India is the second biggest smartphone market in the world, only China’s market is bigger in that regard. There are a number of India-based OEMs which manufacture smartphones and are extremely popular, like Micromax, Lava, Intex and YU. Micromax is actually India’s biggest smartphone OEM, while YU is owned by Micromax. Anyhow, we’re here to take a look at the top 15 smartphones available in India at the moment, and have decided to rank them using various factors in order to make the list interesting. Keep in mind that this is not the list of top 15 best-specced smartphones in India, but is generated based on the popularity of these devices, though specs, build quality and everything else is still a part of the equation. Anyhow, let’s get started.
15. HTC Desire 826
HTC Desire 826 was originally launched back in January, and is available in India for around Rs. 23,000 ($360). Like many other smartphones sold in India, this thing supports two sim cards, and we’re looking at a solid mid-range phone here. The Desire 826 is powered by the Snapdragon 615, and ships with 2GB of RAM and Android 5.0.1 Lollipop pre-installed with HTC’s Sense UI on top of it. This thing is available in a range of colors in the country, and can be purchased from Amazon.in.
14. Lava Iris X8
The Iris X8 is Lava’s mid-range offering which is available in two variants, the 1GB of RAM variant with 8GB of internal storage, and 2GB of RAM with 16GB of in-built storage. This handset is powered by an octa-core SoC clocked at 1.4GHz, and sports a 5-inch 720p display up front. The phone also offers two SIM card slots, and ships with Android KitKat, but will get the Lollipop update soon. This handset can be purchased for around Rs. 9,000 ($141) in the country (2GB of RAM variant).
13. Gionee Elife S7
Gionee’s Elife S7 mid-ranger was originally showcased during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona back in March. The Elife S7 offers really solid mid-range specs, and real solid build overall. This phone features a 5.2-inch 1080p display up front, along with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of non-expandable internal storage. This is a dual-SIM handset which features a 13-megapixel camera on the back and ships with Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box. The Elife S7 is currently priced at around Rs. 22,000 ($344) in India.
12. Micromax Canvas Juice 2
The Micromax Canvas Juice 2 is one of many Micromax-branded smartphones available in India. This phone features a 5-inch 720p display, 2GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable internal storage. MediaTek’s MT6582 quad-core SoC powers it, and the 8-megapixel snapper is available on its back. The 3,000mAh battery is available on the inside, and the Canvas Juice 2 also ships with Android 5.0 Lollipop. You can purchase it in India for around Rs. 8,000 ($125).
11. Xiaomi Redmi 2
Xiaomi’s Redmi 2 is one of the entry-level devices available out there. It was originally unveiled in January, and has been available in India for quite some time now. This thing offers a lot for Rs. 7,000 ($110), which is currently its price in India. This handset also comes in 1 and 2GB of RAM variants, and the aforementioned price applies to the lower-specced model. This thing is powered by the Snapdragon 410, and the 8-megapixel camera is available on its back.
10. HTC Desire 620
The HTC Desire 620 features a 5-inch 720p display, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable internal storage. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 410 64-bit quad-core SoC fuels this handset, while 8 and 5-megapixel cameras are available here, on its back and front, respectively. Android KitKat comes pre-installed on the handset, and two SIM cards are available here as well. The 2,100mAh battery is available on the inside, and you can purchase this thing for approximately Rs. 15,000 ($235) in India.
9. Lenovo P70
The Lenovo P70 is a solid mid-range device manufactured by this China-based company. It is currently priced around Rs. 14,000 ($219) in India, and has a lot to offer for said price. The P70 ships with a 720p display, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage. This handset is powered by MediaTek’s MT6752 SoC and ships with a rather big 4,000mAh battery. 4G LTE and Dual SIM connectivity are also a part of the package here by the way.
8. Motorola Moto E (2nd-gen)
Motorola Moto E is an entry-level handset which offers really solid specifications, we’re talking about the 2nd-gen model here. This handset is made out of plastic, but it doesn’t feel cheap. Both the 3G (Snapdragon 200) and 4G LTE (Snapdragon 410) variants are available in India at the moment. The 3G model is priced at Rs. 6,999 ($110) in India, while the 4G variant costs Rs. 7,499 ($117). This handset also ships with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable internal storage.
7. Xiaomi Mi 4
The Xiaomi Mi 4 is almost a year old at this point, but it’s still one of the better devices out there, having its price in mind, of course. The Mi 4 features a 5-inch 1080p display, 3GB of RAM and in India’s case 16GB of internal storage. This handset costs Rs. 17,999 ($282) in India at the moment. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 801 SoC, and offers 13 and 8-megapixel cameras on its back and front, respectively.
6. Motorola Moto G (2nd-gen)
Much like the Moto E, Motorola’s Moto G handset is a mid-range handset. The Moto G is somewhat more expensive than the Moto E, and thus has more to offer. This handset features a 5-inch 720p display, 1GB of RAM and is powered by the Snapdragon 400 quad-core SoC. The 8-megapixel camera is available on its back, while you’ll find a 2-megapixel snapper on the front. The 2,070mAh battery is also a part of this package, and you can purchase Moto G (2nd-gen) in India for Rs. 10,999 ($172) via Flipkart (16GB variant).
5. Samsung Galaxy S6 / Galaxy S6 Edge
These two devices are Samsung’s flagships for 2015, and are made out of metal. The two devices feature premium specs and build quality, but their price is also premium. There are a number of variants of the two devices, but the basic models of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge cost Rs. 40,000 ($626) and 52,000 ($814) in India, respectively. The two devices feature QHD panels, 3GB of RAM and 16-megapixel cameras on the back, while the S6 Edge also sports a curved display.
4. OnePlus One
The OnePlus One has been launched over a year ago, and it’s still one of the better devices out there. This thing is equipped with Cyanogen’s software, a Snapdragon 801 SoC, 3GB of RAM and a 5.5-inch 1080p display. The 16GB model costs around Rs. 18,000 ($282), and the 64GB variant is priced at Rs. 22,000 ($344) in India. The company has also introduced their very own Oxygen OS, in case you don’t want to use Cyanogen’s offering. The phone is available for purchase without an invite, and you can purchase it via Amazon.in.
3. Meizu M1 Note
Meizu M1 Note was launched at the end of 2014, and the company has actually launched its successor already, the M2 Note. This handset features really decent specs, and an appealing Rs. 12,000 ($188) price point. The M1 Note features a 5.5-inch 1080p display, 2GB of RAM and 16 or 32GB of internal storage (non-expandable). The 13-megapixel camera is available on its back, and the phone ships with a 3,140mAh battery on the inside.
2. YU Yuphoria
The YU Yuphoria was released quite recently by the company, and it offers metal build and is one of the best buy devices in India at the moment. This handset costs only Rs. 6,999 ($110) and offers a lot for the price. Dual-SIM and 4G LTE connectivity, a 5-inch 720p display, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and is powered by the Snapdragon 410 64-bit quad-core processor. This handset is powered by Cyanogen OS 12, and ships with a 2,230mAh battery.
1. YU Yureka
The Yureka is YU’s first smartphone. This handset was announced back in January, and it features a 5.5-inch 720p display, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of in-built storage. The Snapdragon 615 powers this device, and Cyanogen OS is also included here. The phone is made out of plastic, but doesn’t feel cheap by any stretch of the imagination. This handset costs around Rs. 9,000 ($141) in India, and is available in Moonstone color variant.