The Indian smartphone market has been extremely competitive, especially the whole segment from ₹10,000 to ₹20,000. The market is full of so many options that often it can be a bit of a challenge to choose the best smartphone for your needs. In this guide, we're looking at the sweet spot -- the best phones under ₹15,000. In 2019, most of these phones come with big batteries, notched displays and multiple cameras.
While Xiaomi has dominated the ₹15,000 smartphone segment for a long time, players like Realme, Asus and even Samsung are giving it a tough fight now. Without wasting any more time, let's take a look at the best smartphones under ₹15,000 in India in August 2019.

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(Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri)

Realme 5 Pro

Realme has been gunning for the market share that Redmi smartphones currently enjoy. To this end, the company launched the Realme 3 Pro with the Snapdragon 710 chipset. In lay terms, Realme 3 Pro is aimed at users who like gaming and want a good option in the budget segment.
Beyond its gaming capabilities, the Realme 3 Pro also looks good with its waterdrop notch and a glossy back design. To round it off, the lowlight camera performance, battery life and the display quality are very good, too.
The Realme 5 Pro was just announced in India, bringing the Snapdragon 712 chipset and an interesting quad-camera setup. Comes just 4 months after the Realme 3 Pro, but definitely ups the game.
The processor is pretty good for tasks such as heavy gaming and the performance was very consistent too. Paired with a 4,035 mAh battery with support for fast charging makes this an easy recommendation
Check Review: Realme 5 Pro

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro

Xiaomi has dominated the budget and entry-level smartphone segments for a long time now. This is no different this year either - the launch of the Redmi Note 7 Pro changed the market dynamics yet again. Offering a high-resolution, premium-grade 48MP camera at budget prices was the primary clincher for the Redmi Note 7 Pro.
Apart from its imaging capabilities, the Redmi Note 7 Pro offers a great bang for your buck thanks to the great display, a well-balanced chipset and battery life that we've all grown to expect from Xiaomi's Redmi Note series.
Topping it all off is the glass design which gives it a premium look.
It has a great value for money quotient which is why the Redmi Note 7 Pro is the phone to buy.
Read our full review of the Redmi Note 7 Pro

(Image credit: Vivo)

Vivo Z1 Pro

Vivo has upped its game in the budget and mid-range segments over the last few months in India. While a few other smartphones are aimed specifically at a slightly younger audience, Vivo has tried to offer a slightly more rounded package with the Z1 Pro.
The Z1 Pro is also one of the few smartphones in this price range to sport a punch hole notch. If you are looking for a smartphone that offers really long battery life, the Z1 Pro won't let you down with its massive 5,000mAh battery. The display, camera and the glossy design round off the remaining important aspects.

(Image credit: Future)

Honor 20i

If you are searching for a smartphone in the ₹15,000 price segment that looks amazing, the Honor 20i could be right up there with the best in this range. Apart from its looks, it also has a very good display and a trio of decent cameras. Battery backup is above average too. The performance and UI fluidity leaves something to be desired, though.
Read our review of the Honor 20i

(Image credit: Future)

Nokia 8.1

The Nokia 8.1 was launched last year in the premium segment, but a couple of price drops have not made it a compelling budget offering. Powered by a Snapdragon 710 and 4GB of RAM, the phone performs admirably, also thanks to the Android One OS powering it.
The unique feature that no other phone in this segment offers is the HDR display bringing in incredible colour, brightness and contrast. Along with that, you get Nokia's legendary built quality which is unparalleled in this segment.