I was waiting for this day since months. Just a few months ago writing about the best android mobile below 5k was no more than just a thought. Thanks to the Indian mobile companies, this thought has now turned into reality.
First of all, what you pay is what you get. So if you are buying an Android phone just for Rs 5000, don’t expect much. Go for them only if this is going to be your first Android gadget. As a smart buyer you should always ensure that you get maximum punch for the money you spend.
The whole motive of this story is to decide which Android mobile is the best option if you want to invest around Rs. 5000 for it. We will pick all the available options one by one and discuss about their specs and weak points.
Android mobiles below 5k
1. Micromax Andro A60 : Rs. 3990
Micromax Andro A60 was the first Android device launched by any Indian company. As of now it’s the cheapest android mobile in India available under Rs. 4000. User reviews regarding this phone is moderate and we have heard some bad reviews regarding its battery and touch screen performance.
Specifications:
- 2.8 inch, 320 x 240 px, 62K Colors, Resistive Touchscreen
- 3.2 Mega Pixels Camera with Auto Focus
- Android 2.1 (Éclair)
- CPU: 600 Mhz
- Internal Memory : 150 MB, expandable up to: 32 GB
Weak Points:
- Obsolete version of Android
- Poor Battery backup
- Poor touch sensitivity
- Users face frequently automatic restart issues after some days
- 65k colors are way too low for an Android gadget
2. Maxx MA440 : Rs. 4099
A better screen than the above listed Micromax A60. Getting an Android with capacitive touchscreen at this price is definitely a great bargain. However, Its still sticked to the old Android 2.1 which is definitely a big deal breaker.
Specifications:
- 3.1 inch, 400 x 240 px, Capacitive Touchscreen
- Dual Sim
- 3.2 Mega Pixels Camera
- Android 2.1 (Éclair)
- CPU: 600 Mhz
- Internal Memory : 90 MB, expandable up to: 32 GB
Weak Points:
- Obsolete version of Android
- Very low internal memory
3. Karbonn A1 : Rs. 4545
Karbonn is promoting this product on tv a lot these days. Karbonn A1 is in many terms better than the Micromax A60. Better looks and later version of Android OS makes it a better deal. But mind you, resistive will ruin out the enjoyment of Android completely.
Specifications:
- 2.8 inch, 320 x 240 px, 262K Colors, Resistive Touchscreen
- 3.2 Mega Pixels Camera
- Android 2.2 (Froyo)
- CPU: 600 Mhz
- Internal Memory : 150 MB, expandable up to: 32 GB
Weak Points:
- No Secondary camera
- Poor camera
- Poor Audio Quality
- Battery drains up quickly while playing games or media stuffs
4. Micromax Bling 2 A55 : Rs. 4499
An Android phone exclusively for girls. Embedded with swarovski and other fancy stuffs, it looks pretty cool. Stay away if you are guy.
Specifications:
- 2.8-inch, 320 x 240 px, 262K Colors, Capacitive Touchscreen
- 3.0 Mega Pixels Camera
- Android 2.2 (Froyo)
- CPU: 600 Mhz
- Internal Memory : 150 MB, expandable up to: 32 GB
Weak Points:
- No Secondary
- Average camera
- Girlish design
5. Spice MI 280: Rs. 5,123
Spice Mi 280 is the latest entrant to this super cheap Android club and is also the cheapest Android 2.3 mobile in India. It packs almost every feature you can desire in an entry level Android mobile. The only negative is the very low amount of color on the screen which make the texts appear as washed out in some cases (especially in apps). Otherwise its damn perfect 5K Android device.
Specifications:
- 2.8 inch 320 x 240 px 65k TFT Capacitive Touchscreen
- Dual SIM (GSM+GSM)
- Android 2.3 Gingerbread
- 3.2 Megapixel Camera
- VGA Front camera for video calling
- CPU: 650 MHz, GPU – Equivalent to 200MHz (??? probably its Adreno 200)
- Internal Memory: 140 MB, expandable up to 32GB
Weak points:
- 65k colors are way too low for an Android gadget
- Poor camera performance
6. iBall Andi : Rs. 5534
iBall Andi could have been the best option here if it had a better processor. It doesn’t look cheap at all. Buy it if you aren’t buying Android to play heavy games and apps (btw if this the case, why you are even thinking to buy an Android).
Specifications:
- 3.2 inch TFT Capacitive Touchscreen
- Dual SIM (GSM+GSM)
- Android 2.2 Froyo
- 3.0 Megapixel Camera
- CPU: Arm 9 416 MHz
- Expandable up to 32GB
Weak points:
- Too slow processor, hangs if you run more that 3-4 apps at a time
I am intentionally excluding a couple of phones from Alcatel e.g. OT906, OT980D etc as I guess there specs are too low to be considered here.
A few noticeable fact about the android mobiles available for around 5K are that all are offered by Indian (read Chinese) brands, none of them have a good camera and we couldn’t get any complete mobile at this price point. If one has a good screen, the processor is bad or if it has a good processor than the Android version is outdated.
Spice MI280 is definitely very close to completeness, but the poor screen ruins the charm up to some extent.
To be very frank, at this point of time I really don’t want to give a conclusion about which is the best among all. Would like to hear what you think. Please express your views through comments so that we could decide over the best one.
Hi,
I need android with dual sim within Rs.5500 with good camera, speed,video and doesnt hang. kindly suggent which one is good.???
HI.
Im a student of class 9 and i want to buy a new cellphone..iam confused between spice mi-280 and samsung champ deluxe duos. So kindly suggest me which one is better for me and if there is any other more better then these kindly suggest me
Hi Ashwini
I am abt to purchase a new phone btw the range of 10 to13k
it should be latest one with all features and value for money also
can u pls help me with which one should i go
m looking for sony xperia mini and htc wildfire and samsung ace
pls lemme now which is good one. suggest any other also if have any
thanks
hii u go for Galaxy Ace. Best among 3 phones which u mentioned
thnks vivek
Think about Sony Ericsson Xperia Live with walkman, if it fits in your budget. Else go for Mini.
Other phones you have mentioned are already outdated.
thanks
m was planning for samsung ace how it is…??
i heard that samsung is launching certain new phones in this month
should i wait for that…???
hiiiii….i m using samsung ace….i wl give it 5 star….its hv everything which is needed…so’ go for it undoubtly
hiii… i want ur review on 2 android phone which r lg vortex and lg ally . and also what do u think of spice mi 270 and mi 300.
Sir, my spice mi-280 automatically restart i have visited 5 times to service centre after that also i am facing this problem.I purchased my mobile on 16/02/12.Now suggest me what to do?
hi,ashwini.gr8 work.i want to gift someone a tab under 10k.pz suggest me since m not familiar with the features.hp u would help me soon…….xnks