Best phones under Rs 15,000 (Nov 2022): Motorola G31, Poco F5 to Infinix Note 12 5G- Technology News, Firstpost

Ameya DalviNov 04, 2022 17:46:36 IST

This list would have looked a lot different a fortnight ago with some crazy deals in the online festive sales. But that ship has sailed and won’t be back in a hurry. Rather than lamenting about the past, let’s look at the best options available in the present under Rs 15,000 in India. And they aren’t bad at all. We have half a dozen phones for you with good cameras, some with AMOLED screens, a couple of them are 5G ready too, and all of them have 6 GB RAM. Take a look.

Best phones to buy under Rs 15,000 in India

Oppo A74 5G
Let’s start with the two 5G ready options. The Oppo A74 5G is one of the most affordable 5G phones around. Its specifications are not meant to wow you, but it has most of the key bases covered. This phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 SoC and  comes with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage. You get a 6.5-inch Full HD+ LCD display with a 90 Hz refresh rate.

The rear camera department has four cameras starting with a 48MP primary camera, along with an 8MP ultra-wide shooter, a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth sensor. The Oppo A74 5G has a 5000 mAh battery that lasts for over a day and a half of moderate use and supports 18W fast charging. This phone runs Android 11 with ColorOS 11.

Oppo A74 5G price in India: Rs 14,990 for 6 GB RAM/128 GB storage

Infinix Note 12 5G 
The Infinix Note 12 5G is another 5G-ready phone that deserves a place in this list purely on the basis of its impressive feature set. It sports a large 6.7-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 90 Hz refresh rate. This phone is powered by a Mediatek Dimensity 810 SoC, which is a great option in this segment, and the most powerful in this list. You get 6 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage that can be expanded further using a microSD card. 

This phone is aesthetically appealing too with thickness less than 8 mm. In the photography department, you get a 50MP primary camera and a 2MP depth sensor along with an AI lens. The 16MP front camera will have the selfie enthusiasts interested. The Infinix Note 12 5G has a 5000 mAh battery that can keep it running for a day and a half of moderate use. It supports 33W fast charging. This Infinix phone runs Android 12 with XOS 10.6 UI. 

Infinix Note 12 5G price in India: Rs 13,999 for 6 GB RAM/64 GB storage

Poco M5
The new Poco M5 is the most affordable of the lot, and yet does not miss out on anything important. Also, it is quite stylish, courtesy of a leather-like texture at the back. Powering this phone is a Mediatek Helio G99 chip with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB internal (expandable) storage. It has a 6.58-inch Full HD+ display with a 90 Hz refresh rate, 240 Hz touch sampling rate and Widevine L1 certification. The screen is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. 

The main rear camera flaunts 50 megapixels and is accompanied by a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth sensor. Like most phones here, it has a 5000 mAh battery that should comfortably last for a day and a half of normal use. It supports 18W fast charging with a 22.5W fast charger bundled in the package. The Poco M5 runs Android 12 with a layer of MIUI 13 on top. 

Poco M5 price in India: Rs 12,499 for 6 GB RAM/128 GB storage

Motorola G31
The Motorola G31 too has impressive features and a near-stock Android UI that should please many. It has a 6.4-inch Full HD+ AMOLED screen, but with standard 60 Hz refresh rate. You get a 50MP primary camera at the back, along with an 8MP ultrawide shooter and a 2MP macro camera. A 13MP selfie camera is located in a tiny punch hole at the top of the screen. The phone has a water-repellent design but no IP rating.

The Moto G31 is powered by a Mediatek Helio G85 chip that is powerful enough for day to day tasks. It is accompanied by 6 GB RAM and 128 GB internal (expandable) storage. This phone too has a 5000 mAh battery that keeps it powered for over a day and a half of moderate use. As I mentioned earlier, like most Motorola phones, the G31 has a clean and near-stock Android user interface. It runs Android 11 and an Android 12 update is due soon.

Motorola G31 price in India: Rs 13,999 for 6 GB RAM/128 GB storage

Oppo K10 
The Oppo K10 has a well-rounded feature set as well for this segment starting with an IP5X rated dust-proof design. It sports a 6.59-inch Full HD+ display with a 90 Hz refresh rate. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 chip, which is a good choice in this budget. It is accompanied by 6 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage that can be expanded further using a microSD card. This phone launched with Android 11 with ColorOS 11, and an Android 12 update has started rolling out. 

The photography department here is mainly about the 50MP primary camera that does most of the heavy lifting. Giving it company are a 2MP depth sensor and a 2MP macro camera. The 16MP front camera is pretty good for selfies and video calls. The Oppo K10 has a 5000 mAh battery that keeps it running for more than a day and a half of standard usage. Even better, the company bundles a 33W SuperVOOC charger to juice it up briskly. 

Oppo K10 price in India: Rs 14,990 for 6 GB RAM/128 GB storage

Redmi Note 11
The Redmi Note 11 is another phone in this segment with an impressive display. It has a 6.43-inch Full HD+ AMOLED screen with a 90 Hz refresh rate that boasts of a peak brightness of 1000 nits. The screen is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Just like the K10, this phone too is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 SoC with 6 GB RAM, but half the internal storage that can be expanded further with a microSD card. 

The Redmi Note 11 has four cameras at the back consisting of a 50MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide shooter, 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth sensor. You get a competent 13MP front camera for selfies and video calls. You can find a 5000 mAh battery here too that keeps the phone powered for close to a day and a half of moderate use. The bundled 33W fast charger promises to charge it fully in an hour. The phone runs Android 11 with MIUI 13.

Redmi Note 11 price in India: Rs 13,999 for 6 GB RAM/64 GB storage