Best phones under Rs 10,000 (April 2024): Poco C65, Realme Narzo N55 to Motorola G32

It is time to reset our smartphone lists at the dawn of the new financial year, starting with the one under Rs 10,000. We have realised that irrespective of the budget, users these days want ample storage more than processing power or fancy cameras; blame WhatsApp forwards for that, maybe. Keeping that in mind, we have shortlisted five handsets with at least 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage.

Wait, we also have one with 256GB storage! Of course, we made sure the processors were competent, and incidentally, all the phones flaunt 50MP main cameras or better. A majority of them have Full HD displays too. Time to look at the top 5 smartphones under Rs 10,000 this month.

Best phones to buy under Rs 10,000 in India

Poco C65
Let’s start with the one that offers maximum storage. The first of the two Poco phones in this list, the Poco C65, is a well-rounded device. It is a slim and stylish phone with a pleasant design. Powered by a Mediatek Helio G85 chip, you get 8GB RAM and a generous 256GB internal (expandable) storage; that’s probably a first in this budget. It has a large 6.74-inch HD+ IPS LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass.

More from Tech

How ChatGPT is becoming everyone’s BFF and why that’s dangerous America ready for self-driving cars, but it has a legal problem

Rear camera department has a 50MP main camera with PDAF, accompanied by a 2MP macro camera. You also get an 8MP camera at the front to handle selfies and video calls. The phone’s 5000 mAh battery lasts over a day and a half of moderate use and supports 18W fast charging. The Poco C65 runs Android 13 with MIUI 14.

Poco C65 price in India: Rs 8,999 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage

Poco C55
From max storage, we move on to the most affordable phone in this list. The Poco C55 has somehow become even more affordable now, and you won’t find many cut corners in its spec sheet either. This phone too is powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 SoC and offers 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. Another feature people may find useful is a dedicated MicroSD slot in addition to dual SIM card slots, so that users don’t have to sacrifice either of those functionalities.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

America ready for self-driving cars, but it has a legal problem

Alibaba, Baidu begin using own AI chips as China shifts away from US tech amid Nvidia row

The phone has a 6.71-inch HD+ IPS display with a resolution of 1650 x 720 pixels. The Poco C55 looks way more premium for its price tag, courtesy of a leather-like texture at the rear. You get two cameras at the back with a combination of a 50MP primary camera with PDAF and a depth sensor. A 5MP selfie camera is located in a drop notch at the top of the screen. A 5000 mAh battery keeps this phone powered for close to two days of moderate use. This phone runs Android 12 with Xiaomi’s MIUI 13.

Poco C55 price in India: Rs 6,499 for 6GB RAM/128GB storage

Realme Narzo N55
The Realme Narzo N55 is another very good option in this budget with a solid feature set and a stylish design. It is also one of the slimmer options measuring less than 8 mm in thickness. It sports a large 6.72-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD with a 90Hz refresh rate. It is powered by a slightly more powerful MediaTek Helio G88 chip, and you get 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage that can be expanded further using a microSD card. This phone runs Android 13 with Realme UI 4.0.

The photography department here goes beyond 50MP, and flaunts a 64MP primary camera with PDAF that does most of the heavy lifting as it is accompanied only by a 2MP depth sensor. The 8MP front camera does a decent job with selfies and video calls. The Realme Narzo N55 has a 5000 mAh battery that keeps the phone powered for over a day and a half of moderate use. But what’s even better is that the company bundles a 33W VOOC charger to juice it up briskly; a rare but great feature to have in this budget.

Realme Narzo N55 price in India: Rs 9,599 for 6GB RAM/128GB storage

Motorola G32
The Motorola G32 is only the second phone with 8GB RAM in this list, and there’s more to it than just that. It has an attractive design that is also IP52-rated dust and water repellant. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 chip, and you get 128GB of internal storage that can be expanded further with a microSD card. The phone has a 6.5-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD display with a 90 Hz refresh rate; a higher resolution display is always welcome even under Rs 10,000 where HD+ is acceptable.

The photography department on the Motorola G32 is helmed by a 50MP primary camera with a more than decent support cast consisting of an 8MP ultra-wide snapper and a 2MP macro camera. The 16MP front camera should please the selfie enthusiasts. Its 5000 mAh battery keeps the phone running for over a day and a half of normal use, and supports 33W fast charging. The phone runs Android 12 out of the box with a promise of Android 13 and regular security updates. Even better, like all Motorola phones, you get a near-stock Android user interface.

Motorola G32 price in India: Rs 9,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage

Redmi 12
After a price cut, the Redmi 12 fits perfectly in this list. It is another stylish device and one of the rare ones to offer a glass back instead of plastic. It also has an IP53 rating for dust and splash resistance. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G88 chip with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal (expandable) storage. It has the largest screen of this bunch with a 6.79-inch Full HD+ display at your service for media consumption. You get a 90 Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling in compatible apps.

Just like the Moto G32, this Xiaomi phone too has three cameras at the back with a combination of a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide shooter and a 2MP macro camera. You also get an 8MP selfie camera at the front. The phone’s 5000 mAh battery lasts close to two days of moderate use and supports 18W fast charging with a 22.5W fast charger bundled in the package. The Redmi 12 runs Android 13 with MIUI 14.

Redmi 12 price in India: Rs 9,999 for 6GB RAM/128GB storage