Best Cheapest Smartphones in India (September 2023)

By Dhriti Datta | Updated on 01-Aug-2023

With the average selling prices of phones going up over the last year or so, the budget segment of the market has become more dense than ever before. Newer offerings now come with better hardware than what we saw on similarly priced phones in the past, with good budget phones now coming with excellent displays, powerful chipsets and more. These offer an immersive experience for watching movies thanks to their big displays and also come running powerful processors to easily applications that are heavy of processing and also the simpler ones like Chrome and social media apps. But that’s not it. Despite being sold at an affordable price, these phone offer good imaging hardware offer good photography and videography performance both in day-time and low-light conditions. Currently, most phone makers have devices in this segment, with all popular brands including Samsung, Redmi and Realme launching good devices for buyers. The Poco C55, Realme Narzo 50A, and Redmi 12c are some of the phones that are currently popular in this segment. So if you’re looking for the best-selling budget phones that offer a mix of good features, and powerful specs all at aggressive prices, then this is the place for you. So read on to know the list of best budget smartphones in India right now.

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Popular Topten

Moto G42

6.47" (QHD) Screen Size
50MP | 16 MP
64GB / 4GB
5000 mAh Battery

A phone that’s fantastic value for money in the budget segment is the Motorola Moto G42. The fact that you not only get a premium design at this price but you also get stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support, a bright AMOLED display, and excellent battery life just makes this phone a no-brainer budget purchase. The cameras could be better tuned, but for casual users, it should be more than enough to get some share-worthy shots. The UI is another hit on the Moto G42 since it is very close to Stock Android and is devoid of ads and excessive bloatware that usually plagues budget phones.

Pros

Premium design for the price
Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos
Impressive battery life
Bright AMOLED display

Cons

Limited RAM impedes multitasking
Not for power users
Disappointing camera experience
No high refresh rate

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 Octa core
Memory	:	4GB RAM, 64GB Storage
Display	:	6.47″ (QHD) screen inches, 411 PPI
Camera	:	50 MP Triple Rear camera, 16 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	5000 mAh battery and USB Type-C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 13,999

Realme C55

6.72" (FHD) Screen Size
64 +2MP | 8 MP
128GB / 8GB
5000 mAh Battery

What’s better than a decent all-rounder phone that doesn’t break the bank? A budget all-rounder that you can have a bit of fun with! The fun quotient comes from Realme’s ‘Mini Capsule’ feature – an iPhone Dynamic Island clone – that indicates charging status, steps walked, and more! That aside, the Realme C55 delivers excellent battery life and super fast 33 W charging at this price point which is very rare. The design is eye-catching and the display comes with 90 Hz refresh rate support. The performance is about on par with the Motorola Moto G42 and it does swimmingly with basic tasks, but gaming performance could be better.

Pros

Massive battery
Fast refresh rate
Optimised UI

Cons

Not for gamers
Only a 15W charger in box

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Mediatek Helio G88 Octa core
Memory	:	8GB RAM, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.72″ (FHD) screen inches, 392 PPI, 90Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	64 MP Dual Rear camera, 8 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	5000 mAh battery with fast Charging and USB Type C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 13,949

Redmi 11 Prime 5G

6.5" (QHD) Screen Size
50MP | 8 MP
128GB / 6GB
6000 mAh Battery

If you’re looking for a 5G-ready phone on a budget, we would recommend that you strongly consider the Redmi 11 Prime 5G. It gets all the basics right – a powerful MediaTek 700 5G budget processor, a 90 Hz FHD+ display, 50 MP dual cameras, and a large 5,000 mAh battery. All of this makes the phone very alluring at its competitive price. Not just that, you also get dual 5G SIMs support and a premium design which makes this phone a compelling offering. However, MIUI is filled with bloatware, so keep that in mind.

