High on value: Great phones come at small prices

For those who prefer mobiles that offer more bang for their buck, these budget phones are a boon. All three support dual SIM and MicroSD cards.

Moto E 2 (Gen 2) @₹6,999

If you are an Android loyalist, then Moto E Gen 2 is the device for you. It is the only phone running on Android Lollipop 5.0 without any additional skins or software that may slow down the phone.

Though Moto E is the heaviest in our lineup at 145 grams, it is easy to hold thanks to the changeable grip with grooves on it.

Moto E has a 4.5 inches screen with a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels which is perfect for watching videos, clicking pictures as well as general use.

The phone comes with a five megapixel rear camera that can shoot decent pictures on a bright, sunny day, but the photos shot in indoors or in the evening are not as sharp.

Sadly, Motorola has used a 0.3 megapixel front camera that is good for video calls, but not for selfies as the images are too soft around the edges. The camera also does not respond as fast as one would want it to.

The changeable grip bands are currently available in black and white with the corresponding phone colour, and Motorola assures more colours will soon be available.

Xiaomi Redmi 2 @ ₹6,999

It is the lightest option in our lineup at just 133 gram. Redmi 2's 4.7 inches screen also has the sharpest and highest resolution of 1280x720 pixels making it convenient to enjoy games, movies and taking pictures.

It is equipped with an eight megapixel rear camera that can click some nice pictures on a sunny day, and average pictures in the evening.

The two megapixel front camera shoot sharp selfies, and is also great for video calls.

Of the phones listed here, the Redmi 2 is the only one capable of 4G support which makes it future ready.

The phone also supports Quick Charge, which lets the phone charge about 20% faster than its predecessor. A soft touch back cover is available in black grey and white, and can be swapped. If you are looking for a 4G-enabled, budget phone with fancy specs, then the Redmi 2 makes for a great buy. But, the flipside is that the phone is available only online and requires pre-registration, which usually has a long queue.

Nokia Lumia 435 @ ₹5,449

The Nokia Lumia 435 is truly a budget phone. It runs on a dual-core processor compared to the quad core on the other two phones on the list. The 435 also has the smallest screen of four inches with the lowest resolution of 800x400 pixels.

The Windows 8.1 on the phone is optimised and the phone runs pretty fast. It integrates well with Skype and Microsoft Office .

Though all Android apps may not be available, Microsoft has bundled MS Office into the phone.

The phone has 30 GB storage space on one drive. Photos shot using the Lumia 435's two megapixel rear camera are not the sharpest, but the 0.3 megapixel front camera works pretty well and lets you make great video calls over cellular network.

If you prefer a swappable battery, this phone lets you do that. Lumia 435 is available in bright green, bright orange, white and black. Unlike the other two options, this phone is sold in stores. If you have a Nokia Asha phone, then Microsoft also offers attractive discounts to upgrade.

The 435 works fast, provides a lot of free online storage, and also integrates well with the Microsoft ecosystem.