5G Smartphones under PHP 12K (2023)

If you’re looking for the fastest data speeds, you might want to hop on the 5G bandwagon. With most carriers and top-end smartphones now having support for 5G, ensuring that your phone supports it means you get the fastest speeds possible.

But getting a phone that supports 5G doesn’t mean breaking the bank cause today we’ll go over 5G smartphones that are under PHP 12,000 in 2023!

TECNO Pova 5 Pro 5G 70

The TECNO Pova 5 Pro 5G 54 all in all offers one of the best packages at this price point. It features a 6.78-inch FHD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate with the Dimensity 6080 powering it underneath.

This makes it fully capable of a whole lot of tasks and games paired with 8GB of RAM + 8GB of extended RAM giving you up to 16GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage available.

It also features a dual-camera setup with a 50MP main and a large 5,000 mAh battery. But what’s more is that it has support for 68W fast charging, making it probably one of the, if not, the fastest-charging phone at this price.

It also has a stunning design with LED strips featured on the back. The TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G currently goes for a retail price of PHP 10,999 for the 8GB+256GB model.

TECNO Pova 5 Pro 5G specs:
6.78” FHD+ display
1080 x 2460 pixels, 120Hz refresh
MediaTek Dimensity 6080
8GB RAM (+8GB extended memory)
128, 256GB storage
Dual rear cameras:
– 50MP AI main
– Secondary lens
16MP selfie shooter
5G, 4G LTE
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth
GPS
USB Type-C
3.5mm audio jack
NFC
Fingerprint sensor
Ambient LED lighting (rear panel)
HiOS based on Android 13
5000mAh battery
68W fast charging
168.50 x 76.50 x 9.00 mm
Dark Illusion, Silver Fantasy

Infinix Note 30 5G 56

If you’re on a tight budget, then the Infinix Note 30 5G 37 packs a lot of value at an affordable price. It features a Dimensity 6080 6nm 5G processor with up to 16GB of RAM (8GB internal + 8GB extended RAM) and up to 256GB of internal storage.

It also has a large 6.78-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling rate while also having dual speakers tuned by JBL and Hi-Res.

It also has an impressively large 5,000 mAh battery with 45W fast charging!

All that comes in at just PHP 9,499 for the 8GB+128GB model. What’s more, spending just a little extra gets you the upgraded 8GB+256GB variant at just PHP 9,999.

Infinix Note 30 5G specs:
6.78-inch IPS LCD, 2460 x 1080 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate
Mediatek Dimensity 6080
Mali-G57 MC2 GPU
3GB, 8GB RAM
128GB, 256GB internal storage
4G/LTE, 5G dual-SIM
108 MP main camera, f/1.75, PDAF
2 MP f/2.4 depth sensor
QVGA camera
1440p @ 30fps, 1080p @ 30/60fps
16MP, f/2.0 front camera
Fingerprint sensor
XOS 13 | Android 13
5,000 mAh Li-Po battery, 45W wired
Interstellar Blue, Magic Black, Sunset Gold

Infinix ZERO 5G 2023 37

Another offering from Infinix is the Infinix ZERO 5G 2023 25 which is perfect if you’re into mobile gaming on a budget.

It features a stunning 6.78-inch Full HD+ IPS display with even a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s also powered by the Dimensity 1080 chipset paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

This ensures the phone has enough power to run any game you throw at it and run smoothly when multitasking. Pair those specs with 5G support, then you’re sure to have an enjoyable gaming experience when on data.

The Infinix ZERO 5G currently retails for PHP 11,599 via Shopee and Lazada.

Infinix ZERO 5G 2023 specs:
6.78-inch FHD+ (2460 x 1080) IPS LTPS
120Hz refresh rate
MediaTek Dimensity 1080 6nm
2.6GHz max frequency
8GB RAM (+5GB extended memory)
256GB storage
Up to 256GB expansion via microSD
Triple-rear cameras:
• 50MP AI main camera
• 2MP depth
• 2MP macro
16MP front camera
Dual nano-SIM
5G, 4G LTE
WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 5.2
GPS
USB Type-C
3.5mm audio jack
Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
XOS 12 (Android 12)
5000mAh battery
33W charging rate
168.73 x 76.53 x 8.9 mm (dimensions)
201 grams (weight)
Pearly White, Coral Orange, Submariner Black

ZTE Blade V41 Vita 5G 36

With ZTE making a return to the Philippines in 2023, they introduced the ZTE Blade V41 Vita 5G 47 which features a pretty sleek-looking design.

