The budget segment isn't like what it was before. While earlier there were more compromises than satisfaction, the 2018 lineup of phones under Rs 7,000 has been great bang for the buck. The entry-level phones this year are quite capable and for the most part, are reliable all-rounders with good battery life.
Redmi 7A
Price: Rs 6,999
With a Snapdragon 439 chipset underneath, the Redmi 5A is a reliable performer for that price. It doesn't hang up much and the MIUI10 UI helps smoothen things up. Furthermore, the camera at the back will take your basic shots pretty well.
Nokia 1
Price: Rs 5,818
The Nokia 1 is powered by a MediaTek 6737M chipset coupled with just 1GB of RAM. And that's enough to power the Android Oreo (Go Edition) OS that Google created particularly for the entry-level segment. The suite of Go apps inside doesn't require all the firepower and that makes the Nokia 1 one of the most reliable phones under Rs 7,000.
Nokia 2
Price: 6,399
The Nokia 2 doesn't have the firepower to match up to the bigwigs, but the Snapdragon 212 underneath is just about enough to power the lightweight stock Android OS. It is regularly updated with the latest security patches, so it's quite secure as well. More than that, the phone is quite well-built and durable.
Realme C2
Price: Rs 6,999
The Realme C2 has more or less everything you would expect from a budget smartphone, and then some more. It has a gradient design that looks attractive. There's a 6.1-inch HD+ display and a dual camera stack at the back capable of taking portrait photos. MediaTek Helio P22 is in charge of powering the phone and it is coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.
Redmi Go
Price: Rs 4,499
The Redmi Go is an Android Go smartphone that is also the most affordable Xiaomi smartphone you can buy. It runs on Android Go ecosystem on apps and is optimised to run on low hardware.
Redmi 8A
Rs 6,499
The Redmi 8A is perhaps the most powerful entry-level smartphone you can buy. It has the Snapdragon 439 running inside coupled with 32GB storage and 2GB RAM. There is a single 12MP camera and a 6.2-inch LCD display.
Infocus Turbo 5
Price: Rs 5,999
The Infocus Turbo 5 is also a well-rounder smartphone on paper. It comes across as a mid-ranger with a 5,000mAh battery, 13MP camera and a 5.2-inch HD display. Underneath is a MediaTek 6737 chipset coupled with 2GB of RAM.
If you can increase you budget by Rs 3,000
Realme 5
Price: Rs 9,999
The Realme 5 is a quad-camera phone under Rs 10,000 that runs on the Snapdragon 665 and 3GB RAM. There's 32GB storage on board and runs on ColorOS 6.
Redmi Note 7S
Price: Rs 9,999
The Redmi Note 7S is a 48MP camera smartphone under Rs 10,000 and runs on the Snapdragon 660. There's 3GB RAM and 32GB storage along with a waterdrop notched 6.3-inch HD display.
Redmi Y2
Price: Rs 9,999
The Redmi Y2 is a selfie-centric phone with a 32MP front camera. It packs 12+2 megapixel shooter at the back. There's a Snapdragon 632 chipset in charge of performance and it is coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage. There's also a 3,080mAh battery to boot.