Best Android Smartphones in India - May 2013

Android smartphones are by far the most popular smartphones in the Indian market, but there are quite a few smartphones at the different price ranges, making it hard to pick the phone that is ideal for you. This list is for the prices as in May 2013. The prices mentioned are for the day on which the article was written, please check for any change in pricing.

In the Android world, a new model is released by one company or another every other week (or, sometimes, withdrawn from the market). To keep up, I have decided to update this list once every 4 months.

There is also a mention of some new and exciting phones expected to be launched in the near future that might make you hold off your shopping for a few days and some.

The list is made according to the price-band (in INR) the phone falls in: under 10,000; 10,000 to 20,000; 20,000 to 30,000; above 30,000

Best Android Smartphones in India under 10,000 INR:

This is the entry level for good android phones. Although there are very low priced Android phones cheaper Android phones available, such as Micromax Smarty A25 (₨ 3,255 on saholic.com) or iBall Andi 3.5 (₨ 4,190 on flipkart.com), they run older versions of Android and do not have the hardware for a good enough user experience for a smartphone. If you decide to skip these even cheaper options, then here is the list for the best low end Android phones:

1. Lava Iris 405 (₨ 6,049 on flipkart.com):

This phone makes the list for having the good features at a very low price. The phone runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean powered by 1 GHz dual core processor and has 512 MB RAM. It is a dual SIM  phone supporting one 3G and a 2G GSM SIM. The phone comes with a 4 inch touchscreen with WVGA resolution (480 x 800 pixels), 2GB internal memory expandable via SD card (32 GB)  and a 5MP camera (that does not take very good pictures despite the pixels) along with a VGA front camera  for video calling. The 1400 mAh battery that claims to give 6 hours of talk time is average for this price range. the phone supports GPRS, EDGE, 3G, Wi-Fi, FM radio and GPS are supported and there is a music and video player.

Purely based on the features, this is a very good phone for the price that it is available in. If the brand is not a consideration, and the price is, then this is the phone to go for.

2. Samsung Galaxy Young S6312 (₨ 7,849 on saholic.com):

It is a small device with a 3.5 inch touch screen with HVGA (320 x 480 Pixels) resolution  and a 3 MP (megapixel) camera with video recording at the back which is not great but good enough for the price it is available at. This is a dual SIM (standby) device that supports 2 GSM SIM cards. The phone runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Samsung’s Touchwiz interface is layered on top of android that provides extra functionality. The phone runs on a 1 GHz processor and 512 MB RAM, is quite good for the price range, and a decent 1300mAh battery that is supposed to give 6 hours of talking and 120 hours of standby time. Phone comes with internal memory of a small 2GB but can be expanded to 32GB using SD card. The usual GPRS, EDGE, 3G, Wi-Fi, FM radio and GPS are supported and there is a music and a video player built in.

A good entry level phone from Samsung, that comes with added samsung software features and widely available customer service. Although not a great phone by itself, it is a good buy at the price it is available at for those who do not mind the small screen on this phone.

3. Micromax Canvas 2 A110 (₨ 9,999 on saholic.com):

Touching the upper edge of this price band is this dual SIM with a large 5 inch touchscreen with a low for its size resolution - FWVGA (854 x 480 pixels) and a large 2000mAh battery. It comes with the relatively older version of  Android - Android 4.04 Ice Cream Sandwich but makes up with other features such as the large screen, 8 MP front camera with flash and a 0.3MP front camera. 1 GHz dual core processor, 512 MB RAM, 2GB internal storage expandable to 32 GB make up the specs that are not too different from some of the other phones on the upper edge of this price range. There are quite a few large screened low proces phones from Micromax that have become quite popular recently, including the Micromax A101 and the Micromax Canvas 3D A115 (which has Android 4.1 Jelly Bean) with identical prices on Flipkart and features that are slightly different.  With the usual GPRS, EDGE, 3G, Wi-Fi, FM radio and GPS support, this phone can take on some of the phones in the higher price ranges as well.

