Poco M6 5G, Redmi 12 to Lava Blaze 2 5G – First post

Let’s meet the top 5 smartphones under Rs 10,000 in India this month

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Now that the festive sales are over, it’s time to reset our budget to Rs 10,000 and look at the best options available at this price. Phones under 10,000 got richer in features and performance this quarter. You get phones with decent amounts of RAM, 50 MP cameras and now we even have a few 5G-ready phones, which was unthinkable at the beginning of this year. If you’re on a budget, here are five smartphones you should strongly consider right now.

Best Phones to Buy Under Rs 10,000 in India

Poco M6 5G
The Poco M6 5G is the first of the two 5G-ready phones on this list. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ chip, which is a very good choice in this segment, and you get 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, further expandable up to 1TB with a microSD card. This phone has a large 6.74-inch HD+ display with a refresh rate of 90 Hz and the screen is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass.

Image: Poco

The Poco M6 5G has a 50MP primary camera, supported by a secondary depth sensor. A modest 5 MP front camera takes care of selfies and video calls. This phone has a 5,000mAh battery that can last more than a day and a half with moderate usage and supports 18W fast charging. However, the company is packing a 10W charger in the bundle. The phone runs Android 13 with MIUI 14. This phone claims to be dust and splash proof, but there is no IP rating.

Poco M6 5G Price in India:
Rs 9,999 for 6GB RAM/128GB storage

Lava Blaze 2 5G
The Lava Blaze 2 5G is the other 5G-ready phone on this list, and there’s more to it. This phone has an attractive design with a glass back. It is powered by a Meditek Dimensity 6020 SoC, another good choice in this budget. You get 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage that can be further expanded using a microSD card. The phone has a 6.56-inch HD+ IPS LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate.

Image: Lava

The photography department on the Lava Blaze 2 5G is backed by a 50MP primary camera with PDAF and supported by a depth sensor. An 8 MP front camera handles selfies and video calls. The 5000mAh battery ensures that the phone will last well over a day and a half with normal use and it supports 18W fast charging. Another important aspect of this phone is its clean and stock Android UI with no ads or bloatware, which is always great to to have on every phone. This Lava phone runs on Android 13.

Lava Blaze 2 5G price in India:
Rs 9,699 for 6GB RAM/128GB storage

redmi 12
While not 5G-ready, the Redmi 12 is perhaps the best all-round option under 10K and also the most affordable of them all. The phone is powered by a Mediatek Helio G88 chip with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal (expandable) memory. It has a large 6.79-inch Full HD+ display (the only one on this list with an FHD display) that provides plenty of space for productivity and media consumption. It has a peak brightness of 550 nits and a 90Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling in compatible apps.

Image: Redmi

The phone has an IP53 rating for dust and splash resistance and also has a glass back. This Xiaomi phone has three cameras on the back with a combination of a 50MP main camera with PDAF, an 8MP ultrawide shooter (quite rare under 10K) and a 2MP macro camera. You also get an 8MP selfie camera on the front. The phone’s 5,000mAh battery can last almost two days with moderate usage and supports 18W fast charging with a 22.5W fast charger included in the box. The Redmi 12 runs Android 13 with MIUI 14.

Redmi 12 Price in India:
Rs 7,999 for 6GB RAM/128GB storage

Infinix Hot40i
If you are looking for a phone with enough internal storage space under 10K, then the Infinix Hot 40i is the phone for you. Besides the Apple iPhone Pro series-inspired design, it flaunts 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage that can supposedly be expanded up to 2TB with a microSD card. It has a 6.6-inch HD+ IPS LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate. This phone is powered by a modest Unisoc T606 chip which should be fine for basic daily use.

Image: Infinix

The photography department consists of a 50 MP primary camera and a depth sensor. There’s a 32MP front camera that will appeal to selfie enthusiasts; 32 MP is extremely rare in this budget. The Infinix Hot 40i also has a 5000mAh battery that can keep it running for a day and a half with normal use and supports 18W fast charging. This Infinix phone runs XOS13 based on Android 13.

Infinix Hot 40i Price in India:
Rs 8,999 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage

NokiaC32
The Nokia C32 is the second device on this list that offers a near-standard Android user interface. It runs Android 13 out of the box. This phone also has a glass back, and it is also tempered. The 6.52-inch HD+ screen is also protected by scratch-resistant glass. Even though it is an entry-level phone, it looks quite stylish. It is also dust and moisture resistant to an extent thanks to an IP52 rating.

Image: Nokia

You can get the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant comfortably in this budget. Just like the Infinix Hot 40i, this phone is also powered by a Unisoc chip. The Nokia C32 has dual rear cameras, consisting of a 50 MP primary camera with autofocus and a 2 MP macro camera. Selfie tasks and video calls are handled by an 8 MP front camera. Like others above, this phone also has a 5,000mAh battery that will keep it going for almost two days with moderate use.

Nokia C32 price in India:
Rs 8,499 for 6GB RAM/128GB storage