Best phones under Rs 15,000 (Jan 2024): Poco X5 5G, Motorola G54 5G to Realme Narzo 60X 5G

In a budget of Rs 15,000, one starts to see smartphones with features like AMOLED displays, 120Hz refresh rate and the arrival of 5G. In addition to that the processors start to get more powerful and the storage more generous. Just like last quarter, all the phones in this list are 5G-ready, and courtesy of the Republic Day sales, we also have a couple of options with 256GB internal storage. Time to look at who made it to our list of phones under Rs 15,000 this month.

Best phones to buy under Rs 15,000 in India

Poco X5 5G
The Poco X5 5G remains a great all-round option under 15K, thanks to its well-rounded feature set, and you now get its 256GB storage variant in this budget. This phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chip and you get 8GB RAM with it. This phone flaunts a 6.67-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a peak brightness of 1200 nits and 120Hz refresh rate; a rare combination in this budget. The screen is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

Poco X5 5G

The Poco X5 5G has three cameras at the back consisting of a 48MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide snapper and a 2MP macro camera. A 16MP selfie camera is located in a punch-hole at the top of the screen. This phone has a 5000 mAh battery that lasts over a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 33W fast charger can take it from zero to 100 per cent within an hour. The phone launched with Android 12 with MIUI 13. An Android 13 update is available for this device.

Poco X5 5G price in India: Rs 13,999 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage

Motorola G54 5G
The Motorola G54 5G is another solid option and is packed with some impressive features that are uncommon in this budget. This phone has a 50MP primary camera at the back, but what’s special is it has optical image stabilisation (OIS). OIS in this budget is almost unheard of. You also get an 8MP ultrawide camera with auto-focus, which helps it double up as a macro camera too. A 16MP front camera does a good job with selfies and video calls. It has a 6.5-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD with 120Hz refresh rate for a flicker-free experience.

Motorola G54 5G

This phone has a water-repellent design with a modest IP52 rating. The Motorola G54 5G is powered by a Mediatek Dimensity 7020 chip that is a good choice for this segment. You get its 8GB RAM and 128GB internal (expandable) storage variant in this budget. It has a 6000 mAh battery that keeps it powered for over two days of moderate use, and a 33W fast charger is bundled along. It runs Android 13, and like most Motorola phones, the G54 has a clean and near-stock Android user interface.

Motorola G54 5G price in India: Rs 13,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage

Infinix Note 30 5G
The Infinix Note 30 5G is another good option in this budget with ample internal storage and a good mix of features. In addition to an elegant design thanks to its vegan leather back, it sports a large 6.78-inch Full HD+ IPS display with 120Hz refresh rate. This phone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 6080 SoC, and you can get its 8GB RAM and 256GB internal (expandable) storage variant under 15K at the moment.

Infinix Note 30 5G

And there’s more! This phone boasts of a 108MP primary camera and a pair of JBL speakers for superior sound output. There’s a 16MP camera up front to please the selfie enthusiasts. The Infinix Note 30 5G has a 5000 mAh battery that can keep it running for a day and a half of normal use. Even better, the company bundles a 45W fast charger that promises to charge 75 per cent of the battery in half an hour. This Infinix phone runs Android 13 with XOS13 UI.

Infinix Note 30 5G price in India: Rs 14,999 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage

Best phones to buy under Rs 12,000 in India
If you are on a tighter budget, here are a couple of options under 12K that offer a good mix of features and performance, and yes, they are 5G compliant too.

Realme Narzo 60X 5G
The Realme Narzo 60X 5G is a very good option if you do not want to spend the full 15K. The design is elegant and the phone is fairly slim, measuring less than 8 mm in thickness. You get a sizable 6.72-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD display with 120Hz refresh rate. It is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ SoC, which is good enough for this segment. There’s 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage to go with it, and the latter can be expanded further using a microSD card.

Realme Narzo 60X 5G

The photography department comprises a 50MP primary camera with a 2MP depth sensor at the back, and an 8MP selfie camera up front. This Realme phone is fitted with a 5000 mAh battery that keeps it running for over a day and a half of moderate use. The bundled 33W fast charger can juice up 50 per cent of the battery in just half an hour and charge it fully in about 70 minutes; perfectly acceptable numbers, those. The Narzo 60X 5G runs Android 13 with Realme UI 4.0.

Realme Narzo 60X 5G price in India: Rs 11,999 for 6GB RAM/128GB storage

Samsung Galaxy F14 5G
You didn’t expect a Samsung in this budget, did you? The Samsung Galaxy F14 5G offers a more powerful processor as compared to its predecessor, and a good mix of features at an affordable price point. You get a 6.6-inch Full HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate, protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. This phone is powered by Samsung’s Exynos 1330 chip, a noticeable jump from the Exynos 850 in the F13, and it is 5G compliant too. It comes with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal (expandable) storage.

Samsung Galaxy F14

The photography department consists of two cameras at the back with a combination of a 50MP primary camera and a 2MP macro camera. You also get a 13MP front camera for selfies and video calls. A big 6000 mAh battery keeps the Samsung Galaxy F14 5G powered for over two days of moderate use, and it also supports 25W fast charging. However, the company does not bundle a charger along. Given its modest price tag, you can buy a good 25W fast charger and yet keep the cost well within the budget. The phone runs Android 13 with One UI 5.1.

Samsung Galaxy F14 5G price in India: Rs 11,490 for 6GB RAM/128GB storage

Best phones under Rs 15,000 (Jan 2024): Poco X5 5G, Motorola G54 5G to Realme Narzo 60X 5GRead More