Best phones under Rs 10,000 (Oct 2021): Samsung Galaxy M12, Poco M3 to Redmi 9 Prime

Time to refresh our list of smartphones under Rs 10,000 for this quarter. And what better time to do it than in the middle of online sales season! As always, we have made sure the phones on this list have at least 4 GB RAM, 64 GB internal storage and high-capacity batteries. For photography enthusiasts on a tight budget, we have three phones with 48 MP cameras, too. Time to meet the top options under 10K this October.

Best phones to buy under Rs 10,000 in India

Poco M3

The Poco M3 is our top pick in this segment as it ticks a lot of boxes and offers excellent value for money. It has a 6.53-inch Full HD+ display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection against scratches. The phone is powered by a respectable Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 chip that is a very good option for this price segment. You get the 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal (expandable) storage variant in this budget. And you will likely be able to squeeze in the 6 GB RAM variant into this budget during the ongoing sale if you have the right credit/debit card.

Image: Tech2/Sheldon Pinto

The Poco M3 has three cameras at the back with a combination of a 48 MP primary camera, 2 MP macro camera and a 2 MP depth sensor. You get an 8 MP front camera for selfies and video calls. The large 6,000 mAh can easily keep the phone powered for over two days of moderate use, and supports 18 W fast charging as well. The phone runs Android 10 with MIUI 12 on top.

Poco M3 price in India: Rs 9,999 for 4 GB RAM/ 64 GB storage

Redmi 9 Prime/ Poco M2 Reloaded

The Redmi 9 Prime remains a great choice in this budget. It is one of the few phones in this segment to sport a Full HD display. You get a large 6.53-inch screen protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. At its core is a Mediatek Helio G80 SoC, and you get 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal (expandable) storage to go with it. This chipset is powerful enough for day-to-day tasks and handy for a bit of gaming at medium settings.

Redmi 9 Prime

The Redmi 9 Prime boasts quad cameras at the back. It has a 13 MP main camera accompanied by an 8 MP ultra-wide shooter, 5 MP macro camera and a 2 MP depth sensor. Picture quality is perfectly acceptable for this price class. An 8 MP front camera takes care of selfies and video calls. This phone has a 5,020 mAh battery that can last a day and a half of moderate use. The phone runs Android 10 with MIUI 12 on top.

If you prefer a Poco-branded phone over a Redmi, the Poco M2 Reloaded is pretty much the same phone. And even better, it is currently available for a thousand rupees less.

Redmi 9 Prime price in India: Rs 9,999 for 4 GB RAM/ 64 GB storage
Poco M2 Reloaded price in India: Rs 8,999 for 4 GB RAM/ 64 GB storage

Samsung Galaxy F12/M12

Speaking of identical phones with different model numbers, the Samsung Galaxy M12 and F12 are identical phones, and that applies to their price tags, too. Their feature set is more than decent for the segment in addition to the brand name. You get a 6.5-inch HD+ display with a 90 Hz refresh rate for flicker-free operation in compatible apps. Another key feature here is a huge 6,000 mAh battery that can go on for two full days of moderate use, and supports 15 W fast charging.

Samsung Galaxy M12

These phones offer four cameras at the back starting with a 48 MP primary camera, 5 MP ultrawide shooter, 2 MP macro camera and a 2 MP depth sensor. You get an 8 MP camera at the front to handle selfies and video calls. The Samsung Galaxy F12 and M12 are powered by an Exynos 850 SoC, and you get 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage to go with it. The storage can be expanded further using a microSD card. The phones run Android 11 with Samsung’s One UI 3.1.

Samsung Galaxy F12/M12 price in India: Rs 9,499 for 4 GB RAM/ 64 GB storage

Micromax IN Note 1

The Micromax IN Note 1 is another excellent option on this list. This phone, too, has a Full HD+ display, and it’s even bigger. The 6.67-inch screen here has a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels, and has a more modern punch-hole design rather than a notch. The X-shaped pattern at the back makes it a stylish device, too. It is powered by a Mediatek Helio G85 chip, and you get 4 GB RAM along with 64 GB of internal storage that can be expanded further with a microSD card.

Micromax IN note 1

The Micromax IN Note 1 has four cameras at the back with a combination of a 48 MP primary camera, 5 MP ultrawide snapper, 2 MP macro camera and a 2 MP depth sensor. A 16 MP selfie camera is located in a tiny punch hole at the top centre of the screen. A 5,000 mAh battery keeps the phone powered for over a day and a half of moderate use, and also supports 18 W fast charging. The phone runs Android 10.

Micromax IN Note 1 price in India: Rs 9,499 for 4 GB RAM/ 64 GB storage

Realme C21Y

The Realme C21Y is another good-looking phone on this list. The feature list is not bad either. You get a 6.5-inch HD+ display with a drop-notch. In terms of processing power, this smartphone is powered by the new Unisoc T610 chip that is fairly powerful for this segment. You get 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage, which can be expanded further using a microSD card.

The Realme C21Y has a fingerprint scanner at the back, and gets facial recognition tech, too. Image: Realme

The rear camera department includes a 13 MP primary camera, a 2 MP macro camera and a 2 MP depth sensor. Selfie camera stands at a modest 5 MP. The Realme C21Y has a 5,000 mAh battery that can keep this phone running for over a day and a half of moderate use. The phone runs Android 10 with Realme UI on top.

Realme C21Y price in India: Rs 8,999 for 4 GB RAM/ 64 GB storage