Best Phones Under 7000: The Best Mobiles Under Rs. 7,000 (July 2019 Edition)

Until just a few years ago, the affordable smartphone market in India was dominated by the local brands with phones offering not-so-great experience, but the situation is completely different now. Thanks to the entry to various Chinese and Taiwanese smartphone makers, the consumers no longer have to struggle to find a budget phone that can provide decent experience under Rs. 7,000. The likes of Xiaomi, Realme, Asus, and Infinix currently sell a number of good phones in this price bracket.

In this article, we have compiled our top picks among the phones priced under Rs. 7,000. Like always, every smartphone listed below has gone through our rigorous review process. If you have a budget over Rs. 7,000, don't forget to check out our guides on best phones below Rs. 8,000, best phones under Rs. 10,000, and best phones under Rs. 15,000.

Here's a look at our top picks for best mobiles under Rs. 7,000.

Best mobile phones under 7,000 in India

Phones under Rs. 7,000	Gadgets 360 rating (out of 10)	Price in India (as recommended)
Realme C2	7	Rs. 6,999
Asus ZenFone Max M1	7	Rs. 6,999
Redmi 7A	7	Rs. 6,199
Infinix Note 5	7	Rs. 6,999
Infinix Smart 3 Plus	7	Rs. 6,999
Nokia 6.1	8	Rs. 6,999

 

Realme C2

Realme C1 had long been a part of this guide and now, Realme C2, the phone's successor, is making its way to the best phones under Rs. 7,000. The Realme C2 improves on its predecessor in a number of areas, including design, software, and performance. The smartphone is quite a looker and provides average performance. While we didn't notice any major performance issues in our review, the phone did show a hint of lag while pulling down the notification shade.

The battery life is the biggest strength of smartphone and the phone went on for 20 hours and 29 minutes in our HD video loop test. The presence of the new ColorOS 6 with Android 9 Pie is also a welcome sight. The phone's imaging capabilities is one area where Realme C2 disappoints.

In our review, we liked the photos we took with the Realme C2 in daylight, however the phone wasn't able to capture sufficient detail about objects at a distance. We also found that the Realme C2 wasn't consistent with getting the exposure right.

Realme sells three storage variants of the C2 – 2GB + 16GB, 2GB + 32GB, and 3GB + 32GB – however, only the 2GB RAM variants are available under Rs. 7,000.

 

Asus ZenFone Max M1

Although Asus ZenFone Max M1 was launched with a price tag of Rs. 8,999 in October last year, a recent price cut has made the smartphone significantly more affordable. This budget phone from Asus sports a design that may feel a bit dated to some as notches and hole-punch designs have become commonplace these days, but thanks to its decent overall performance and good battery life, the ZenFone Max M1 is a good option for anyone looking for buy a new smartphone under Rs. 7,000.

The smartphone packs an older processor in the form of Snapdragon 430, but that doesn't impact its real world performance. In our review, we found the phone to be capable of providing lag-free experience. The one area where the phone does disappoint is the low-light imaging. While the Asus ZenFone Max M1 takes good photos in daylight, its camera struggles to capture decent quality shots in poor lighting.

Asus ZenFone Max M1 lasted for around 11 hours and 32 minutes in our HD video loop test, which isn't amazing, but it is decent for this price bracket.

Asus is selling just one storage variant of the phone in the country with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage.

 

Redmi 7A

The Redmi 7A (Review) is one Xiaomi's most affordable smartphones and it also is one of the best phones under Rs. 7,000. It improves on the Redmi 6A in many ways, but a couple of things stand out. This is one of the very few smartphones to ship with a two-year warranty. Secondly, the pricing of the higher variant of the Redmi 7A is just Rs. 200 more than the base variant, so you don't have to shell out a big sum if you want 32GB storage instead of 16GB.

The Redmi 7A is a decent looking smartphone and it's good to hold thanks to the matte finish on the back. The speaker is on the base of the Redmi 7A, which is an improvement over the Redmi 6A's speaker placement on the back panel. The Redmi 7A's performance is pretty good for the price, but we did notice that apps took a little longer to launch. Multitasking was smooth as long as games are not running in the background. The phone runs light games such as Temple Run pretty well but don't expect a smooth experience while playing graphics intensive games such as PUBG Mobile.

