Best Phones Under 7000: Best Smartphones You Can Buy Under Rs. 7,000 (January 2020 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 list of best mobiles under Rs. 10,000, and best phones under Rs. 8,000 that will be out soon.

Best Phones Under 7000: Best Smartphones You Can Buy Under Rs. 7,000 (January 2020 Edition)

Redmi 8A

Xiaomi’s Redmi 8A offers decent performance at an affordable price. The design is fairly simple, but this phone still looks nice and offers a lot of features. The display offers good viewing angles with decent colour reproduction. In our Redmi 8A review, we found the phone’s performance to be on par with most other models in this price segment.

It has a single rear camera that takes crisp-looking shots; however, the details are not very good, especially in low light. You get a 5000mAh battery and support for 18W fast charging, though only a 10W charger comes in the box. In terms of the battery performance, the Redmi 8A lasted 16 hours and 31 minutes in our HD video loop test.

The Redmi 8A comes in two different variants in the country — 2GB RAM + 32GB storage and 3GB RAM + 32GB storage. We recommend that you go for the 3GB RAM variant since there’s a very small price difference and both cost less than Rs. 7,000.

Realme C2

In a relatively short period of time, Realme has been able to establish itself as a smartphone brand to look out for, with several smartphones that have struck a chord with Indian consumers. Launched in May 2019, Realme C2 offers not only a good design but also provides good performance for this price segment, earning it a spot in this list of best mobile phones under Rs. 7,000.

In our Realme C2 review, we found it to be quite a looker and capable of providing an acceptable level of day-to-day performance. Notably, the phone does show a hint of lag in the UI sometimes. 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 13-megapixel and 2-megapixel rear cameras capture focused shots with good amounts of detail, however the phone struggles with getting the exposure right. Low-light shots taken with the Realme C2 also leave a lot of be desired but that is a problem with pretty much all affordable smartphones 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 recommend you go for the 2GB + 32GB version. Having said that, if you are able find the 3GB + 32GB version under Rs. 7,000 during a sale, go for that instead.

Infinix Note 5

The 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 and so makes its way to the best phones under Rs. 7,000 list.

Infinix Note 5 was originally launched 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. The phone provided a usable experience without any lag, and on the battery front, it ran for 9 hours and 40 minutes. As the phone is based on Android One,  stock Android is a big positive.

The camera performance of the Note 5 is a mixed bag with some photos exhibiting good amounts of detail but others looking weak. Colour reproduction was, however, fairly accurate.

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

Redmi 7

This is an interesting option which is a generation behind, but is still much less than a year old. Now available starting at just Rs. 6,999, the Redmi 7 has a lot of features to offer and is a step up from Xiaomi’s absolute entry-level models. When we reviewed it in April last year, we found it to be a solid entry-level phone with good specifications and attractive looks.

Battery life is one of the Redmi 7’s best features. This phone lasted for 17 hours, 9 minutes in our HD video loop test. General performance was a little weak, though that’s to be expected at this price point. Camera performance was also decent and we liked how our sample photos turned out. The photos taken under bright sunlight had sharp focus and subtle details within the focused area, though anything more than a few feet away looked a lot poorer. Low-light photos taken with the Redmi 7 were also not a complete disappointment.

Xiaomi offers two variants of the Redmi 7 in the country, and the base version with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage now costs Rs. 6,999. If you’re thinking of going for the variant with 3GB of RAM which costs Rs. 1,000 more, do remember that Xiaomi has many other models including the newer Redmi 8, which has better features and specifications, and can be found in our list of the best smartphones under Rs. 8,000.

Nokia 5.1 Plus

Although HMD Global has not been known for great pricing of late, several of its older models are still going strong, including that Nokia 5.1 Plus. This phone impressed us in pretty much all areas at the time of its launch. Only the cameras are a bit weak, though they still offer decent enough photos. The Nokia 5.1 Plus is enough of an all-rounder to feature as one our picks, especially with its price cut to below Rs. 7,000 now.

In our review, we found the Nokia 5.1 Plus’s design attractive and its HD+ display good. The phone also works well in day-to-day situations. The phone’s rear cameras capture decent details in landscape shots, however they don’t always get the exposure right, even with Auto HDR. In low-light situations, focusing is slow and landscape shots suffer the most.

The Nokia 5.1 Plus offers good battery life, and it went on for 14 hours and 36 minutes in our HD video loop test. HMD Global offers two variants of the Nokia 5.1 Plus in the country – the version with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage is now priced at Rs. 6,999, but the other one with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage still costs a lot more.