Pros

5G on budget
Gorilla Glass 3 protected display
large battery
Dedicated microSD card slot

Cons

Doesn’t support 22.5W charging even though charger provided in box

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	MediaTek Helio 90 Octa core
Memory	:	6GB RAM, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.5″ (QHD) screen inches, 405 PPI, 90Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	50 MP Quad Rear camera, 8 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	6000 mAh battery and USB Type-C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 14,999

Realme Narzo 50A

6.5" (1600 x 720) Screen Size
50 + 2 + 2MP | 8 MP
64 GBGB / 4 GBGB
6000 mAh Battery

The Realme Narzo 50A doesn’t excel in any one area but it provides a holistic experience without much to complain about. The phone houses the MediaTek Helio G85 SoC that has proved to be one of the faster processors in the budget segment for casual gaming. You get a 6.5-inch HD+ display with 570 nits of peak brightness which is decent enough for content consumption. The camera performance isn’t too bad as well; there’s a 50 MP primary lens that have proved to take some social-media-ready pictures in good lighting. You also get PDAF support and 10x digital zoom capabilities. The 6,000 mAh battery keeps you away from the charger for at least two days and there’s 18 W fast charger bundled for when you want to power it up.

Pros

Excellent battery life
Well-designed phone
Capable processor

Cons

Average cameras
Slow charging

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	MediaTek Helio G85 Octa core (2 GHz, 1.8 GHz)
Memory	:	4 GBGB RAM, 64 GBGB Storage
Display	:	6.5″ (1600 x 720) screen inches, 269 PPI
Camera	:	50 + 2 + 2 MP Triple Rear camera, 8 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	6000 mAh battery with fast Charging and USB Type-C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 11,499

Redmi 12c

6.71" (FHD+) Screen Size
50 +0.08MP | 5 MP
128GB / 6GB
5000 mAh Battery

There’s a lot to like about the Redmi 12c at its inexpensive price point. You get an attractive design with eye-catching colours which is a nice change from the basic glossy or matte finish rear panels we see at this price. The phone also captures surprisingly decent pictures with good sharpness and detail. Once again, the phone sports the MediaTek Helio G85 SoC that is sufficiently powerful for all your basic needs. In fact, you can even play games such as BGMI and COD: Mobile with decent graphics. The battery backup is also great and it easily gives most users more than one whole day of power.

Pros

Reliable performance on a budget
Long-lasting battery

Cons

No 5G support
build quality is average
HD+ screen only

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Mediatek MT6769Z Helio G85 Octa core
Memory	:	6GB RAM, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.71″ (FHD+) screen inches, 268 PPI
Camera	:	50 MP Dual Rear camera, 5 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	5000 mAh battery and USB microUSB port
SIM	:	Dual SIM
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 8,499

POCO C55

6.53" (FHD) Screen Size
50 +2MP | 5 MP
64GB / 4GB
5000 mAh Battery

If you’re looking for an attractive phone that doesn’t break the bank, the POCO C55 is a great option. It has a premium-looking leather-like rear panel that looks very aesthetically pleasing. It truly stands apart for its design. The phone is also decently powerful with the MediaTek Helio G85 processor. As for optics, you get a 50 MP dual camera setup with support for a bunch of modes such as Time-Lapse, Portrait Mode, HDR, Night Mode, and more. For people who love tinkering around with their camera app, this phone can be quite fun! The display is also great for the price – it is a large 6.71-inch HD+ screen with support for smooth 120 Hz refresh rate. So, content consumption and scrolling through social media would be a treat on this device.

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	MediaTek Helio G85 Octa core
Memory	:	4GB RAM, 64GB Storage
Display	:	6.53″ (FHD) screen inches, 268 PPI
Camera	:	50 MP Dual Rear camera, 5 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	5000 mAh battery with fast Charging and USB Type C port
SIM	:	Single SIM
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 8,165

Redmi 9 Prime

6.53" (1080 x 2340) Screen Size
13 + 8 + 5 + 2MP | 8 MP
64 GBGB / 4 GBGB
5020 mAh Battery

The Redmi Prime offers reliable performance for casual users with the MediaTek Helio G80 chipset. There’s a quad array camera stack that consists of a 13 MP primary camera, 8 MP ultrawide shooter, 5 MP macro camera, and 2 MP depth sensor. The inclusion of an ultrawide lens is excellent at this price since you don’t usually get to see one. The display also has good resolution and comes with Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The battery life is excellent – the large 5,020 mAh cell coupled with the power-efficient processor ensures long-lasting battery no matter how aggressive your consumption is.

