If you are in the market to buy your first smartphone, chances are, you have a budget of Rs. 10,000. So, what do you get in this budget? well, a lot actually. As technology continues to become cheaper with each passing month, features such as 13MP rear cameras, Full HD displays, fingerprint sensors have started to make their way in this segment. But, which phone to buy?. Here is our list of the best mobile phones under Rs 10,000 in India for March 2016 across different brands. These top 10 budget smartphones priced around Rs 10,000 are based on Android and Windows Operating System which offer the best combination of features, performance and quality for a phone buyer whose budget is under Rs 10,000.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3

The 16GB version of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 priced at Rs. 9,999 in India is the best smartphone to buy under Rs. 10,000 in India. It offers the best performance and batterylife of all smartphones below Rs. 10,000 that are currently available in India.

Meizu M2 Note

Meizu’s M2 Note is now almost six months old now, but it is still the best phones to buy in the sub-10K smartphone segment. This is solely because, it is the best optimised smartphone in this price. It may not have the best camera or the best performance but unlike other phones in this segment, it does not compromise on either in favour of the other and that’s what makes it better. It performs consistently across all gaugeable parameters. The only thing it lacks is a fingerprint sensor but we can expect Meizu to address that issue in the next iteration. Did we mention, it has a stellar camera?

Coolpad Note 3

Coolpad Note 3 is the best performing phone in the sub-10K smartphone segment. You won’t go wrong with this phone when buying a phone under a budget of Rs. 10,000. Featuring an octa-core MediaTek MT6753 SoC and 3GB of RAM inside, the phone is able to outperform every other phone in almost all synthetic benchmarks. The Meizu M2 Note also uses the same SoC but it slightly better optimised and hence it is placed a step above. However, the Coolpad Note 3 scores points on the superfast fingerprint sensor and an astoundingly good battery which is able to last more than 10 hour on a single charge.

Motorola Moto G (3rd gen)

The humble Moto G (3rd gen) reserves its spot at fourth position for its best in class software support and best in class optimization. Even though the phone uses yesteryear’s Snapdragon 410 SoC, thanks to Motorola optimization, the phone performs better than most of the phones out there. The Moto G (3rd gen) boasts a very good display and is the only phone in the sub-10k category to offer water resistant capabilities. However, the best part of the phone is its UI which is clean and almost unadulterated Android. Motorola phones always get the latest Android update before any other phone from any other phone manufacturer and that’s what makes it a good proposition.

Lenovo K3 Note

Lenovo K3 Note is a generation older now but, it is still a good phone to buy. It is powered by an octa-core SoC which makes the whole user experience across the phone quite smooth. Gaming does push the phone towards the edge but unless you are running some heavy games, you won’t feel much of a difference. Movie watching experience on the phone is great as the K3 Note features a very good display which is further aided by Dolby Atmos optimization.

Asus Zenfone 2 Laser

Asus Zenfone 2 Laser is the best camera phone you can buy in a budget of Rs. 10,000. The phone has a 13MP rear camera which is assisted by laser autofocus making the phone quite fast in focusing and taking pictures. However, the rest of the phone, with its Snapdragon 410, 2GB RAM and a 5.5-inch 720p display is just good, not the best. Although, if camera is your priority you won’t go wrong with the Asus Zenfone 2 laser 5.5.

Meizu M2

The Meizu M2 is quite simply one of the best phones one can buy in the sub-7K smartphone category. Just like the M2 Note, it is able to perform quite consistently across all measurable parameters. It uses the same SoC as the Coolpad Note 3 Lite and thus offers a similar performance. For the price, the camera is equally good and has a very dependable battery life. it is also one of the most good looking phones in the sub-10K category. We wish it had a fingerprint scanner as well.

Acer Liquid Z630s

Acer has been making Android phones for quite some time now but the company’s hasn’t seen much success. However, the Acer Liquid Z630s brings a welcome change. Powered by a MediaTek MT6753 SoC, the phone is able to perform consistently whether you watching youtube or playing Modern Combat 5. There is 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage which is more than enough for your storage requirements. There is one drawback though, there is only an 8MP camera at the back which takes decent pictures but not as good as the 13MP ones used by the competition.

Micromax Canvas Pulse 4G

Micromax is well known brand among budget buyers and the Canvas Pulse 4G is just one of the reasons why it such a popular brand. The Canvas Pulse 4G is a very good looking phone and the only phone in our top ten to offers a metal outer frame. The phone boasts a good display and a very commendable performance, courtesy of the octa-core MediaTek SoC inside. However, the phone has an average battery life and a decent camera.