Worthy android smartphones in the 10-15k price bracket

Hello

Nowadays a number of companies are releasing smartphones. The number of smartphones are increasing at an exponential rate. As a consumer, we are faced with the dilemma regarding which one to buy.

Here I will try to list some smartphones which have made it to my list. They are the best in the price range and offer a bang for your buck.

1. Yu Yureka:

Quite an unconventional choice for people with budget of around 15k as this phone costs only 9k (Rs 8999 to be precise). See the full specs here.
One of the best phones out there. Seems finally Micromax has done something right and cater to needs of the geeks out there. The phone comes loaded with the immensely popular, Cyanogen OS.
Highly customizable, plenty of themes with a whooping 5.5" screen.

Pros- Snapdragon 615 in this price range, Cyanogen, good camera quality

Cons- Average battery life, some people are facing bugs such as the proximity sensor or the overheating issue, HD display instead of full HD(though in my opinion it doesn't even matter).

Verdict- A great buy considering the price and specs. A few chinks in the armour here and there but nevertheless it's a knight.

2. Asus Zenphone(s) 2:

So many models under the same name, it's really confusing. I think it's the only drawback of the phone. But fear not, as of now only 3 variants are launching in India and best way to differentiate between them is to look at the specs.

A. ZE551ML- The phone with top of the line specs. Comes with 4gb of RAM and a full HD display. Surprisingly, this model comes in sub-variants as well. 

The flagship is with 2.3 GHz quad core Intel Atom Z3580 processor with storage options of 16/32/64 GB.

The next one is with 1.8 GHz quad core Intel Atom Z3560 processor. 

All of the versions are 5.5" full HD.

B. ZE550ML- It features 2gb of ram(the norm nowadays) with the same Z3560 processor. The only difference is that it comes with an HD screen as opposed to full HD. 

Both the models have a 13 and 5 mp rear and front camera respectively and a 3000 mAh battery.

C. ZE500CL- Basic model of the series, sports a 5" HD display. It is a single SIM model as compared to the others. Features a 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2560 processor. It has a 8 mp rear camera alongside a 2mp front camera. Battery too is inferior compared to others variants, only 2500 mAh.

All models have expandable storage and feature ZenUI, based on Android Lollipop. Indian prices have not been revealed. Launching on 23rd April.

Verdict- I'm pretty sure one of these models will fit your budget and expectations. Do wait for the launch before getting a new smartphone.

3. Redmi Note 4g:

A great phablet by Xiaomi(pronounced as "Shao-Mi", bet you didn't know :P). Comes with a price tag of Rs 9999. Quite refreshing to see MiUI which is  based on Android 4.4.2. Like Cyanogen, it is highly customizable. Gives an iOS feel to android.
Talking about the specs, it is directly comparable to Yu Yureka given the price point. On paper specs are inferior as compared to the latter. Inferior processor, GPU, single SIM make it a not so great buy.

Verdict- Buy only for the refreshing MiUI feel, great battery backup ie 3100 mAh.

4. Lenovo A7000: 

Last and the latest smartphone in the list. Will launch on April 15 @ Rs 8999 and will be exclusive to Flipkart. 

Dual SIM phone running android running lenovo's own Vibe UI. It features a 5.5-inch HD IPS display and packs an octa-core 1.5GHz (MediaTek MT6572M) processor with 2GB of RAM. 

Sadly this means that the popular Cyanogen won't be available due to the mediatek processor. Will be able to review comprehensively when the phone is out.

Verdict- New kid on the block, if you are afraid of brand names of Micromax(Yu), Xiaomi and Asus then this is the thing for you.

Feel free to leave comments and suggestions.