We’re halfway through 2024 and we have seen lots of smartphone releases already. With that, let’s look back at some of the best smartphones you can get for just under PHP 25,000.
Note that the smartphones included in this article were officially released in the Philippines from January to June of 2024. Pricing details listed here reflect the suggested retail price (SRP) at launch as well as the latest pricing for some items (as of July 25, 2024).
We will also mention the phones’ AnTuTu benchmark score when available to provide a general idea on how these phones perform.
So, without further ado, let’s get started!
Table of Contents
Infinix GT 20 Pro 5G
Coming in hot is the Infinix GT 20 Pro 5G carrying the most affordable price tag in this list. For just PHP 15,999, it packs impressive performance and a feature set that you wouldn’t normally see in this price range. Not to mention, the phone has this gamer-centric vibe going on, with a sleek RGB lighting, that definitely adds up to its overall appeal.
Powering the GT 20 Pro is the MediaTek Dimensity 8200 Ultimate combined with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The phone achieved 930,368 points in our AnTuTu benchmark test and that’s way above average than most, even the pricier ones.
Its display is quite interesting as well: a 6.78-inch Full HD+ AMOLED panel running at a buttery smooth 144Hz refresh rate. This panel can even reach a peak brightness of 1,300 nits.
At the rear protrudes a 108-megapixel main shooter with optical image stabilization, a 2-megapixel macro and another 2-megapixel depth sensor. Battery-wise, the phone packs the usual 5000mAh unit with 45W fast charging.
Infinix GT 20 Pro 5G written review | hands-on review
Price: PHP 15,999 SRP
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POCO F6
Now, if you’re eyeing for the vanilla POCO F6, that is still a pretty good choice. It’s got the highest AnTuTu score in this list garnering over 1.4 million points (or exactly 1,407,849) thanks to its near-flagship level chipset, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3.
Naturally, this model has to cut corners in achieving a lower price point. It features a 6.67-inch 1.5K AMOLED screen running at 120Hz refresh rate and has a pixel density of 446 pixels per inch (ppi). In comparison with the F6 Pro having 4000 nits of peak brightness, the vanilla gets 2400 nits max.
The rear cameras are reduced to a dual setup: a 50-megapixel main shooter with optical image stabilization and an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens. The battery is also rated at 5000mAh capacity but with a tad bit slower 90W charging rate (from 120W on the Pro model).
On the bright side, it comes with a larger storage for a significantly lower price than its Pro sibling. The base model 8GB+256GB is priced at PHP 21,999 and the 512GB option is yours for only PHP 24,999.
POCO F6 written review | video review
Price: PHP 21,999 – PHP 24,999 SRP
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TECNO Camon 30 Premier 5G
Next, we have the TECNO Camon 30 Premier 5G, a phone with a strong focus on camera capabilities. It boasts an all 50-megapixel camera setup: three goes on the rear and one as a selfie shooter at the front. Specifically, the rear camera setup consists of a main shooter with optical image stabilization, an ultrawide, and a periscopic telephoto lens.
In our experience, the phone definitely delivers an above average camera performance, especially in terms of video recording.
As for processing power, the phone isn’t a slouch either. Powering the Camon 30 Premier is the Dimensity 8200 Ultimate chipset combined with 12GB of RAM and a large 512GB storage. With that, the phone managed to score almost one million points in AnTuTu — 957,924 points to be exact.
Other highlights include a 6.77-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate protected by a scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass, and a 5000mAh battery with 70W fast charging. The TECNO Camon 30 Premier 5G sets you back PHP 23,999.
TECNO Camon 30 Premier 5G written review | video review
Price: PHP 23,999 SRP
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TECNO Camon 30 Pro 5G
There’s also a Camon 30 Pro 5G that you can get for less, currently priced at only PHP 15,999 (via Shopee). For the price, it packs the same Dimensity 8200 Ultimate chipset, the same battery and charging capabilities, and it gets at least three out of four 50-megapixel cameras.
The phone ditches the periscopic telephoto lens and throws in a 2-megapixel depth sensor. But everything else, it’s pretty much the same setup as with the Camon 30 Premier.
Interestingly, the Camon 30 Pro’s 6.78-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display gets a faster 144Hz refresh rate. In AnTuTu, it was able to score a similar result at about one million points (964,906).
The TECNO Camon 30 Pro 5G is priced at PHP 15,999 for the sole 12GB+256GB variant.
TECNO Camon 30 Pro 5G
Price: PHP 19,999 SRP
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Samsung Galaxy A55 5G
Coming up next is the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G that is surely a crowd favorite for good reasons. Mainly because this phone has longer software support with four major Android OS upgrades and up to five years security patches.
This level of update policy matches their flagship series and even outlasts the rest of the competition with most of them having only two years of OS upgrades and three years security patches at the very least.
On top of that, it has a stronger build quality with Gorilla Glass Victus+ on both the front and rear panels. It even gets an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.
It features an Exynos 1480 chipset configured with 8GB RAM and 256GB expandable storage. Yes, it’s only one of the two models in this list that has a microSD slot for storage expansion which is definitely a plus in my book. Performance-wise, we can confirm that the Galaxy A55 doesn’t disappoint.
In AnTuTu, the phone was able to score 728,872 points. While that’s not mind-blowing by any means, that’s still a fairly good score in general.
The phone sports a 6.6-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display, a triple rear setup led by a 50-megapixel main shooter with optical image stabilization, a 12-megapixel ultrawide, and a 5-megapixel macro lens.
As for battery, it packs a 5000mAh unit paired with a not-so-fast 25W charging rate. The Samsung Galaxy A55 5G sets you back PHP 24,990.
