budget smartphones
Before the likes of Xiaomi and OPPO entered the Indian smartphone market, it was Samsung and the Indian OEMs that enjoyed the lion’s share of the market. While Samsung was the undisputed leader, it was Micromax, Karbonn and Intex that led the chasing pack.

This was due to the fact that the Indian smartphone manufacturers offered smartphones at pocket-friendly prices. Popular smartphones offered by Micromax, Karbonn and Intex cost less than Rs. 10,000, and most of the models were catered to the low-end budget segment.

India currently has over half a billion smartphone users, and a big chunk of them prefer buying smartphones that cost Rs. 10,000 or less. Smartphone brands like Xiaomi and Realme offer feature-rich phones that cost as low as Rs. 7,000, with Realme C2 being a classic example.

Furthermore, these Chinese OEMs also offer excellent gaming phones for around Rs. 10,000, such as Realme Narzo 10 and Realme Narzo 10A, making them attractive options for the low-end consumers. 

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Let us take a closer look at why cheaper, budget smartphones will never run out of admirers in the Indian smartphone industry.

Value-for-Money Phones

Low-end budget phones provide the best value for money. Consumers do not have to spend too much to own a smartphone that comes with excellent features and specs.

This has made budget smartphones the preferred choice of budget-conscious consumers, as well as those that operate on a tight budget every month.

The average consumer can now purchase a feature-rich mobile under 12,000 INR, such as Realme Narzo 10A and Samsung Galaxy M11.

While these phones do not sport the high-end 108MP cameras or the fastest processors, they are still extremely impressive, and are more than adequate to get the job done for the average consumer.

Budget-Friendly

Low-end smartphones tick one very important box -- they are budget friendly. According to Counterpoint Research, the average cost of a smartphone today is Rs. 12,000.

With the increase in GST on smartphones going from 12 percent to 18 percent, getting a good smartphone for Rs. 12,000 is still a bargain. This is where the likes of Xiaomi, Realme and Samsung have struck a chord with the Indian smartphone consumers.

These brands offer smartphones with good features and decent specs at pocket-friendly prices. You can now purchase a mobile under 10000 INR and get 4GB RAM and 5000mAh with it, with Xiaomi Redmi 8 being an excellent example, which is extremely impressive.

Long Battery Life

One of the common misconceptions pertaining to low-budget phones over the years has been that they do not come with good batteries. However, most of the budget-friendly models offered today come with 4,000mAh - 5,000mAh batteries.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9, Xiaomi Redmi 9 Prime, Realme Narzo 10A and Samsung Galaxy M11 all come with 5,000mAh batteries and cost less than Rs. 12,000.

This is yet another example of how smartphone brands are now wooing consumers by providing low-end phones that still pack excellent features, given their price tag.

These are just some of the reasons why low-end budget phones will continue to attract consumers, and will always be in demand.