Best phones under Rs 10,000 (Jan 2025): Samsung Galaxy A05, Poco M6 5G to Realme Narzo N61

Cometh the new year, cometh new smartphone lists. It is time to reset our budget back to Rs 10,000 and explore the best options available in India. Though phones in this price bracket cannot match the performance and features of their higher priced counterparts, they offer enough to handle day to day tasks without a hiccup and some more. To make sure of that, we have only picked phones that offer at least 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage. Here are your best smartphones under Rs 10,000 at the start of 2025.

Best phones to buy under Rs 10,000 in India

Poco M6 5G

The Poco M6 5G is the only 5G-ready phone in this list. The phone is powered by a Mediatek Dimensity 6100+ chip, which is a great choice in this segment, and you get 6 GB RAM along with 128 GB internal storage, further expandable up to 1 TB with a microSD card. This phone has a large 6.74-inch HD+ display with a 90 Hz refresh rate, and the screen is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass. The phone claims to be dust and splash resistant but there’s no IP rating.

And that’s not all, the Poco M6 5G has a 50MP primary camera supported by a secondary depth sensing unit making it more than handy for photography. A modest 5MP front camera takes care of selfies and video calls. This phone has a 5000 mAh battery that lasts over a day and a half of moderate use, and supports 18W fast charging. However, the company packs a 10W charger in the bundle. The phone runs Android 13 with MIUI 14.  

Poco M6 5G price in India: Rs 9,999 for 6 GB RAM/ 128 GB storage

Infinix Hot 40i

Content exchanged on Whatsapp and other social media apps takes up a lot of space, and If you are looking for a phone with ample onboard storage in this budget, the Infinix Hot 40i is the phone for you. Other than an Apple iPhone Pro series inspired design, it flaunts 8 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage that can be expanded up to 2 TB with a microSD card. This phone is powered by a modest Unisoc T606 chip which is fine for basic daily usage.  

It sports a 6.6-inch HD+ IPS LCD display with a 90 Hz refresh rate. The photography department consists of a 50MP primary camera along with a depth sensor. There’s a 32MP front camera (extremely rare in this budget) that will appeal to the selfie crowd. The Infinix Hot 40i has a 5000 mAh battery that can keep it running for a day and a half of normal use and supports 18W fast charging. This Infinix phone runs XOS13 based on Android 13.  

Infinix Hot 40i price in India: Rs 9,249 for 8 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage

Realme Narzo N61

The Realme Narzo N61 is another very good option in this budget with a solid feature set and stylish design. It is also the slimmest option in this list measuring less than 8 mm in thickness. It further boasts of IP54 ingress protection and Armorshell protection. The phone is powered by a Unisoc T612 chip, and you get 6 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage that can be expanded further using a microSD card.  

It sports a large 6.74-inch HD+ IPS LCD display with a 90 Hz refresh rate. The photography department comprises a 32MP primary camera with PDAF and a depth sensor. A 5MP front camera takes care of selfies and video calls. The Realme Narzo N61 has a 5000 mAh battery that keeps the phone powered for over a day and a half of moderate use and supports 10W wired charging. This phone runs Android 14 with Realme UI 5.0.  

Realme Narzo N61 price in India: Rs 7,999 for 6 GB RAM/ 128 GB storage

Samsung Galaxy A05

Yes, you can also get a Samsung in this budget, but keep your expectations in check. The Samsung Galaxy A05 has modest specifications but gets the job done. You get a 6.7-inch HD+ PLS LCD display with 60 Hz refresh rate. It flaunts a 50MP primary camera with auto-focus and assisted by a 2MP depth sensing unit. You also get a decent 8MP selfie camera up front. The phone is powered by a Mediatek G85 SoC and you get 6 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage to go with it.  

The storage can be expanded further with a microSD card. A 5000 mAh battery keeps the phone powered for a day and a half of moderate use. It supports 25W fast charging but there is no charger in the bundle and you will need to spend a few bucks more if you don’t have one already. The Samsung Galaxy A05 runs Android 13 with Samsung’s One UI 5.1 but the company has promised two more OS and four years of security updates for this device, which is more than handy.

Samsung Galaxy A05 price in India: Rs 9,499 for 6 GB RAM/ 128 GB storage

Nokia C32

If you prefer a near stock Android user interface, the Nokia C32 is just what you have been looking for in this budget. It runs Android 13 out of the box with a clean UI. This phone sports a glass back, and that too a toughened one. Its 6.52-inch HD+ screen is protected by a scratch resistant glass as well. Though it’s an entry-level phone, it does look fairly stylish. It is also dust and moisture resistant to an extent courtesy of an IP52 rating.

You can get its 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant comfortably in this budget. Just like a couple of phones in this list, this phone too is powered by a Unisoc chip. The Nokia C32 has two rear cameras consisting of a 50MP primary camera with auto-focus and a 2MP macro camera. Selfies and video calls are handled by an 8MP front camera. Like all others above, this phone too has a 5000 mAh battery that keeps it going for close to a day and a half of moderate use.

Nokia C32 price in India: Rs 8,499 for 6 GB RAM/ 128 GB storage