comes with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage which is further expandable up to 256GB via dedicated micro SD card slot. For the camera, we get a decent performing 16-megapixel rear shooter with PDAF combined with a 5-megapixel Wide-Angle front facing camera. Further, the device though comes with Android Marshmallow out of the box but is now upgradable to Android 7.0 Nougat which another added advantage. The only aspect which one is likely to disappoint with is the design. Unlike, the standard metallic unibody ergonomics, the Moto G4 Plus though comes with a solid built quality but sports a polycarbonate back panel. Nevertheless, the device does come with a fingerprint scanner located just below the screen. Apart from that, the Dual SIM Moto G4 Plus offers
Samsung Galaxy On Nxt (32 GB) – Rs 16,900
This segment was once ruled by Samsung and we would be cheating if we don’t include a worthy Samsung Galaxy device in this price range, hence, the Galaxy On Nxt is our next pick. The device comes with a 5.5-inch PLS TFT Full HD display. On the inside, there is an Octa-Core 1.6GH Exynos 7870 chipset which is based on Cortex A53 architecture. Further, we have Mali-T830MP2 GPU, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage which is further expandable up to 256GB via dedicated microSD card slot. With a dedicated SD card slot, we get a full Dual SIM functionality with the On Nxt. Coming to the camera, the Galaxy On Nxt sports a 13-megapixel rear shooter with f/1.9 aperture and LED flash combines with an 8-megapixel camera with same f/1.9 aperture. Weighing at 167 grams, the device runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and packs a 3300 mAh non-removable Li-Ion battery. The design of the Galaxy On Nxt is interestingly unlike usual Samsung and comes with a metallic unibody design with slightly curved edges and matte finish up top. We get Blue and Colour options and the device also sports a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button. Connectivity options include Built-in Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.1 and microUSB v2.0 with OTG.
LeEco Le Max2 (32GB) – Rs 17,999
Though launched at a price above 20K, LeEco Le Max 2 is our next pick in this category, courtesy of the recent price cut. The device comes in Rose Gold, Gold, Silver and Gray variants and is now priced at Rs 17,999 on Amazon India. Starting with the design, Le Max 2 is a lot similar to not so successful Le2 with a unibody shell protecting the powerful internals inside. Up front, there is a 5.7-inch Quad HD (1440 x 2560) IPS LCD display with a pixel density of 515 ppi. Being company’s flagship device, the Le Max 2 comes with a 2.15 GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 820 processor with Adreno 530 GPU. The device comes with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage which is not expandable. Extending its impressive internals to the camera, LeEco has given a 21-megapixel shooter at the back with f/2.0 aperture, OIS, PDAF and dual-LED flash. At the front, there is an 8-megapixel shooter with f/2.2 aperture. Running on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with eUI 5.6 on top, the device is backed by a 3100 mAh battery and also comes with Dual SIM functionality. For the connectivity, we get Built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS, NFC, Infrared Port and USB Type-c v2.0 for charging and data syncing.
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Lenovo Z2 Plus – Rs 19,999
If you can’t handle a phone as big as LeEco Le Max 2 and can spend a little extra for a smaller screen then Lenovo Z2 Plus could be the choice for you. Popularly known as Zuk Z2 elsewhere, the Lenovo Z2 Plus comes in with a compact design, thanks to the 5.0 inch Full HD IPS LCD display and boasts glass on both front and back. Running on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with ZUI 2.0 on top, the device offers a pretty snappy performance with 4GB of RAM and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 chipset coupled with Adreno 530 GPU. You get 64GB of internal storage which is not expandable in this case as well. Coming to the camera department, the Z2 Plus features a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with f/2.2 aperture, phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and LED flash. On the other hand, we get an 8-megapixel front camera with f/2.0 aperture. There is also a fingerprint scanner at the front just below the display with a lot of functions assigned to it. For connectivity, the device comes with Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth v4.1, GPS and USB Type-C v2.0 for charging and data syncing. Interestingly, Lenovo skipped NFC in the Z2 Plus. Weighing at 149 grams, the Dual SIM Lenovo Z2 Plus is powered by a 3500 mAh non-removable Li-ion battery.
Special Mentions:
Moto M (64GB): Apart from the Moto G4 Plus, Lenovo recently revealed the Moto M which in our opinion is a decent handset and deserved an honourable mention. The device comes with 5.5-inch Full HD display, MediaTek Helio P15 chipset, 4GB RAM, 64GB of internal storage which is further expandable. The smartphone is priced at Rs 17,999 for the 64GB variant and Rs 15,999 for 32GB variant.
Oppo F1s: This smartphone is purely for people who are looking for a selfie smartphone in this price range. Apart from a 16-megapixel front camera, Oppo’s F1s also comes with decent specifications such as 4GB RAM, MT6750 64-bit processor, 64GB expandable internal storage, 3075 mAh battery and 13-megapixel rear camera.
Vivo V5:Another option for the selfie enthusiasts is Vivo’s V5 which also comes with 4GB RAM, same MT6750 processor, 32GB internal storage which is expandable, 13-megapixel rear camera and 20-megapixel front camera, and 3000 mAh battery.