Samsung Galaxy A55 5G written review 10 | video review
Price: PHP 24,990 SRP
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realme 12 Pro+ 5G
Another phone that offers impressive camera performance is the realme 12 Pro+ 5G. It boasts a triple rear setup that consists of a 64-megapixel periscope camera, a 50-megapixel main shooter, and an 8-megapixel ultrawide.
The phone sports a 6.7-inch Full HD+ curved OLED display running at 120Hz. Sandwiched on top is a double reinforced glass for added protection and scratch resistance. Speaking of protection, the handset also gets a strong IP65 rating for dust and water resistance.
Under the hood, the phone equips the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 combined with 12GB RAM and a spacious 512GB storage, and it was able to get 664,294 points in AnTuTu benchmark.
Battery-wise, it packs the usual 5000mAh unit paired with 67W fast charging. The realme 12 Pro+ 5G is currently down to PHP 23,999 via Shopee.
realme 12 Pro+ 5G written review | video review
Price: PHP 22,999 (discounted price)
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vivo V30 5G
The vivo V30 5G is yet another camera-centric phone. Defined by its headliner “Aura Light” technology, which is basically a fancy fill light, it offers improved portrait photography even at night. It sports an all 50-megapixel camera setup: a main shooter and an ultrawide lens at the rear, and the other one goes for selfies at the front.
It has a 6.78-inch 1.5K curved AMOLED display and can reach a peak brightness of up to 2800 nits. In terms of processing power, the phone certainly delivers thanks to its newer Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset. In AnTuTu, the V30 5G was able to score 818,694 points.
Additionally, it gets an IP54 rating for protection against dust and some water splashes. Battery is rated at 5000mAh, and it supports 80W fast charging. The vivo V30 5G starts at PHP 24,999 for the base model (8GB+256GB).
vivo V30 5G written review | video review
Price: PHP 24,999 SRP
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OPPO Reno11 5G
“The Portrait Expert” is what OPPO calls their Reno11 Series and we’re gonna talk about the vanilla Reno11 5G. Its rear protrudes three sensors, a 50-megapixel main shooter with optical image stabilization, an 8-megapixel ultrawide, and a 32-megapixel telephoto lens.
The handset features a 6.7-inch Full HD+ OLED display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. Equipped with the Dimensity 7050, its performance is adequate, being able to score 543,235 points in AnTuTu benchmark.
For configuration, it has 12GB of RAM paired with 256GB of expandable storage. And battery-wise, the phone packs a 5000mAh cell with 67W fast charging.
The OPPO Reno11 5G retails for PHP 24,999.
OPPO Reno11 5G written review | video review
Price: PHP 24,999 SRP
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Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G
The once known as the entry-level champ Redmi Note Series from Xiaomi has now expanded in the mid-range segment, and it’s a good thing. Making it to the list is the Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G packing serious power for only PHP 16,999 as a starting price.
The phone boasts a Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset with up to 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage. It was able to get 579,814 points in AnTuTu.
Display-wise, it gets a crisp 6.67-inch 1.5K AMOLED screen running at 120Hz, and it can reach a peak brightness of up to 1800 nits. It’s also protected by a Gorilla Glass Victus.
What sets it apart (especially in its price range) is its cameras. It packs a whopping 200-megapixel main shooter complemented by an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel macro. However, just like we always say, higher megapixel count does not always equate to better image quality. But expect this phone to capture shots with greater detail as compared to others.
FYI, it’s the only model in this list that still has a 3.5mm audio jack. The phone gets an IP54 rating for dust and splash resistance, as well as an eSIM support. For the battery, it packs a 5100mAh cell with 67W fast charging.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G starts at PHP 16,999 for the 256GB trim and PHP 18,999 for the 12GB+512GB configuration.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G
Price: PHP 16,999 – PHP 18,999 SRP
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Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G
Now, if you have more cash to spare, then there’s also a Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G. Both the Pro and Plus variants are mostly similar on paper, except the Plus version packs greater performance, stronger ingress protection, and faster charging.
Powering the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ is a Dimensity 7200 Ultra combined with up to 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage. In AnTuTu, the phone managed to get 726,650 points. It’s also the first-ever Redmi phone to get an IP68 rating for dust and stronger water resistance. Unfortunately, because of this, it gets rid of the 3.5 mm audio jack.
Charging gets a boost up to 120W paired with a 5000mAh battery. Other subtle changes are a faster LPDDR5x RAM and UFS 3.1 storage.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G starts at PHP 20,999 for the 8GB+256GB and PHP 23,999 for the higher 512GB option.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G written review | video review
Price: PHP 20,999 – PHP 23,999 SRP
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Nothing Phone (2a)
Last but absolutely not the least is the Nothing Phone (2a). Starting at PHP 18,990, this phone offers a fun, unique design along with a clean software experience.
It sports a 6.7-inch Full HD+ AMOLED screen running at 120Hz refresh rate and is covered by a Gorilla Glass 5 for added screen protection. It also gets an IP54 rating for dust and splash resistance.
Under the hood, the Phone (2a) is equipped with the Dimensity 7200 Pro rocking 8GB of RAM and 128GB of base storage. Borrowing the signature Glyph Interface from its flagship siblings that feature customizable LED lighting effects, the Phone (2a) is surely a looker.
Right at the center of the back panel are two cameras: a main shooter and an ultrawide lens both having 50-megapixel count. As for battery, it packs the usual 5000mAh unit paired with a 45W fast charging.
The Nothing Phone (2a) starts at PHP 18,990 for the 8GB+128GB trim and PHP 20,990 for the 256GB variant.
Nothing Phone (2a) written review | video review
Price: PHP 18,990 – PHP 20,990 SRP
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So, that closes out this list. Which phone do you think is the best contender in this price range? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