Other Phones to consider in this category:

Samsung Galaxy Star (₨ 4,990 on flipkart.com): This is a very small phone (2.9 inch display) that comes with dual SIM (standby) facility, Android 4.1 and a 1GHz processor. This small device may be too small for a good smartphone experience, but if looking for a phone under Rs 5,000, this is one of the best options.

Samsung Galaxy Chat B5330  (₨ 5,999 on flipkart.com): Small screened phone running on the older Android 4.0, it comes with a physical QWERTY keypad for those requiring a physical keyboard.

Upcoming Phones to consider in this category:

There aren’t any indications that any noteworthy phones are to be launched in the near future in this price range, but a price cut expected on some of the slightly higher priced phones might bring them into this category. Samsung Galaxy Fame is one such phone mentioned in the 10,000-20,000 category in the description for the Samsung Galaxy S Duos.

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Be

st Android Smartphones in India in the price range 10,000 to 20,000 INR:

This is the mid-range category with some good phones from different companies, although nowhere close to the top end android phones available in the market. GPRS, EDGE, 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth are supported in all the phones from this category onwards.

1. Samsung Galaxy S Duos S7562 (₨ 11,799 on saholic.com):

This value for money dual SIM (with ability to use both SIMs at the same time)  phone comes 4 inch (800 x 480 pixels) touchscreen display and is designed along the lines of the higher end Galaxy S3 with the curved edges. The phone runs as older Android 4.0 with Samsung’s Touchwiz interface. Other specifications include a 1 GHz processor, Adreno 200 GPU, 768 MB RAM, 5MP camera with flash, 0.3 MP front camera, 1500mAh battery (around 12 hours of talk ing time on 2G and 8 hours on 3G) and 4GB memory expandable by 32GB using SD card. This is a very good phone for its price. Samsung Galaxy Fame is another phone at around the same price (Rs 10,900) and has Android 4.1, but the Samsung Galaxy S Duos has a bigger and better screen.

2. Micromax Canvas HD A116 (₨ 13,999 on saholic.com):

This is another large screened feature rich phone at a great price from Micromax.  The features include a large 5 inch touchscreen with HD resolution (1280x720 pixels), 8 MP camera with LED flash and a 2 MP front camera. The phone has  Android 4.1 Jelly Bean running on a 1.2GHz Quad-Core processor, 1GB RAM, 4GB internal memory expandable by 32GB using SD card and a good 2000mAh battery. Purely based on specifications, this phone can take on some of the higher priced phones from the established companies like Samsung and HTC. If the brand is not a factor, then this is one of the best phone in this price range.

3. Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos  (₨ 19,099 on saholic.com):

THe Galaxy Grand is a cheaper version of the popular Galaxy Note phones with dual SIM capabilities, but without the stylus and with worse hardware. It has a large 5.0 inch touchscreen but a comparatively low 800x480 pixels resolution. The phone comes with Android 4.1  with added Samsung Touchwiz interface that adds features such as the ability to display two apps at the same time. 1.2GHz dual core processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory expandable by 64GB and a massive 2100mAh battery make up the specifications. The phone also has an 8MP back camera with LED flash and a 2MP front camera. Although more costly than the Micromax Canvas HD, the Samsung brand and the added software features add to this phone’s attraction.

Other Phones to consider in this category:

HTC Desire X (₨ 14,900 on saholic.com):

This is a well designed good looking phone from HTC that doesn’t quite match up in all the features to the some of the other phoned in this category. This phone with a 4.0 inch (800 x 400 pixels) touchscreen display runs  Android 4.0 on a 1GHz dual core processor, Adreno 203 GPU, 768 MB RAM, 4GB internal memory expandable by 32GB and a 1650mAh battery. The Desire X has a 5MP back camera with LED flash but no front camera. This phone presents another decent option at this price range.

Samsung Galaxy Win or Galaxy Grand Quattro (₨ 16,499 on flipkart.com): Similar to the Galaxy Grand, but with a smaller 4.7 inch display, slightly different hardware and lacking some of the Grand’s software enhancements, this phone has dual SIM, 1.2GHz quad core processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory expandable by 32GB, 2000mAh battery, 5MP back camera with LED flash and a 0.3MP front camera. This phone is ideal for those looking for a smaller or cheaper version of the Galaxy Grand.