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Mediatek Helio G80 Octa-core core (2x2.0 GHz, 6x1.8 GHz)
Memory	:	4 GBGB RAM, 64 GBGB Storage
Display	:	6.53″ (1080 x 2340) screen inches, 395 PPI
Camera	:	13 + 8 + 5 + 2 MP Quad Rear camera, 8 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	5020 mAh battery with fast Charging and USB Type-C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 11,999

Lava Blaze 2

6.5" (720 x 1600) Screen Size
13MP | 8 MP
128GB / NAGB
5000 mAh Battery

Lava has been bringing out some amazing phones which offer great bang for your buck in the budget segment and the Lava Blaze 2 is no different. The phone comes with a massive 6 GB of RAM which is a rarity under ₹10,000. Moreover, you also get 7 GB of virtual RAM for more robust multitasking. There’s also a 90 Hz refresh and clean Android 12 OS which makes this device very appealing. The Blaze 2 is also one of the few phones in this budget to sport a glass back – making it look more premium than its price tag.

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Cortex-A75 Octa core
Memory	:	, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.5″ (720 x 1600) screen inches, 270 PPI, 90 HzHz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	13 MP Dual Rear camera, 8 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	5000 mAh battery
SIM	:	SIM
Price	:	₹ 8,999

Vivo T2x 5G

6.58" (FHD) Screen Size
50 +2MP | 16 MP
128GB / 6GB
6000 mAh Battery

Another 5G option, the Vivo T2x is a good option to consider on a budget. It doesn’t have any standout specifications though. You get a basic 6.58-inch LCD display with FHD+ resolution and no fast refresh rate support. There’s a powerful enough 7 nm MediaTek Dimensity 6020 SoC that offers decent performance for daily use. You also get a basic dual camera setup with a 50 MP main shooter. The battery is long-lasting and 18 W charging is standard at this price. All in all, a safe 5G option that doesn’t break the bank.

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	MediaTek Dimensity 1300 Octa core
Memory	:	6GB RAM, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.58″ (FHD) screen inches, 401 PPI, 144Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	50 MP Dual Rear camera, 16 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	6000 mAh battery with fast Charging and USB Type C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM with 5G support
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 13,999

10.

Samsung Galaxy M13

6.6" (QHD) Screen Size
50MP | 8 MP
128GB / 6GB
6000 mAh Battery

The Samsung Galaxy M13 has great cameras at an affordable price. It has better dynamic range than most phones at this price and can even take some decent low light photos. Moreover, you also get an ultrawide lens which is a welcome bonus. The phone has a large LCD display with FHD+ resolution but there’s no fast refresh rate support. The display is protected with Gorilla Glass 5 though, which is a good thing. The best feature is the massive 6,000 mAh battery that can provide 2-3 days of continuous power.

Pros

Superb battery life
Balanced performance
5G ready

Cons

Slow charging speeds
Lacklustre selfie camera

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	samsung Exynos 850 Octa core (4x2 GHz, 4x2 GHz)
Memory	:	6GB RAM, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.6″ (QHD) screen inches, 400 PPI
Camera	:	50 MP Triple Rear camera, 8 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	6000 mAh battery with fast Charging and USB Type-C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 12,999

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Dhriti Datta

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About Me: Perpetually sporting a death stare, this one can be seen tinkering around with her smartphone which she holds more dear than life itself and stuffing her face with copious amounts of bacon. Read More about Dhriti Datta

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List Of Best Cheapest Smartphones In India

Best Budget Smartphones	Seller	Price
Moto G42	N/A	₹ 13,999
Realme C55	Amazon	₹ 13,949
Redmi 11 Prime 5G	Amazon	₹ 14,999
Realme Narzo 50A	Amazon	₹ 11,499
Redmi 12c	Amazon	₹ 8,499
POCO C55	Amazon	₹ 8,165
Redmi 9 Prime	Amazon	₹ 11,999
Lava Blaze 2	Amazon	₹ 8,999
Vivo T2x 5G	N/A	₹ 13,999
Samsung Galaxy M13	Amazon	₹ 12,999