The 10 Best Smartphones Under 25,000 Rupees

[Umair Malik]

If you’re in the market for a new phone, there are a lot of options available – specially for the budget conscious crowd. The entry of Chinese manufacturers and established ones renewing the focus on entry level smartphones means consumers are spoiled for choice.

For some though, that adds a lot of confusion to the process of selecting a new phone to purchase. Fear not, we’ve done the work and have selected the top 10 smartphones under Rs 25,000 that you should consider buying.

A short introduction of the phone, followed by the reasons to consider and the specifications follow. As always, if you feel there is a phone that deserves a mention, feel free to post in the comments below.

@ProPakistani

[Umair Malik]

Alcatel OneTouch X1

Alcatel recently entered the Pakistani market, bringing great budget phones with them.

The Alcatel X1 sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor with 2 GB of RAM. The OS is a simplistic Android 5.1.1 Lollipop with no skins on top of it, which is a major plus point. It features a 13 megapixel back camera with a dual tone flash and a 5mp front camera with ultra pixel technology and an LED flash.

Reasons to consider:

New brand
Looks wise it beats all the other phones aside from Huawei’s Honor 5X.
EyeVerify biometric hands free unlocking system to unlock your phone with just a glance
Alcatel OneTouch X1 Specifications

CPU: 1.0 + 1.4 Ghz octa-core Cortex A53
GPU: Adreno 405
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 415
OS: Android 5.1 Lollipop
Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE Cat4
GSM: 850/900/1800/1900
UMTS: 850/900/1900/2100
LTE: 1/3/7/8/20
Display:
5” AMOLED display with HD (1280 x 720) resolution
2.5D Dragontrail front glass
Memory:
RAM: 2 GB
Internal: 16 GB
Card slot: yes, up to 128 GB
Camera:
Primary: 13 MP, autofocus, Dual tone LED Flash, video 1080p @30fps
Secondary: 5 MP Ultra pixel camera with LED flash
Connectivity: Bluetooth v4.0, LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot, GPS with A-GPS
Battery: Lithium Ion 2150 mAh
Price: Rs. 23,490
Colors: Black, Silver

[Umair Malik]

Alcatel Idol 3

Alcatel X1’s bigger more powerful alternative, the Idol 3 offers better specifications at the expense of X1’s superior design.

Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 with 2 GB of RAM, it won’t slow down for general everyday tasks while providing entry level gaming experience. Like the X1, it features a 13MP back camera with an LED flash and can record 1080p video @30fps. The front camera is an 8MP shooter which can also record videos at 1080p.

Reasons to consider:

Reversible interface allows usage while upside down unlike other phones which don’t.
Dual front speaker setup with JBL audio with Clari-Fi technology
NFC
Alcatel Idol 3 Specifications

CPU: 1.0 + 1.5 Ghz octa-core Cortex A53
GPU: Adreno 405
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 615
OS: Android v5.0.2 Lollipop, upgradeable to v6.0.1 Marshmallow
Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE Cat4
GSM: 850/900/1800/1900
UMTS: 850/900/1900/2100
LTE: 1/3/7/8/20
Display:
5.5” IPS LCD display with FullHD (1920 x 1080) resolution
Memory:
RAM: 2 GB
Internal: 16GB/32GB (dual sim only)
Card slot: yes, up to 256 GB (single sim model)
Camera:
Primary: 13 MP, autofocus, video 1080p @30fps
Secondary: 8 MP
Connectivity: Bluetooth v4.1 A2DP, LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n dual band, hotspot, GPS with A-GPS, NFC
Battery: Non Removable Lithium Ion 2910 mAh
Price: Rs. 24,490 (dual sim 32 GB variant)
Colors: Dark grey, soft gold, metallic silver

[Umair Malik]

Lenovo Vibe S1

Lenovo’s phones are also officially available in Pakistan and not limited to online retailers. The Vibe S1 is a good midrange smartphone and the MediaTek chip in it offers a performance similar to the Snapdragon 615.

Like the Alcatel X1, Lenovo Vibe S1 Lite also has a 13 MP rear camera with a dual tone LED flash with 1080p@30fps video recording. The front has an 8MP camera with an LED flash as well.

Reasons to consider:

Screen with highest pixel density in the list at 441 ppi
One of the most powerful System on Chips in the list with Mediatek MT 6753
Lenovo Vibe S1 Specifications

CPU: 1.3 Ghz octa-core Cortex A53
GPU: Mali-T760MP2
Chipset: Mediatek MT6753
OS: Android v5.1 Lollipop
Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE Cat4
GSM: 850/900/1800/1900
UMTS: 850/900/1900/2100
LTE band 1/3/4/7/5/8/20/38/40/41
Display:
5” IPS LCD display with FullHD (1920 x 1080) resolution
Memory:
RAM: 2 GB
Internal: 16GB
Card slot: Yes, upto 128GB
Camera:
Primary: 13 MP f/2.2, phase detection autofocus, dual tone LED flash video 1080p @30fps
Secondary: 8 MP f/2.2, 1/3.2″, 1.4µm pixel size LED flash
Connectivity: Bluetooth v4.0, A2DP, LE, LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot, GPS with A-GPS
Battery: Non Removable Li-Po 2700 mAh
Price: Rs. 23,990
Colors: Matte white, matte blue

[Umair Malik]

Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus

The cheaper alternative to the S1 lite, the K5 plus offers similar specifications but for a smaller price tag.

