Don't fuck with muscle memory unless you really have no other choice
Don't change brands of the phone if you have been using them for long.
Of course with so many changes it becomes hard to not brand-hop but even if you do make sure you note down deal-breakers that you won't live withouot in other brands like Dual Apps for all apps or Call Recording.
However, if you a very very very strong reason to do so or have not yet formed much of a muscle memory with one phone anyways or are using a Pixel Device(Google loves fucking up muscle memory so you might actually want to changeg brands just out of sheer frustration and it's completely understandable)
6/128 should be the bare minimum for any Android phone now-a-days
6GB "Real" RAM & 128GB Internal Storage should be the bare minimum at any price point
Android is becoming bloated and bloated and anything less than this is simply not usable when you have installed a few apps on them
Actually I wanted to say more than 256GB as internal but in the under 10k range there aren't much phones with this.
Brand Specific
5G Bands India
Excel Sheet
2024 bidding
Samsung
Pros:
Neutral:
Cons:
As a general rule, cheap Samsung phones aren't great and they don't last long.
In the recent years, "A series has become the new M series, and M series has become tatti/shit."
Infinix
Pros:
Cheap Repair Parts and transparent prices online under CarlCare Services.
Neutral:
Cons:
Bloatware that can be disabled/removed but with every update they putt more shit so it's hard to recommend to someone not tech savvy.
Service can be hit or miss. In Janakpuri Delhi, I had the worst experience where they completely killed a phone which could have been revived.
Recommended Phones
<₹7000 Poco C71 6/128 → Cheap Usable Android 4G Phone in Aug 2025 finalized
My biggest concern is the ram/cpu/storage limitations that might make the phone sluggish and freezing to a point that it just needs to be thrown away. That's my biggest concern in this price range.
Dropped/Checking Contenders:
The Poco C75 5G 4/64 looks like the cheapest 5G Phone for just a bit more at Rs.7700. THe only problem is knowing MI and their bloated OS anything below 6GB is usually not recommended so I am looking for reviews of this phone from someone who actually got the 4/64 version.
The Motorola g05 4/64 although being clean android and 4GB might even be enough on it, the 64GB Storage will again fill up very quickly. However looking into this phone nonetheless but knowing it's Motorola, they like to cut coreners in very useful and weird places so will have to check this one complete detail before considering this.
Lava Bold N1 Pro: I thought the RAM would be an issue but it was actullay the CPU. 150k Antutu score was terrible seven years ago, so no point it getting it now.
Confused about Ai+ Pulse 4/64→ On one hand a usable 6/128 phone is just Rs.1500 away on the other hand it's ~30% more money.
I guess one of my major concern is that if something goes wrong as reviews have said, who will I contact. That's what I am unclear on and looking into right now.
Even though there are service centres I am still unwilling to give a 64GB Storage phone to anyone as I have seen them filling up very quickly on Android, so dropping this also.
Dropped the Ai+ Pulse 6/128 only because there were other established brand phone with similar specs in this exact price.
They keep pushing bloatware with aggressive updates hence unwilling to give to an older person Infinix Smart 10 for Rs.6800 is another phone which looks okay.
Update: Dropped it due to low performance in even day to day tasks, might be the Samsung Skin might be the CPU but it's not worth getting. I am very very skeptical about cheap Samsung phones and hence trying to stay away from Samsung Galaxy M05
I don't want to sound like a crying baby and that's the reason I have stopped talking about Iqoo Z9s Pro 5G which suffers from a lot more troubles like slowdowns in normal day to day usages and takes so damn long to open everything that I can't distinguish it from a phone costing half...
Anyways, as I was saying here are the devices that I have actually been very happy with:
Xiaomi's Redmi Pad for 12k→ Very happy with this device for the price I paid for it. For education it's the best when I just prop it up and use it for learning something but also as a multimedia device. The display, sound and the basic workings are just excellent.
Infinix Hot 30 5G→ Needed a phone urgently for sister because she was about to leave Bangalore and her phone was having issues. Ordered this IPS phone and this has to be the best IPS display I have seen in a device, also the battery life is pretty good. I am not talking about standby hours but actual usage hours. This phone has to be the best surprise phone I ever got.
Infinix Zero 20→ What a phone! Those amazing speakers, that DCI-P3 display and the best stabilized camera I have seen in any phone. Used to do cycling livestreams with it and it only stopped after I basically smashed this phone on the ground(accidentally).
Realme P1 5G → I didn't like this for some personal reasons but Dad loves it. It's a pretty significant upgrade over his old Redmi Note 10 Pro and as a normal phone it checks all boxes.
RECOMMENDED AT THE GIVEN PRICE - ni6hant
AMOLED+5G+Decent Camera | Realme P1 5G→ ₹17k -8/256GB | A: F: https://fkrtt.it/c_CTQTk2t5JCk72Wq
Cameras too good | Motorola Edge 50 Fusion 5G→ ₹23k -12/256GB | A: F: https://fkrtt.it/c_S5RzZKcz2Dxw3Zc
NOT 100% Recommended or Under Review
| Iqoo Z9x 5G→ ₹14.5k -8/128GB | A: https://amzn.to/3ULMm4TF:
| Realme P1 5G→ ₹15k -6/128GB | A: F: https://fkrtt.it/c_CTQTk2t5JCk72Wq
NOT RECOMMENDED AT ALL
720p screen NOT ANYMORE | Itel P55 5G→ ₹10.7k -6/GB | A: https://amzn.to/3UQ2kv7F:
Basic features missing | Poco M6 Pro 5G→ ₹11.5k -8/256GB | A: F: https://fkrtt.it/c_qfYqdR02JwBJm9J
Just get a better one | Realme P1 Pro 5G→ ₹21k -8/256GB | A: F: https://fkrtt.it/c_w3g4ZTCp11gbfJR
720p screen NOT ANYMORE | Moto G34 5G→ ₹12k -8/128GB | A: F: https://fkrtt.it/c_dB0gnkQG41avKta
Basic features missing | → ₹0k -/GB | A: F:
720p screen NOT ANYMORE | Redmi 13c 5G→ ₹13.3k -8/256GB | A: F: https://fkrtt.it/c_mYr5xdY6Tgqh453
Nothing of a good Value anymore | Infinix Zero 20→ ₹18k -8/128GB | A: F: https://fkrtt.it/c_5zAgATDhYt4ZYLC