Upcoming Phones to consider in this category:

HTC Desire 600 is a phone that is rumoured to release in the future that might have some decent hardware and the additional software features of HTC Sense and Blinkfeed that in now available on the expensive HTC One.

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Best Android Smartphones in India in the price range 20,000 to 30,000 INR:

This is the category of phones that fall just below the premium high end phones. Most of the phones here belonged to the high end bracket even a few months ago, but have been pushed down due to the release of newer and better phones.

1. LG Google Nexus 4 - 16GB (₨ 25,990 on infibeam.com):

The latest Nexus phone has finally arrived in India. The phone can match the features of the higher priced phones in this range and as a Nexus phone it runs the latest Android 4.2 without any additional software and is expected to get software updates from Google as soon as they are available. The Nexus 4 has a 4.7 inch HD (1280x720) IPS+ display with the scratch resistant Gorilla glass, a fast 1.5GHz quad core Snapdragon S4pro processor with Adreno 302 GPU, an 8MP back camera with LED flash and a 1.3MP front camera. There is a good 2100mAh battery and 16GB memory (but no support for SD card) that supports wireless charging.  The phone has a micro SIM slot and comes with the usual 3G, GPRS, Edge, Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity along with NFC, DLNA support; but there is no built in FM support. This good looking and well designed premium phone comes at a very good price along with the added benefit of getting the latest software updates from Google.

2. Samsung Galaxy S3 (16GB) (₨ 27,500 on flipkart.com):

Samsung's previous flagship phone was one of the best Android phones of last year and the best selling high end Android smartphone until Samsung released Galaxy S4. With the release of the Galaxy S4, Samsung dropped the price of the Galaxy S3, making it one of the best phones at this price range. This this and sleek phone comes with a 4.8 inch HD (1280x720) brilliant super AMOLED display with Gorilla glass to prevent scratches, 1.4GHz quad core Exynos processor, Mali 400 GPU, 1 GB RAM, 2100 mAh battery, an 8MP back camera with LED flash and a 1.9 MP front camera for video calling. There is 16GB of internal memory expandable by up to 64 GB  in this model; another model with 32 GB internal memory is also available but at a higher price.  The phone comes with Android 4.0  (an upgrade to Android 4.2 is expected to be released) with Samsung’s Touchwiz interface that adds additional functionality such as the ability to play videos on top of other applications running in the background. 3G, GPRS, Edge, Bluetooth, WiFi, NFC, DLNA support is also there along with an FM radio. This phone is a proven success, it was the highest selling Smartphone in the world for some time having sold over 50 million units, and with the price drop, it is a very attractive option in this price range.

3. HTC One X+ S728e (64 GB) (₨ 28,899 on infibeam.com):

This is another top end phone from last year that has got a price cut with the release of newer models, in this case the HTC One. One of the best designed and best looking phones of last year, the HTC One X+ comes with a 4.7 inch HD (1280 x 720) display and runs Android 4.1 with HTC Sense interface on a 1.7 GHz quad core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, ULP Geforce GPU, 1 GB RAM, 64 GB internal memory (no SD card support), 8MP back camera with LED flash and a 1.6 MP front camera. It has 3G, GPRS, Edge, Bluetooth, WiFi, NFC and DLNA support. This is another great phone in this price range.

Other Phones to consider in this category:

Sony Ericsson Xperia SP (₨ 24,990 on saholic.com): This phone from Sony sits in the lower half of this range and has features similar to some of the other phones. It comes with 4.6 inch HD (1280 x 720) display and runs Android 4.1 with a 1.7 GHz dual core processor, Adreno 320 GPU, 1 GB RAM, 8 GB internal memory (expandable by 32 GB), 8MP back camera with LED flash and a 0.3 MP front camera  and a 2370 mAh battery.

HTC One X S720e (16GB) (₨ 24,999 on saholic.com): This phone is very similar to the HTC One X+, but comes with Android 4.0, a 1.5 GHz quad core and  16 GB internal memory (no SD card support) at a cheaper price.