It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 and has 2 GB of RAM to hold your stuff. The back camera is largely similar with a midrange standard 13MP rear facing camera with an LED flash and a 5MP front camera. The display on this phone is also very similar to the Lenovo Vibe S1 lite, with a 5 inch 1080p (1920 x 1080) panel.

Reasons to consider:

Screen tied with Vibe S1 for pixel density
Dolby Audio
Removable/Replaceable battery
Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus Specifications

CPU: 1.5 Ghz quad-core A53 + 1.2 Ghz quad-core Cortex A53
GPU: Adreno 405
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 616
OS: Android v5.1 Lollipop
Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE Cat4
GSM: 850/900/1800/1900
UMTS: 850/900/1900/2100
LTE bands unknown
Display:
5” IPS LCD display with FullHD (1920 x 1080) resolution
Memory:
RAM: 2 GB
Internal: 16GB
Card slot: Yes, upto 32GB
Camera:
Primary: 13 MP ,autofocus, LED flash video 1080p @30fps
Secondary: 5 MP
Connectivity: Bluetooth v4.1, A2DP, LE, LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot, GPS with A-GPS
Battery: Removable Li-Ion 2750 mAh
Price: Rs. 20,990
Colors: Silver, Gold

[Umair Malik]

HTC Desire 728

One of HTC’s sparse midrange phones, the Desire 728 also follows the industry standards of a midrange phone but with the caveat of a lower resolution 5.5 inch screen. However, it’s the only phone in this list that uses a Super LCD 2 display.

The rest is midrange standard with a 13 MP rear camera and a 5 MP front camera, with Android v5.1.1 Lollipop with HTC’s Sense UI on top. The Sense UI is the major differentiating feature for HTC against other midrangers.

Reasons to consider:

Best camera on the list in terms of overall quality
Sense UI is the most stable and fastest ones compared with other Android skins.
The only one with a Super LCD 2 screen
HTC Desire 728 Specifications

CPU: 1.3 Ghz octa-core Cortex A53
GPU: Mali-T720MP3
Chipset: Mediatek MT6753
OS: Android v5.1.1 Lollipop with Sense UI
Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE Cat4
GSM: 850/900/1800/1900
LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 28(700), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500)
Display:
5.5” SLCD 2 display with HD (1280x 720) resolution
Memory:
RAM: 2 GB
Internal: 16GB
Card slot: Yes, upto 256GB
Camera:
Primary: 13 MP, f/2.2, 28mm, autofocus, LED flash, video: 1080p @30fps
Secondary: 5 MP, f/2.8, 34mm, video: 1080p @30fps
Connectivity: Bluetooth v4.1, A2DP, LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, hotspot, GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS
Battery: Non Removable Li-Po 2800 mAh
Price: Rs. 20,990
Colors: White, Black

[Umair Malik]

Samsung Galaxy J7

The Samsung Galaxy J7 has a 5.5 inch 720p (1280 x 720) resolution AMOLED screen.

It comes in two different SoC packages, one with a Snapdragon 615 chipset, and the other with Samsung’s own Exynos 7580 chipset. It does have NFC but only in the Snapdragon version.

Note: Official Pakistani version of J7 does not have 4G LTE, online retailers may have both 3G only and 4G LTE versions available.

Reasons to consider:

Bigger battery compared with most other phones in the list.
NFC (snapdragon model)
Best AMOLED panel in terms of color depth and quality
Samsung Galaxy J7 Specifications

CPU: 1.4 Ghz quad-core Cortex A53 + 1.0 Ghz quad-core Cortex A53 (Snapdragon version) 1.5 Ghz Octa core unknown chip (Exynos)
GPU: Adreno 405 (Snapdragon) Mali-T720MP2 (Exynos)
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 615, Exynos 7580
OS: Android v5.1.1 Lollipop upgradeable to Android v6.0.1 Marshmallow
Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE
GSM: 850/900/1800/1900
HSDPA: 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800), 40(2300)
Display:
5.5” AMOLED display with HD (1280x 720) resolution
Memory:
RAM: 1.5 GB
Internal: 16GB
Card slot: Yes, upto 256GB
Camera:
Primary: 13 MP, f/1.9, 28mm, autofocus, LED flash, video: 1080p @30fps
Secondary: 5 MP, f/2.2, 23mm, LED flash
Connectivity: Bluetooth v4.1, A2DP, LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC (Snapdragon only)
Battery: Removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh
Price: Rs. 21,990 (3G only version) Rs. 24,990 (4G version)
Colors: White, Black, Gold

[Umair Malik]

Huawei Honor 5X

Arguably the best on this list, Huawei Honor 5X is the only midrange offering which has a fingerprint scanner onboard for faster unlocking and some measure of security.