It’s a respectable package with a 6.67-inch Full HD+ IPS display with even a 90Hz refresh rate. Underneath, it has the Dimensity 810 chipset with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage.

It also features a MyOS 12 that we found to be pretty snappy and enjoyable. It also has a triple rear camera setup, a 4,500 mAh battery with 22.5W fast charging, and dual nano-SIM trays.

If you’re a fan of ZTE, the Blade V41 Vita 5G remains a solid choice coming in at PHP 11,999.

ZTE Blade V41 Vita 5G specs:
6.67-inch FHD+ (1080 x 2408) IPS
90Hz refresh rate
MediaTek Dimensity 810 6nm
2.4GHz max frequency
6GB RAM (+5GB extended memory)
128GB expandable storage
Triple rear cameras:
• 50MP main
• 2MP macro
• 2MP depth
8MP front camera
Dual nano-SIM
5G, 4G LTE
WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 5.0
GPS, A-GPS
USB Type-C
3.5mm audio jack
NFC
Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
MyOS 12 (Android 12)
4500mAh battery
22.5W charging rate
Starry Black

Nokia G42 5G 34

A little throwback here with Nokia now making a compelling case in 2023 with its new Nokia G42 5G 46. The display itself isn’t the greatest when compared to other offerings with just a 6.56-inch HD+ 90Hz display.

It does feature the only Qualcomm processor in this list with the Snapdragon 480 Plus chipset with up to 6GB of RAM + 5GB extended memory and 128GB of internal storage.

It also features a triple rear camera setup and a 5,000 mAh battery with 20W fast charging. Moreover, it’s pretty durable with Gorilla Glass 3 as well as IP52 splash and dust resistance.

The Nokia G42 5G’s main selling point is its ‘QuickFix’ design for easy repairability of parts such as the display, battery, and charging ports as Nokia has partnered with iFixit.

The Nokia G42 5G is priced at PHP 11,290 for the base 4GB+128GB model.

Nokia G42 5G specs:
6.56” HD+ display
720 x 1612 pixels, 90Hz refresh, 560 nits peak brightness
Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 Plus
Up to 2.2 GHz clockspeed
4GB, 6GB RAM (up to 5GB extended memory)
128GB storage
Supports microSD up to 1TB
Triple rear cameras:
– 50MP f/1.8 main
– 2MP depth
– 2MP macro
8MP selfie shooter (waterdrop notch)
Dual nano-SIM
5G, 4G LTE
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Bluetooth 5.1
GPS/AGPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo
USB Type-C (USB 2.0) OTG
3.5mm audio jack
NFC
Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, face unlock
IP52 splash and dust resistance, OZO Playback
Android 13
5000mAh battery
20W wired charging
165 x 75.8 x 8.55mm
193.8 grams
So Pink, So Grey, So Purple

Honorable Mentions

There are three other smartphones released in 2023 that support 5G but didn’t make the price cut. However, if you’re willing to spend a little over PHP 12K or be lucky enough to get them on sale, they may be worth adding to your shortlist.

This includes the TECNO Camon 20 Pro 5G which can be had for PHP 11,949 (8GB+256GB) when on sale and features a higher tier Dimensity 8050 processor and a stunning 6.67-inch 120HZ AMOLED display.

If you’re willing to spend a little extra for a more premium brand, then you can go for the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G for just PHP 12,990.

With that you get a 6.6-inch FHD+ 90Hz display, a Dimensity 700 chipset, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a triple-rear camera setup, all while running on Samsung’s One UI.

Then there’s also the POCO X5 5G which is a steal if you can find it on sale as it can go as low as PHP 8,990 for the 6GB+128GB model and just PHP 9,990 for the top specced 8GB+256GB variant.

It also features the Snapdragon 695 processor, a 6.67-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display, and 33W fast charging. Making it one of the best value smartphones when on sale.

So that wraps up this list of 5G smartphones in 2023 that are available for under PHP 12,000.

Which one would you get? Let us know in the comments!