Gone are the days when people used the mobiles just to communicate with others. The smartphones are getting smarter day after day with many advanced features that improve our productivity. And now comes the Android Smartphones with IR Blaster, which let you control a variety of electronic devices such as Television/Smart TV, Home Theater, Air Conditioner (AC), Projector, DVD players, Set top boxes etc… These latest phones come with an Infrared sensor and can be used as a universal remote to control these devices wirelessly.
So, now, you don’t have to keep track of multiple remote controllers in your home. Just get any of the below mobiles with IR blaster feature and you can control all the electronic devices (Infrared supported) with just one device i.e., your phone.
Best Android Phones with IR Blaster 2017
#1.LG G5
The G5 is the first modular Android phone that comes with an IR blaster feature. It runs on a Snapdragon 820 SoC with 4GB of RAM, 32GB ROM and Android Marshmallow OS. There is a 16MP rear camera, accompanied by an 8MP wide angle front facing camera. The handset sports a 5.3 inch IPS Quad HD display.
Check Price on Amazon.in
#2.Samsung Galaxy S6/Edge
There are many Infrared supported handsets from Samsung, but the Galaxy S6 is the most popular choice. It sports a 5.1 inch Quad HD display and is powered by an Octa core processor, 3GB RAM and available in 32GB/64GB variants.
IR Blaster Mobiles Under 30000
#3.Xiaomi Mi 5
Mi 5 is one of the best compact devices with powerful hardware. Xiaomi has made sure to include all the important features like the latest OS, Phase detection, fingerprint sensor, IR blaster etc…It sports a 5.15 inch IPS full HD display and is powered by Snapdragon 820 SoC, along with 3GB RAM, 32GB ROM and dual 4G SIM support. On the rear is a 16MP 4-Axix OIS camera and on the front is a 4MP camera.
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#4.Huawei Honor 7
The Honor 7 is beautifully carved handset that sports a 5.2 inch IPS full HD display and gets power from a 3100 mAh battery. It is powered by a 2.2 GHz + 1.5 GHz Hisilicon Kirin 935 Octa Core Processor and 3GB RAM. If the 16 GB ROM is not enough, you can use upto 128 GB expandable card. For additional security, you can use the in-built finger print sensor technology. The 20MP rear camera helps you take stunning pictures, while the 8MP secondary camera is pretty good for selfies and video calling. It supports 4G and single SIM.
Phones with Infrared Sensor Under 20000
#5.LeEco Le Max 2
Probably the best cheaper but powerful Smartphone with Infrared blaster. The Le Max 2 sports a huge 5.7 inch WQHD display and runs on Snapdragon 820 processor, coupled with 4GB RAM and 32GB Internal memory. It also has a 21MP primary camera and a 8MP front facing camera. It comes with dual 4G LTE support.
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#6.Lenovo Vibe X3
Vibe X3 One of the best devices with Infrared remote and fingerprint sensor features. It sports a 5.5 inch Full HD display (Gorilla Glass protection) and is powered by Snapdragon 808 hexa core processor, 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM. It supports dual Nano SIM cards with 4G LTE. There is a 21MP rear camera with dual LED CCT flash and 8MP front camera. The device gets power from a 3500 mAh battery. Also purchase the ANT VR headset to get the best virtual reality experience.
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#7.Gionee Marathon M5 Plus
If you’re looking for the Android mobile with good battery life, then the Marathon M5 is for you. It boasts a huge 6020 mAh battery that gives you around 2 full days of mixed usage. It sports a 5.5 inch HD display and comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The handset is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad core processor and 3GB RAM. The 32 GB ROM can be expanded upto 128 GB using a microSD card. It has a 13MP rear and 5 MP front camera. The M5 supports dual SIM (CDMA+GSM) and comes with 4G support. Another unique feature of this mobile is that it can charge other devices using the on-the-GO usb cable. That means, you can use this mobile as a power bank too.