Upcoming Phones to consider in this category:

Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy Mega range with two phones of screen size 5.8 inches and 6.3 inches very soon, but the pricing of the phones is not yet known. Those looking for a large screened phone might want to wait. Cheaper versions of Samsung Galaxy S4 are also rumoured, with a mini version and a rugged dust proof version with mid-range hardware being speculated to be launched in the future.

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Best Android Smartphones in India in the price range of above 30,000 INR:

These are the top end flagship phones from the different companies and the best Android phones available in India. These phones cost a lot and you may want to make sure that they are worth the money.

1. Samsung Galaxy S 4 (₨ 40,299 on flipkart.com):

One of the best phones available in the market, the Samsung Galaxy S4 has already sold over 10 million units within a month of its commercial release. The phone comes with the latest Android 4.2 and Samsung’s latest  Touchwiz interface that adds features such as the ability to view multiple apps at the same time, control the phone with gestures etc. The phone has top end hardware - a top notch 5 inch full HD (1920x1080) Super-AMOLED screen , an Exynos octa-core processor (1.6GHz quad+1.2GHz quad) with a separate GPU, 2GB RAM, 16GB memory ( expandable by up to 64 GB),  a 13MP camera with flash and a 2MP front camera along with a good 2600mAh battery. The phone has FM Radio, 3G, GPRS, Edge, WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC and DLNA support. This thin and light phone is definitely one of the best and most popular smartphones around.

2. HTC One (₨ 42,900 on saholic.com):

HTC One is an upcoming phone, already available for pre-ordering in India. One of the major attractions of the phone is its design and look - this phone has a full metal body with no gaps and a beautiful 4.7 inch full HD (1920x1080) display and speakers in the front. HTC One comes with Android 4.1 with HTC Sense Blinkfeed interface running on a 1.7GHz quad core Snapdragon 600 processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB internal memory (not expandable) and a 2300mAh battery. HTC One has an ultrapixel camera (around 4MP, but the size of each pixel is bigger than that on other phones, allowing better functioning in low light conditions) with flash and a 2.1MP front camera. 3G, GPRS, Edge, WiFi, DLNA, Bluetooth, NFC  are all supported. HTC One is a good option for anyone looking for a high end Android phone with great build quality and looks.

3. Sony Xperia Z (₨ 37,990 on infibeam.com):

Sony’s flagship Android smartphone boasts of hardware to rival the top smartphones around along with a rugged design that is supposed to be water and dust resistant. The solid and thin Xperia Z comes with an impressive 5 inch full HD (1920x1080) display and runs Android 4.1  overlaid with Sony’s Timescape interface running on a 1.5GHz quad core Snapdragon S4pro processor with Adreno 320 GPU and 2 GB RAM. Other hardware features include a 13MP back camera with flash, a 2 MP front camera, 16GB memory ( expandable by up to 32 GB) and a 2330 mAh battery. The phone supports 3G, GPRS, Edge, WiFi, DLNA, Bluetooth, NFC and FM radio. This phone presents another good option for those who prefer Sony or a phone that is water and dust resistant.

Other Phones to consider in this category:

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (16GB) (₨ 34,999 on saholic.com) : Another popular phone from Samsung in the Galaxy Note series, which comes with a stylus (or S-Pen) and a large display (5.55 inch HD (1280x720) Super AMOLED). The Note 2 runs Android 4.1 and Samsung’s Touchwiz interface that adds software features such as multi-tasking and multi-window support and special features to use the S-Pen stylus. This phone was released in 2012, because of which some of the hardware is not as good as some of the other high end phones and more similar to the Samsung Galaxy S3. However, the phone is still a great option for anyone looking for a large phone or one with a stylus.

Sony Xperia ZL (₨ 33,199 on saholic.com): Almost all the features are the same as the Sony Xperia Z, but this phone is not Water or Dust resistant and has a lower price tag.

Upcoming Phones to consider in this category:

An even more rugged version of the Sony Xperia Z, named the Xperia ZR,  is expected to be released soon that is supposed to be waterproof and not just water resistant. Although there are no conformations yet, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is expected to be released in the second half of 2013 as an upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. That release might not happen until September, so there is no reason to hold off from buying the Note 2 right now.