 "Tech in review 2018: Affordable smartphones that redefined budget segment")
Budget smartphones do not have to be boring and slow. Instead, they can be shadow of premium smartphones and look equally dazzling. This is what 2018 has been for the budget smartphones. This year, the affordable smartphone segment saw some great launches with different propositions. Business Standard lists the five best sub-Rs 10,000 smartphones launched in 2018:
Priced at Rs 9,999 for the base model with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, the Redmi Y2 (review) is primarily a camera-centric smartphone with tried and tested processer, modern design and good battery life. The phone might not interest multimedia enthusiasts due to its HD+ screen and inability to keep background apps active for longer periods of time. However, considering the overall performance, the Redmi Y2 makes a great proposition as a selfie smartphone in the budget segment.
Priced at Rs 9,999 for the base model with 32GB storage and 3GB of RAM, the Honor 9N (review) is an improvement over the Honor 9 Lite. It has its downside, but considering the price segment it targets, the phone seems to be a balanced proposition in the midrange smartphone segment. It has a large notch-based screen of fullHD+ resolution, decent dual camera module on the back and a premium glass-metal-glass design.
Priced at Rs 6,999, the Realme C1 (review) has strengths in almost all areas. It has good looks, solid build quality, big notch-based screen, capable processor and a powerful battery. Though imaging seems to be a weak area, the overall photo and video output is satisfactory, if not class-leading. In its segment, the phone is an all-round performer.
The Infinix Note 5 (review) is the first Android One smartphone from the stable of China’s Transsion Holdings backed Infinix Mobile. Among many impressive characteristics, the device’s stock Android experience and capable hardware makes it a great overall performance. Coupled with a powerful battery, ample internal storage and a good pair of cameras -- all in Rs 9,999 – it is a good deal.
Priced at Rs 4,999, the Asus Zenfone Lite L1 (review) is the most affordable smartphone. The phone has a decent camera to run full-fledged Android operating system (not the GO version) without any trouble. It also has a satisfactory camera and capable on-battery time, which makes it an all-round performer in its segment.