Xiaomi Mi A3, Samsung Galaxy M21 to Vivo U20: Best phones under Rs 15,000 (May 2020)

Our list of phones under Rs 15,000 this month has some impressive handsets with a good amount of RAM and storage. You also get 48 MP cameras in several models here and also triple or quad camera setups. Battery backup isn’t an issue either with all phones sporting at least 4,000 mAh batteries, and some going as high as 5,000 and 6,000 mAh too. So, let’s see what 15K can buy you this month in the smartphones domain.

Best phones under Rs 15,000 you can buy in India

Redmi Note 7 Pro / Redmi Note 8

The price of the base variant of **Redmi Note 8 Pro (Review)** has gone up and doesn’t sell in this price bracket. Instead, you now get the top variants of **Redmi Note 7 Pro (Review)** and Redmi Note 8 in this budget. The former may be a year old phone, but is still a good option. The phone has an attractive design and is protected against scratches by Gorilla Glass 5 at the front as well as at the back. You get a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display with a drop notch. It is powered by a competent Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 SoC with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage.

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It has a 48 MP rear camera with a Sony IMX586 sensor that uses pixel binning to capture more details in photos shot in various lighting conditions. There’s a 5 MP depth sensor to give it company, and a 13 MP front camera for selfies and video calls. This Xiaomi handset runs Android Pie with MIUI 10 layer on top. Its 4,000 mAh battery lasts over a day of moderate usage.

The Redmi Note 8 is similar to the Note 7 Pro on most counts except two. Firstly, it has a relatively slower Snapdragon 665 SoC, but you get four cameras at the back instead of two, which includes a 48 MP primary shooter, 8 MP ultra-wide camera, 2 MP dedicated macro camera, and a 2 MP depth sensor. The image quality of the primary camera is at par with that on the Note 7 Pro, and the rest of the cameras give you versatility and additional shooting modes. The rest of the specs like the display, battery, storage, and OS are pretty much the same, and so is the price.

Redmi Note 7 Pro / Redmi Note 8 price in India: Rs 13,999 for 6 GB RAM / 128 GB storage

Mi A3

And we have one more Xiaomi phone in the list but with a twist. If you like Xiaomi phones but do not like MIUI, and prefer stock Android instead, Mi A3 is the phone for you. **Mi A3 (Review)** is an Android One device, which means you get stock Android UI and regular OS and security updates for a minimum of two years from the date of launch. The phone launched with Android Pie but the Android 10 update has just started rolling out.

The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 665 SoC and you get the 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant in this budget. Unlike the two Redmi phones above, this phone has a smaller (6.08-inch) HD+ Super AMOLED display. There’s a triple camera setup for photography comprising a 48 MP primary camera, 8 MP ultra-wide, and a 2 MP depth sensor. The performance is at par with the other Xiaomi phones in this list. The selfie camera has been bumped up to 32 MP. A 4,030 mAh battery keeps the phone running for well over a day of moderate usage.

Mi A3 price in India: Rs 14,999 for 6 GB RAM / 128 GB storage

Realme 5 Pro

**Realme 5 Pro (Review)** is another stylish phone that offers quad cameras at the back. The rear camera combination here is similar to that of the Redmi Note 8 (48 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP + 2 MP). The cameras manage to capture excellent shots with great amount of detail, accurate colours and sharpness. They do a good job with night photography too, and you have the Nightscape mode to take it a notch higher. The 16 MP front shooter won’t disappoint selfie enthusiasts either.

The textured plastic back makes the Realme 5 Pro eye-catching. It has a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display with a layer of Gorilla Glass 3+ to protect it from scratches. It is powered by a Snapdragon 712 chip with 6 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage that can be expanded further, thanks to a dedicated microSD card slot. Its 4,035 mAh battery easily lasts a day, and in case it is running low, the company bundles a 20 W fast charger with VOOC Charge 3.0 to charge the battery in quick time. It runs Android Pie with ColorOS 6.0 user interface. An Android 10 update for the phone was released a couple of months ago.

Realme 5 Pro price in India: Rs 14,999 for 6 GB RAM / 64 GB storage

Samsung Galaxy M21

The new Samsung Galaxy M21 offers excellent value for money in addition to the brand value. It is pretty much a rebadged Galaxy M30S with a higher resolution front camera. The striking feature of this phone is its sharp 6.4-inch sAMOLED Full HD+ display with a drop notch. It offers three cameras at the back with a 48 MP primary shooter, 8 MP ultra-wide, and 5 MP depth sensor. Not to forget the 20 MP selfie camera at the front.

The Samsung Galaxy M21 is powered by an Exynos 9611 SoC, and you can pick its 6 GB RAM and 128 GB variant for a Rupee under 15K. Another key feature of this phone is its mammoth 6,000 mAh battery that can go on for two full days of moderate usage. The phone runs Android 10 with Samsung’s One UI on top. This is a great all-round option for the brand-conscious buyers.

Samsung Galaxy M21 price in India: Rs 14,999 for 6 GB RAM / 128 GB storage

Vivo U20

Vivo U20 is another good option in this price bracket for those looking for a bit of processing muscle, large display, and solid battery life. This phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 SoC with 6 GB RAM and 64 GB internal (expandable) storage. It has a 6.53-inch Full HD+ display with a drop notch. The battery life here is quite impressive, with a 5,000 mAh battery keeping the phone up and running for over a day and a half of moderate usage. It supports fast charging and the company bundles an 18 W fast charger for the same.

The Vivo U20 has three rear cameras with a combination of 16 MP (primary) + 8 MP (ultrawide) + 2 MP (macro) lenses. They do an acceptable job in various lighting conditions for this budget. This handset comes with a 16 MP front shooter for some crisp selfies and video calls. The phone runs Android Pie with a layer of FunTouch OS 9.2 on top.

Vivo U20 price in India: Rs 12,990 for 6 GB RAM / 64 GB storage

That competes the sub–15K phones list. If you are on a tighter budget, you should check our list of **phones under Rs 12,000** for this month.