2026 has turned out to be a very exciting year for smartphones and for buyers looking to upgrade to a new one. While rising memory prices are raising the bar for smartphones across segments, manufacturers are also trying their best to tackle the price hike and deliver devices that offer a decent experience and performance without too much compromise. Of course, this has resulted in smartphones losing value in terms of the hardware being offered and the software features that rely on them.
We haven't seen the worst of the memory crisis yet, as prices are expected to climb even higher. But smartphones at the lower-end of the spectrum haven't felt the pinch as much as the budget or the mid-range segments. This is mainly down to buyer expectations (or the lack of them) and the fact that manufacturers have somehow managed to deliver the basics using what can be referred to as entry-level hardware. And so your decision to pick a sub-Rs. 15,000 smartphone will depend on your expectations. We have come up with an interesting list of budget smartphones for this guide, which will cater to most buyers looking for smartphones (and come with tight budgets) at this price point.
| Phones under Rs. 15,000 | Gadgets 360 rating | Price in India | Base variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moto G37 Power | 7/10 | 15,999 | 4+64 |
| Oppo K14x 5G | 7/10 | 14,999 | 4+64 |
| Tecno Spark Go 3 | 7/10 | 11,999 | 4+64 |
| Poco C85 | 7/10 | 14,499 | 4+128 |
| Samsung Galaxy M17 | 8/10 | 16,999 | 4+128 |
Moto G37 Power
Motorola launched a bunch of ‘Power'-branded devices this year and for good reason. Indeed, it's all about “power”, which in the case of this series is battery life and the phones have delivered on this front across reviews. The Moto G37 Power is the entry-level model in this series but it offers a design that's very similar to the G57 and G67 Power models. It has a good enough IP64-rating for dust and water resistance, and unlike most devices at this price point, offers variety with some refreshing and interesting finishes using different textures.
As with most devices available at this price point, the Moto G37 Power is geared to deliver better battery life versus better raw performance. But you do get a smooth-enough software experience with Moto's Hello UI, which is quite lean compared to other custom skins. Camera performance is also good enough for a sub Rs. 15,000 device getting you decent low-light photos with less noise provided you stick with the camera app's dedicated night mode. The high-capacity 7,000mAh battery will last over a day even for power users, which in the case of this phone would be social media usage, messaging and phone calls.
Oppo K14x
Compared to the previous K13x Oppo's K14x offers watered-down hardware. Oppo seems to have spent more time on its design and less time configuring its underlying hardware as it's nearly the same as the K13x it replaces. The phone sure looks good for a budget device in its Icy Blue and Prism Violet finishes. Its design is also IP64-rated for dust and water which is good to have.
Its 6.75-inch HD display is vibrant, fast and bright enough for outdoor usage even though it is an LCD panel. ColorOS is well-optimised given the basic underlying hardware. You will get a smooth software experience, even though you may have to manually remove the bloatware that comes with it. Raw performance is good keeping its price in mind, and good enough for casual and some 3D games, but we would not recommend buying it for gaming. The rear camera snapped quality photos in daylight, but its low-light performance left us wanting better. Battery life is impressive even though it does not offer the highest-possible capacity in this segment.
Tecno Spark Go 3
If you are on an even tighter budget, and just need a basic smartphone for calls and good battery life, Tecno's Spark Go 3 will fit your bill. It's priced a lot lower than all the devices in this guide because it is a device that became a victim of the price hike. What would have been an entry-level phone is now retailing at budget pricing. But given that its price hasn't risen by much, it still makes for an interesting option for those on really tight budgets.
The Tecno Spark Go 3 has a very basic design but surprisingly manages an IP64 rating for dust and water resistance. Its IPS LCD panel shows washed out colours but gets bright enough to tackle the bright outdoors. You also get a 120Hz screen refresh rate, which makes the software experience appear smooth. Unlike the other phones in this guide, the Spark Go 3 isn't geared up for any sort of gaming. Cameras are passable, but the battery can get you a whole day of heavy use. Long story short, you get what you pay for!
Poco C85
Poco's C85 has a unique-looking design that's also IP64-rated for dust and water resistance. It has a polycarbonate shell but Poco has managed to come up with an interesting embossed look that feels pretty upmarket until you turn on the display and notice a water drop notch at the top. Its massive 6.9-inch IPS LCD panel isn't going to win any prizes for clarity and contrast but it does get sufficiently bright when used outdoors.
The phone runs a stripped-down version of Xiaomi's HyperOS, which for some reason struggles to run on the entry-level hardware. Camera performance is good enough in daylight but not as capable in low-light. Get this one for its design, big display and great battery life.
Samsung Galaxy M17
Samsung's Galaxy M17 is a bit of an oldie in this guide. But given how starved most buyers are for choice this year, it's not bad to have a slightly older device that offers better value. It may be priced a bit higher at Rs. 16,999 but it does pack plenty. The phone is a bit heavy but has a minimalist design with a basic IP54 rating. Unlike the other devices available at this price point, you are paying a bit more for an AMOLED display, which naturally delivers a better viewing experience with deep blacks, rich colours and great contrast and great outdoor visibility.
Being a Samsung device, the Galaxy M17 will also see the most number of software updates (6 years) compared to the other devices on this list. Performance isn't the best but you do get enough horsepower to run 3D games. Cameras are just fine but you get decent low-light performance. The 5,000mAh battery capacity will seem small to many, but given the chipset's modest power requirements and power-saving display, it easily lasts a day with heavy use.