Android Phones with IR Blaster Under 15000
#8.Xiaomi Mi Max
If you’re searching for the best Android mobile with bigger display, fingerprint sensor and IR blaster, then the Mi Max is just for you. It features a huge 6.44 inch display (bigger than the Le Max 2) and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 processor, 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM. It supports dual 4G SIMs and gets power from a 4850 mAh battery. On the rear is a 16MP camera with 5p lens and 5MP front facing camera.
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#9.LeEco Le 2
The Le 2 sports a 5.5 inch Full HD display and is one of the very few Android phones with Type C USB port. The handset features a fingerprint scanner, Infrared port, 16MP primary camera, 8MP secondary camera, Snapdragon 652 SoC, 3GB RAM, and 3000 mAh battery.
Smartphones with Universal Remote Control Under 10000
#10.Xioami Redmi Note 3
The Redmi Note 3 is currenly one of the best selling Android phones in India. It sports a 5.5 inch display and comes in two variants – 2GB RAM with 16GB ROM and 3GB RAM with 32GB ROM. Except this, all the other features are same in both the variants. There is a 16MP primary camera and a 5MP selfie camera. The body is made up of premium metal and comes equipped with fingerprint sensor, infrared port and dual 4G slot (hybrid). The handset gets the power from a 4050 mAh battery.
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#11.Panasonic Eluga Note
It sports a 5.5 inch display and is powered by a Cortex A53 64-bit processor, coupled with 3GB RAM and 32GB memory. There is a 5MP selfie camera and a 16MP rear camera. It has a IR sensor with Smart Remote Control App that lets you control AC, Music System, TV, Fan, Set top box etc…
Check Price on Flipkart.com
#12.Xiaomi Redmi 3S & 3S Prime
Both these Android handsets from Xiaomi come equipped with Infrared blaster. The other features include 13MP rear and 5MP front cameras, 5 inch HD display, Snapdragon 430 SoC and 4100 mAh battery. The only difference between the two is the RAM/ROM. While the Redmi 3S comes with 2GB RAM – 16GB memory, the 3S Prime comes with 3GB RAM – 32GB memory. Both the mobiles have IR blaster feature.
Best Phones with Infrared Blaster Below 5000
#13.Karbonn Titanium Machfive
The Machfive is the only mobile with Infrared port under 5000 in India at the moment. There used to be a few other handsets from Xolo, Celkon and Intex earlier. But, they are no longer available. So, if you’ve a limited budget but wanted to use the remote control feature of a Smartphone, then the Karbonn Titanium Machfive is just for you. The features include 5 inch HD, 2200 mAh, 2GB RAM, 16 GB ROM, upto 32GB, 1.3 GHz quad core, 8/5 MP, 3G support, dual SIM and Infrared port.
How to Identify If my Mobile has IR Blaster or Not?
This is very simple. There are three ways to determine whether your phone has an Infrared sensor or not.
Method 1: The transparent LED you find on top of your mobile is your IR blaster and remember that it does not glow. In case if you can’t locate it, then head over to the next method.
Method 2: Check your user manual that comes with your phone to check whether you see any mention of the IR blaster in the specifications page. Can’t find?
Method 3: Simply, go to GSMArena.com and enter your mobile phone model. Head over to the ‘Connectivity’ sub-section and if you find anything like ‘Infrared: Yes’, then your phone supports the remote control feature. Else, no.
What If I don’t like to purchase another mobile but still wanted to use it as a remote control?
In that case, you may purchase the external IR blaster from the market. This little add-on device can be easily attached to your Android phone and turns it into a Universal remote. As of now, there are two different types of external Infrared blasters – one which should be plugged into the 3.5mm audio jack and another one with micro USB support (needs OTG support to work).
In my personal experience, these external IR blasters are not that effective and sometimes they don’t work until you go very close to the TV (or any device). So, purchase them only if you desperately need them.
Links to Buy IR Blasters Separately: Amazon Store | Flipkart
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