Redmi Note 8, Realme 5s to Vivo U10: Here are the best phones under Rs 10,000 (Jan 2020)

It is time to start afresh in the new year with our smartphone lists across various budgets starting with the best under Rs 10,000 this month. Interestingly, none of the phones from the last quarter’s list could find a place here this time. Talk about the speed at with technology advances. In the previous quarter, we primarily had phones with 3 GB RAM in this budget. This time around, every phone in this list has 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage that can be expanded further with a microSD card. What’s more, 3 out of 5 phones here have 48 MP cameras, and every phone barring one has at least triple cameras at the back, if not quad. Yes, we are still talking about smartphones under Rs 10,000. So let’s take a look at the best handsets you can get in this budget in India this month.

Best phones under Rs 10,000 you can buy in India

Redmi Note 7 Pro

The Redmi Note 7 Pro (Review) is almost a year old and has the least number of cameras at the back (two), but is still one of the best options in this budget. The glass-clad phone has an attractive design and is protected against scratches by Gorilla Glass 5 at the front as well as at the back. [caption id=“attachment_6208911” align=“alignnone” width=“1024”] Redmi Note 7 Pro is equipped with 48 MP camera at the back.. Image: tech2/Omkar[/caption] You also get a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display with a drop notch. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 SoC that is still arguably the best in this segment. Another key feature of the Redmi Note 7 Pro is its 48 MP rear camera with a Sony IMX586 sensor. It uses pixel binning that combines information from four pixels into one to capture more details in photos shot in various lighting conditions. This Xiaomi device runs Android Pie out of the box with MIUI 10 layer on top. It has a 4,000 mAh battery that lasts over a day of moderate usage. Redmi Note 7 Pro price in India: Rs 9,999 for 4 GB RAM/64 GB storage

Redmi Note 8

Another Xiaomi device makes it to our sub-10K list this month, and a more recent one too. The **Redmi Note 8 (Review)** is similar to the Note 7 Pro on most counts except two. Firstly, it has a relatively slower Snapdragon 665 SoC (hence the inclusion of Note 7 Pro in this list). But you get four cameras at the back instead of two that include a 48 MP primary shooter, 8 MP ultrawide lens, 2 MP dedicated macro lens and a 2 MP depth sensor. [caption id=“attachment_7652861” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] The Redmi Note 8 has a slightly bulky body with glass on the back panel. Image: tech2/Abhijit Dey[/caption] The image quality of the primary camera is as good as that on the Note 7 Pro, while the rest of the cameras give you a fair amount of versatility. Rest of the specs like display, battery, storage are pretty much the same. This phone too has Gorilla Glass 5 at the front and back. Redmi Note 8 price in India: Rs 9,999 for 4 GB RAM/64 GB storage

Lenovo K10 Note

Lenovo has returned to relevance in the midrange segment with its highly competent K10 Note. It was priced quite competitively at launch and the deal is even more tempting now after a price drop. The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 710 SoC and comes bundled with more than what one would expect in this segment. This too has a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display with a drop notch. There’s a 4,050 mAh battery that can keep it powered for a day of moderate usage. [caption id=“attachment_7876301” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] Lenovo K10 Note[/caption] Camera department comprises of triple cameras with a combination of 16 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP sensors. But what’s interesting here is that the company has opted for a telephoto lens instead of ultrawide. The Lenovo K10 Note offers you 2X optical zoom which none other phones in this list do. There’s a 16 MP front camera for selfies. The phone runs Android Pie with ZUI 11 on top. For just Rs 2,000 more, you get its top variant with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage which wouldn’t be a bad investment at all. Lenovo K10 Note price in India: Rs 9,999 for 4 GB RAM/64 GB storage

Realme 5s

Realme 5s is another stylish phone that offers a lot of all-round capabilities. It is a slightly stripped down version of the popular and more expensive Realme 5 Pro. This too has quad cameras at the back with a 48 MP primary sensor along with 8MP ultra-wide, 2 MP macro and a 2 MP depth sensor combination. The rear cameras manage to capture excellent shots with good amount of detail, accurate colours and sharpness. They do a more than decent job with night photography too, courtesy of the Nightscape mode. The 13 MP front shooter does a good job with selfies. [caption id=“attachment_7678001” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] Realme 5s. Image: tech2/Abhijit Dey[/caption] The unique textured back makes the Realme 5s stand out. It has a larger 6.5-inch HD+ screen with a resolution of 1,600 x 720 pixels with a layer of Gorilla Glass 3+ to protect it from scratches. Just like the Redmi Note 8, it is powered by a Snapdragon 665 chipset. Another standout feature of the Realme 5s is its mammoth 5,000 mAh battery that can last a couple of days of moderate usage. It runs Android Pie with a lot nicer ColorOS 6.0 user interface. Realme 5s price in India: Rs 9,999 for 4 GB RAM/64 GB storage

Vivo U10

The Vivo U10 is yet another feature-rich phone you can consider in this budget. This too is powered by a Snapdragon 665 chip and flaunts three rear cameras with a combination of 13 MP (Primary) + 8 MP (ultrawide) + 2 MP (depth) sensors. The cameras do a good job in well lit conditions, and their overall performance is more than acceptable for this segment. [caption id=“attachment_7876411” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] Vivo U10[/caption] It has a 6.35-inch HD+ screen with a resolution of 1,544 x 720 pixels. Just like the Realme 5s, the Vivo U10 too has a 5,000 mAh battery that can keep the phone powered for close to two days of moderate usage. But to charge it a lot quicker, the company bundles an 18W fast charger, which is a rarity in this segment. The phone runs Android Pie with a layer of FunTouch OS 9.0 on top. Vivo U10 price in India: Rs 9,990 for 4 GB RAM/64 GB storage