Best Mobile Phones Under 7000: October 2019 Edition

Finding a good phone to buy under Rs. 7,000 has always been a tough task. The smartphone market has improved over the last few years, however it still has a long way to go especially if you want more than just a few good options. Having said that, a few good options are so much better than many disappointing ones that had flooded this segment just a few years ago. The likes of Xiaomi, Realme, Infinix, and Lenovo currently offer some decent smartphones under Rs. 7,000 that you can consider while making your smartphone buying decision.

In this article, we have compiled our top picks for best mobile phones under Rs. 7,000. Ike always, all of these phones have gone through our rigorous testing process before making their way to this list. If you can afford to pay a bit more do check out our updated lists of best phones under Rs. 8,000 and best mobiles under Rs. 10,000, which will be out soon.

Best phones under 7000

Realme C2

In a matter of just over 15 months, Realme has been able to establish itself as a smartphone brand to look out for. All thanks to the company’s smartphone portfolio that has managed to strike a chord with the Indian consumers. Realme C2 is no different. Launched in May this year, Realme C2 offers not only a good design but also providers good performance for this price segment, making it find a spot in this list of best mobile phones under Rs. 7,000.

In our Realme C2 review, we found the smartphone to be quite a looker and capable of providing an acceptable level of day-to-day performance. Notably, the phone does show hint of a lag when pulling down the notification shade. The Realme C2’s battery is one of its highlights and the phone was able to last an impressive 20 hours and 29 minutes in our HD video loop test.

The Realme C2’s cameras, 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel, can capture focused shots with good amount of detail, however the phone struggles with getting the exposure right. The low-light images taken from the Realme phone also leave a lot of be desired but that is a problem will pretty much all smartphones priced below Rs. 15,000 in the country right now.

Realme sells three variants of the Realme C2 in the country – 2GB + 16GB, 2GB + 32GB, and 3GB + 32GB. Only the first two variants are officially priced under Rs. 7,000, so we will recommend you go for the 2GB + 32GB version. Having said that, if you are able get the 3GB + 32GB version under Rs. 7,000 during one of upcoming sales, go for that instead of the 2GB versions.

Redmi 7A

Over the last several years, Xiaomi has disrupted the smartphone market like no other smartphone maker. Thanks to various value-for-money phones sold by the company, the first time and budget smartphone buyers can look forward to a lot more than just a barely functional smartphone in this price segment.

Redmi 7A continues that legacy with decent performance in an affordable phone. The Chinese smartphone maker has gone with a fairly standard design and not opted for a notch or hole-punch. Still, the phone looks decent and sports a clean unibody design. Redmi 7A’s display also offers good viewing angles with decent colour reproduction.

In our Redmi 7A review, we found the phone’s performance to be at par with most smartphones in this price segment. Barring a slightly delay in launching apps, the phone ran pretty smoothly. However, if you have multiple apps open, the phone may stutter while switching between apps.

Redmi 7A’s single rear camera takes crisp shots with punchy colours in good lighting but low light imaging isn’t the phone’s strong suit. Another gripe we had with the camera is the inconsistent focus lock. In terms of the battery performance, Redmi 7A lasted 14 hours and 47 minutes in our HD video loop test.

Xiaomi sells two variants of the Redmi 7A in the country – 2GB + 16GB and 2GB + 32GB. We recommend the 2GB + 32GB variant as one of our picks for this list of best phones under Rs. 7,000.

Infinix Note 5

Infinix brand from Transsion Holdings isn’t as popular as Xiaomi or Samsung, however it does sell some decent smartphones, especially under Rs. 10,000. The Infinix Note 5 provides an acceptable level of performance to make its way to the best phones under Rs. 7,000 list, with another phone from Infinix making it as a bonus pick.

Infinix Note 5 was originally launched last year with a starting price tag of Rs. 9,999 but thanks to multiple price cuts, its base model can now be purchased under Rs. 7,000. In our Infinix Note 5 review, we found the smartphone to be packing a simple design with eye-catching Blue colour option. The phone provided usable experience without any lag and on the battery front, the Infinix Note 5 ran for 9 hours and 40 minutes. As the phone is based on Android One platform, the presence of stock Android is a big positive.

In other aspects, the camera performance of the phone is a mixed bag with some photos capturing good amount of detail, and others packing lower detail in comparison. Colour reproduction was, however, fairly accurate.

Infinix offers two variants of the Note 5 – 3GB + 32GB and 4GB + 64GB – however as mentioned earlier, you will only find the 3GB RAM variant in this price bracket.

Lenovo K9

Even though Lenovo K9 (Review) is almost a year old, still it remains a good option for anyone planning to buy a smartphone under Rs. 7,000. The dual cameras on the front of the phone is one feature that is rare in the pricing, giving the phone some advantage over other contenders in this list of best mobile phones under Rs. 7,000. Lenovo K9 doesn’t come with the best design or construction quality, however the smartphone offers an acceptable performance, barring some stuttering in heavy apps.

Lenovo K9’s 3,000mAh battery lasted for 11 hours and 22 minutes in our HD video loop test. The camera performance of the phone isn’t impressive at all and the images taken by the photo have soft focus as well as dull and washed out colours.

Lenovo K9 is also offered in just one storage variant – 3GB + 32GB – and it is now available in this price segment.

Bonus pick

Infinix Smart 3 Plus is another attractive option for any looking for a smartphone under Rs. 7,000. The phone sports a premium looking design with glossy body. The company has also released some interesting colours options for the phone like Mocha Brown and Sapphire Cyan, apart from the standard Midnight Black. The onboard 6.21-inch HD+ display renders vibrant colours and the viewing angles are good.

The performance of the Infinix Smart 3 Plus suffers because of the presence of just 2GB of RAM and in our review, we noticed lag while multitasking. This means day to day performance isn’t great, which stops this phone making it to the list as one of our top picks. The phone can’t play the regular PUBG Mobile and you will have to choose the Lite version.

The presence of a triple rear camera setup in a major highlight of the phone and it doesn’t disappoint, especially in good lighting situations. Daylight photos generally turned out good, especially close-up shots. Colours also looked natural and gradients were captured with a good amount of detail. The phone also packs a dedicated low-light sensor but doesn’t seem to impact the low-light imaging experience much. Overall, the cameras are perhaps the best you can get for the price.

The phone went on for 14 hours and 57 minutes in our HD video loop test. Infinix sells just one variant of the Smart 3 Plus – 2GB + 32GB.