The only downside of this device is that the UI is laggy and is somewhat unstable, something that can be remedied by flashing a better ROM. It has standard midrange specs with a Snapdragon 616 on board with 2 gigabytes of RAM. The camera is also fairly standard with a 13 MP rear camera and a 5MP front shooter.

Reasons to consider:

All metal body
Fingerprint scanner
DTS Sound with Stereo Speakers
Battery on par with Samsung Galaxy J7
Huawei Honor 5X Specifications

CPU: 1.5 Ghz quad-core Cortex A53 + 1.2 Ghz quad-core Cortex A53
GPU: Adreno 405
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 616
OS: Android v5.1.1 Lollipop upgradeable to Android v6.0.1 Marshmallow with Emotion UI
Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE
GSM: 850/900/1800/1900
HSDPA: 900 / 2100
LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800)
Display:
5.5” IPS LCD display with FullHD (1920 x 1080) resolution
Memory:
RAM: 2 GB
Internal: 16GB
Card slot: Yes, upto 256GB
Camera:
Primary: 13 MP, f/2.0, 28mm, autofocus, LED flash, video: 1080p @30fps
Secondary: 5 MP, f/2.4, 22mm
Connectivity: Bluetooth v4.1, A2DP, LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS
Battery: Non-Removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh
Price: Rs. 25,000
Colors: White, Grey, Gold

[Umair Malik]

Sony M4 Aqua

Although it is a tad older than its competitors in the list, with a less than stellar screen to go with, it is offers a waterproof experience that no other midranger can provide.

The screen is a 5 inch HD (1280 x 720) IPS panel and the processor is the midrange standard Snapdragon 615 with 2 GB RAM. The storage is on the low side with only the 8GB variant available in Pakistan but Sony has added a microSD card slot for an additional 256GB of memory if you need it.

Reasons to consider:

The only phone with water proof capabilities
Good looks, similar to the Xperia Z3
NFC
Sony M4 Aqua Specifications

CPU: 1.5 Ghz quad-core Cortex A53 + 1.0 Ghz quad-core Cortex A53
GPU: Adreno 405
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 615
OS: Android v5.0 Lollipop will upgrade to Android v6.0 Marshmallow soon
Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE
GSM: 850/900/1800/1900
HSDPA: 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800)
Display:
5” IPS LCD display with HD (1280 x 720) resolution
Memory:
RAM: 2 GB
Internal: 8 GB
Card slot: Yes, upto 256GB
Camera:
Primary: 13 MP, f/2.0, autofocus, LED flash, video: 1080p @30fps
Secondary: 5 MP, 720p
Connectivity: Bluetooth v4.1, A2DP, LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot, GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC
Battery: Non-Removable Li-Ion 2400 mAh
Price: Rs. 24,490
Colors: Black, White, Coral, Silver

[Umair Malik]

Infinix Zero 3

One of the best options for the budget conscious, this phone launched exclusively on Daraz.pk and later spread to other stores.

It contains a Mediatek Helio X10 chipset with 3 GB of RAM. You get either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot allowing for upto 2 Terabytes of expandable storage. It offers a 20.7 megapixel camera which should be praised for having the highest pixel count in the list, even if it’s not the best in overall quality. A normal 5 MP front camera is available on the front.

Reasons to consider:

Cheapest at Rs. 20,899 (16GB)
Highest pixel count at 20.7 mega pixels
Long lasting big battery (Li-Po lasts longer than Li-Ion) at 3030 mAh
Fastest processor and GPU package among the competition with Mediatek Helio X10
Infinix Zero 3 Specifications

CPU: 2.0 Ghz octa-core Cortex A53
GPU: PowerVR G6200 GPU
Chipset: Mediatek Helio X10
OS: Android v5.1 Lollipop
Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE
GSM: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
HSDPA: 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
LTE band: 1(2100), 3(1800), 7(2600), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500)
Display:
5.5” IPS LCD display with FullHD (1920 x 1080) resolution
Memory:
RAM: 3 GB
Internal: 16/32 GB
Card slot: Yes, upto 2 TB
Camera:
Primary: 20.7 MP, phase detection autofocus, LED flash, video: 1080p @30fps
Secondary: 5 MP
Connectivity: Bluetooth v4.1, A2DP, LE, LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot, GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS
Battery: Removability unknown Li-Po 3030 mAh
Price: Rs. 20,899 (16 GB)
Colors: Gold, Silver, Grey