Android smartphones have for long not been exclusive to the rich and the famous! The sub Rs. 10,000 price barrier was broken quite some time back, and over time, the phones available in that price bracket has massively improved in terms of packaging, performance and even the experience they offer.
We believe this is pretty much the right time for anyone using Symbian or Blackberry but is considering, to jump to Android and get an experience of what this OS has to offer. What we have here is a list of 3 phones hand-picked after much deliberation, and arranged according to decreasing price, that you should consider.
Karbonn A18
Price: Rs. 10,000
We must admit, we were surprised with the excellent build quality and looks this phone the moment it came out of the box. The 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen does the job rather well. Surprisingly, the display actually feels bigger than it actually is! The form factor remains very comfortable to hold and use and pocket.
The A18 comes with Android ICS out of the box, but the real cherry on the cake is the minimalist UI that looks very similar to the Apex Launcher app available on the Play Store. This phone is among the top performers in this price bracket, without any shadow of a doubt. If you aren’t one of those buyers who are very brand conscious, this is the phone worth considering. Read our Karbonn A18 review here. Also check out our Karbonn A18 : Video Review
Sony Xperia Tipo
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Price: Rs 9499
Something with a smaller display – 3.2-inch display, and a very classy build quality. The Tipo is the first entry level Xperia phone from Sony. Again, the build quality is absolutely brilliant, albeit it is slightly thicker than what we would have liked. The performance is very similar to the Karbonn A18, which puts this pretty much at the top of the list on budget smartphones.
If the smaller display doesn’t bother you (maybe you aren’t that heavy into texting), this is very comfortable to use. Even if you are, the on-screen keypad is surprisingly well laid out, with adequate gap between the keys to help with precise typing. For more, check out Sony Xperia Tipo : Video Review
Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos
Price: Rs. 8,500
If just a touchscreen doesn’t appeal to you, the Galaxy Y Pro Duos does offer that along with a physical full QWERTY keypad. The tradeoff is the older OS on board – Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), but the performance is quite satisfactory. The display is quite crisp, which helps reading text on a display that has lesser vertical real estate than most touch only phones. Optical trackpad and dedicated keys for calls, menu and return.
The fact of the matter is – the Galaxy Y Pro Duos looks like a proper phone aimed at the professionals. Oh wait, wasn’t Blackberry doing that? Apart from the dual goodness of the touchscreen and the QWERTY, this phone has a dual sim one, also negating the need for carrying two phones. Rather smart, we must say! Read full review of the Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos here.
Also read: Top 10 Android phones