Redmi 7A's battery life is pretty good. The phone lasted 14 hours and 47 minutes in our HD video loop test, and with regular usage we were able to make its battery last for well over a day. MIUI 10 has a host of nifty features but is plagued by several annoying ads that aren't easy to disable.

The 12-megapixel rear camera of the Redmi 7A captures decent photos in daylight but it performs poorly in low light. Its camera suffers from inconsistent focus lock and shutter lag too.

The Redmi 7A's pricing is Rs. 5,999 for the 2GB RAM, 16GB storage variant, and Rs. 6,199 for the 2GB RAM, 32GB storage variant. We ran out of space pretty quickly on the base variant and that's why we suggest that you purchase the 32GB variant.

 

Infinix Note 5

Another new addition to our top phones under Rs. 7,000 list, Infinix Note 5 is a slightly older smartphone, but it is still a good candidate in this price segment. The phone was launched starting at Rs. 9,999 back in August last year, but thanks to a recent price cut, the Infinix Note 5 is now available at Rs. 6,999 for the base variant. In our review, we found the Infinix phone to be capable of delivering a usable performance and the phone also provides decent battery life. Infinix Note 5 ran for 9 hours and 40 minutes in our HD video loop test.

The phone's display is another positive and is among the best screens that you will find in this budget. As the phone is based on the Android One platform, it comes with stock Android, which is helpful with the phone's performance. The onboard 12-megapixel primary shooter is average and the photos taken in daylight and good lighting conditions exhibited mixed results and the low-light photos lacked details.

Infinix offers two variants of the Infinix Note 5 in the country right now – 3GB + 32GB and 4GB + 64GB, however only the 3GB RAM variant is available in this price bracket.

 

Infinix Smart 3 Plus

The Smart 3 Plus is another Infinix phone worth considering in this price segment, especially if the camera and battery life are two most important features for you. It is the only smartphone in this segment to house a triple rear camera setup, which allows the phone to take good photos. In our review, we found the daylight photos taken from the phone generally turned out good, especially close-up shots. Colours look natural and gradients were also captured with a good amount of detail. The presence of a low-light sensor helps in the night time photography but the photos include a lot of noise and graininess.

Infinix Smart 3 Plus' battery life is also good and the phone ran for 14 hours and 57 minutes in our HD video loop test. The general performance of the smartphone is, however, disappointing because of the limited around of RAM. We faced a lot of lag and stutters on the phone. It also struggled with heavy apps and games. The presence of bloatware is also issue with the smartphone.

Infinix only sells one variant of the Smart 3 Plus in the country with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage.

 

Nokia 6.1

Nokia 6.1 is a great smartphone, despite being launched in India in April 2018. After multiple price cuts, it's available now at Rs. 6,999 in India, which means it now offers exceptional value for money. In our Nokia 6.1 review, we found the smartphone to be packing exceptional build quality. The phone also impressed us with its performance and battery life. It handled everyday tasks with ease and didn't show any sluggishness with even heavy games. The Nokia 6.1 lasted for 11 hours and 45 minutes in our HD video loop test.

While the Nokia 6.1 captures good photos in decent lighting conditions, the camera performance takes a dip in low light situations. Shots taken after dark have a fair bit of noise and lack detail.

Nokia sells two variants of Nokia 6.1 in the country – 3GB + 32GB and 4GB + 64GB, however you will only find the 3GB RAM variant under Rs. 7,000.

Best mobile phones under 7,000 - bonus pick

 

Lenovo K9

If you can wait for the next promotion at your favourite e-retailer, Lenovo K9 is another smartphone that you can consider. While it is currently being sold starting at Rs. 7,999, it is often available at just Rs. 6,999 online. The phone packs an eye-catching design, though a little dated and it comes with clean user interface. Lenovo K9's performance is decent, but during our review, we did see some stuttering in heavy apps.

The smartphone's battery life is good and it lasted for 11 hours and 22 minutes in our HD video loop test. One area where the K9 struggles is its camera performance. We got mixed results from the phone's cameras and the colours on the captured photos were a bit dull and washed out.

Lenovo only offers one variant of the K9 – 3GB + 32GB in the country.