10,000 INR to 15,000 INR remained the hottest price segment in most part of 2014. Starting from original Moto G we saw several smartphones with glittering spec sheet and admirable Android experience. Here are some of those which impressed us the most.
Moto G
The upheaval in budget price segment and the trend of exclusive online retailing began with the advent of Moto G in India. Before the end of the year, Motorola introduced the second generation model, adding what users demanded and leaving aside what worked well.
Moto G second generation comes with a good quality 5 Inch IPS LCD Display with 720p HD resolution, fired by 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 400 quad core GPU with 1 GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage. Other features include 8 MP rear camera, 2 MP front camera, Gorilla Glass 3, MicroSD card slot and 2070 mAh battery. The well built New Moto G is available on Flipkart for 12,999 INR.
Key Specs
| Model | Moto G 2nd Gen |
| Display | 5 Inch , HD |
| Processor | 1.2 GHz Quad Core |
| RAM | 1 GB |
| Internal Storage | 16 GB, Expandable |
| OS | Android 4.4.4 Kitkat, Guaranteed update |
| Camera | 8 MP/ 2 MP |
| Battery | 2070 mAh |
| Price | 12,999 INR (Buy Now) |
Xiaomi Mi3
Xiaomi Mi3 was the first Xiaomi smartphone to retail in India for a limited period of time. Xiaomi discontinued the product after 5 odd flash sales causing widespread disappointment among Xiaomi fans.
Xiaomi Mi3 flaunts a 5 inch Full HD Display, powered by 2.3 GHz quad core Snapdragon 800 processor with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage. Other features include a 13 MP rear camera, 2 MP front shooter, metal frame body and a 3010 mAh battery.
Recommended: Top Smarphones of 2014 under 10,000 INR
Key Specs
| Model | Xiaomi Mi3 |
| Display | 5 Inch , Full HD |
| Processor | 2.3 GHz Quad Core |
| RAM | 2 GB |
| Internal Storage | 16 GB |
| OS | Android 4.4 Kitkat |
| Camera | 13 MP/ 2 MP |
| Battery | 3010 mAh |
| Price | 13,999 INR |
Nokia Lumia 730 dual SIM
Nokia Lumia 730 is a pretty impressive Lumia device we saw this year. For the modest asking price of 13,681 INR, Lumia 730 offers a 4.7 Inch HD super Amoled display with Gorilla Glass 3 on top. It is powered by 1.2 GHz Snadragon 400 quad core coupled with 1 GB RAM and 8 GB expandable storage.
The phone boasts of a 6.7 MP rear camera and a wide angle 5 MP selfie camera which works quite well. Other features include MicroSD card support, Latest Windows Phone 8.1 and 2220 mAh battery. Lumia 730 is capable of delivering great Windows Phone experience. You can buy it from Flipkart for 13,681 INR.
Key Specs
| Model | Nokia Lumia 730 |
| Display | 4.7 inch, HD |
| Processor | 1.2 GHz Quad Core Snapdragon 400 |
| RAM | 1 GB |
| Internal Storage | 8 GB, Expandable up to 128 GB |
| OS | Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim |
| Camera | 6.7 MP/ 5 MP |
| Battery | 2,220 mAh |
| Price | Rs 13,681 |
Micromax Canvas Nitro A3111
Micromax Canvas Nitro is the Moto G challenger from domestic manufacturer Micromax Selling in the same price bracket. Micromax recently introduced the A311 variant which features 16 GB internal storage.
Micromax Canvas Nitro A311 comes with a 5 inch HD IPS LCD display powered by 1.7 GHz MediaTek Octa core processor with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB expandable internal storage. Other features include 13 MP rear camera, 5 MP front shooter, Android 4.4 KitKat, Dual SIM support and 2500 mAh battery. Micromax Canvas Nitro is available on ebay for 11,998 INR
Recommended: Top Smartphones of 2014 under 20,000 INR
Key Specs
| Model | Micromax Canvas Nitro A3111 |
| Display | 5 inch, HD |
| Processor | 1.7 GHz Octa Core |
| RAM | 2 GB |
| Internal Storage | 16 GB, Expandable up to 128 GB |
| OS | Android 4.4.2 KitKat |
| Camera | 13 MP/ 5 MP |
| Battery | 2,500 mAh |
| Price | Rs 11,998 |
ZTE Grand S II
ZTE Grand S II is a cool alternative to Xiaomi Mi3 selling in India for 13,999 INR. The handset comes with a 5.5 Inch IPS LCD display with full HD resolution, powered by Snapdragon 800 quad core chipset, 2 GB RAM and 16 GB expandable storage.
Other features include 13 MP rear camera, 2 MP front camera (both can record full HD videos), 32 GB MicroSD card support and a 2500 mAh battery. However, it’s not very likely that Grand S II will receive KitKat update in India. You can buy this from Amazon.in for 13,999 INR
Key Specs
| Model | ZTE Grand S II |
| Display | 5.5 inch, 1280 X 1920 |
| Processor | 2.2 GHz Quad Core |
| RAM | 2 GB |
| Internal Storage | 16 GB, Expandable up to 32GB |
| OS | Android 4.4.2 Kitkat |
| BCamera | 13 MP/ 5 MP |
| Battery | 2500 mAh |
| Price | Rs 13,999 |
Some Other Smartphones
Other impressive smartphones in this price segment include, Micromax Canvas Knight A350, Nokia Lumia 1320, HTC Desire 620G and Huawei Honor 3c.
Conclusion
The Android experience we expected to see for above 10K has seeped in less than 10,000 INR price range in 2014. The first half of the next year will see more activity in 10,000 INR to 15,000 INR price range. In case we have missed a smartphone which you liked, let us know in the comment section below.
