6 Best Budget Smartphones Under Php 5,000 to Choose From (1H 2023)

The smartphone industry is sprinting forward at breakneck speed, and with half of 2023 already gone, it shows no sign of slowing down.

Phone makers are certainly churning out new models left and right, which leaves you with a ton of choices when it comes to selecting your next daily driver.

To narrow it down, we have covered all the budget smartphones officially released in the Philippines during the first half of 2023, priced under PHP 5,000.

Tecno Spark Go 2023

Transsion Holdings is surely making its mark in the budget segment with its three daughter brands Tecno, Infinix, and the lesser-known itel. Remarkably, they have managed to bring more than enough offerings in this price range, starting with the Tecno Spark Go 2023.

It features a 6.56-inch HD+ IPS display, a MediaTek Helio A22 chipset, up to 4GB RAM (+3GB extended memory) and 64GB of expandable storage. It has a dual-camera setup with 13+2-megapixel lenses at the back, and a 5000mAh battery that charges via USB-C at 10W.

The Tecno Spark Go 2023 is now down to PHP 3,599 501 for the 3+64GB config.

TECNO Spark Go 2023 specs

6.56-inch HD+ (1612*720) IPS display
120Hz touch samping rate
MediaTek Helio A22 SoC
3GB, 4GB RAM (up to 7GB via Memory Fusion)
64GB internal storage
expandable up to 256GB via microSD (dedicated slot)
Dual rear cameras:
• 13MP f/1.85 main
• 2MP depth
5MP f/2.0 selfie camera
Dual SIM
4G, LTE
WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2.4G + 5GHz
Bluetooth 5.0
3.5mm headphone jack
GPS
USB Type-C
Rear-mounted fingerprint sensor
IPX2 splash resistance
HiOS 12.0 (Android 12)
5000mAh, 10W charging rate
163.86 x 75.51 x 8.9mm
Endless Black, Nebula Purple, and Uyuni Blue

itel S23 432

The itel S23 might be poking fun at the latest Galaxy flagship series because of its naming convention, but it’s no joke when it comes to value for money.

To begin with, this device doesn’t even look cheap. Especially with the color-changing finish on the backshell of the Mystery White colorway—a novelty which we only see on some higher-end models.

Its 6.6-inch display uses an IPS panel and interestingly, a 90Hz refresh rate, I mean that’s pretty good at this price point.

Powering this device is a UNISOC T606 octa core SoC combined with 8GB extended RAM (4GB on-board) and a spacious 128GB expandable storage.

It boasts a dual camera setup at the rear with 50MP main camera and a QVGA lens. There’s also a 5000mAh battery and 10W charging via USB-C.

The itel S23 sets you back PHP 3,899 484.

itel S23 specs

6.6-inch HD+ (720 x 1612) IPS LCD
90Hz refresh rate, 267ppi
UNISOC Tiger T606 (12nm)
8-cores, 1.6GHz max frequency
4GB RAM (+4GB extended memory)
128GB storage
Up to 256GB expansion via microSD
Dual rear cameras:
• 50MP main
• QVGA lens
8MP front camera
Dual nano-SIM
4G LTE
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth
GPS
USB Type-C
3.5mm audio jack
Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
itel OS 8.6 (Android 12)
5000mAh battery
10W charging rate (wired)
Starry Black, Mystery White

Infinix Smart 7

The next few items come from Infinix, particularly the Smart 7, HOT 20i, and HOT 30i.

The Infinix Smart 7 has the highest rated battery among the bunch with 6000mAh cell coupled with 10W charging.

The phone sports a 6.6-inch HD+ display, powered by a UNISOC SC9863A chip with 7GB extended RAM, and 64GB of expandable storage. It has a 13-megapixel main camera, VGA depth sensor, and fingerprint scanner on the back, while the front has a 5-megapixel camera.

The Infinix Smart 7 is now down to PHP 3,799 232.

Infinix Smart 7 specs

6.6-inch HD+ (1612 x 720) IPS display
UNISOC SC9863A octa-core processor
8-core, 1.6GHz max frequency
4GB RAM
64GB internal storage
Supports microSD
Dual rear cameras:
• 13MP main
• VGA (depth)
5MP front camera
Dual SIM
4G LTE
WiFi
Bluetooth
Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner
Android 12
6,000mAh battery
10W charging rate
164.2 x 75.6 x 9.4mm
207g
Night Black, Emerald Green, Azure Blue

Infinix HOT 20i

The Infinix HOT 20i features a MediaTek Helio G25 processor, a 6.6-inch HD+ display, 7GB extended RAM, 128GB of expandable storage, and a 5000 mAh battery.

There’s a triple camera system at the rear with a 13MP main camera.

The Infinix HOT 20i with 4+128GB config is now down to PHP 4,299 108.

Infinix HOT 20i specs

6.6-inch HD+ (1612 x 720) IPS display
UNISOC SC9863A octa-core processor
8-core, 1.6GHz max frequency
4GB RAM
64GB internal storage
Supports microSD
Dual rear cameras:
• 13MP main
• VGA (depth)
5MP front camera
Dual SIM
4G LTE
WiFi
Bluetooth
Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner
Android 12
6,000mAh battery
10W charging rate
164.2 x 75.6 x 9.4mm
207g
Night Black, Emerald Green, Azure Blue

Infinix HOT 30i

This model is quite similar to the itel S23 due to its 90Hz display and same UNISOC T606 chipset. Although, it has a faster 18W charging rate and its camera is toned down to 13+2MP combo.

The Infinix HOT 30i is discounted right now at PHP 4,599 218 for the 4+128GB config.

Infinix HOT 30i specs

6.56-inch HD+ (1612×720) IPS LCD
90Hz refresh rate
UNISOC T606 SoC
4GB RAM
128GB storage
Supports microSD
Dual rear cameras:
• 13MP f/1.85 main
• AI lens
8MP selfie shooter
Dual nano-SIM
4G, LTE
WiFi-6
Bluetooth 5.3
GPS
USB Type-C
3.5mm earphone jack
Android 12
5000mAh battery
18W charging rate (wired)
164 x 75.75 x 8.4 mm
191g
Mirror Black, Glacier Blue, Diamond White

Nokia C12

Finally, we have the Nokia C12 boasting a 6.3-inch HD+ IPS LCD, Unisoc SC9863A1 configured with 5GB extended RAM and 64GB storage.

There’s only a single 8MP camera at the rear and 5MP selfie shooter.

It only has a 3000mAh detachable battery and Android 12 (Go version), but it do have an additional protection against splashes with IP52 rating.

The Nokia C12 is the priciest in this tier, with a a PHP 4,590 93 SRP.

Nokia C12 specs

6.3-inch HD+ (1600 x 720) display
Toughened Glass
UNISOC SC9863A
8-cores, 1.6GHz max frequency
3GB RAM (+2GB extended memory)
64GB storage
Up to 256 GB expansion via microSD
8MP rear camera
5MP selfie shooter
Dual nano-SIM
4G LTE
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 5.2
GPS
micro USB
3.5 mm headphone jack
IP52 splash resistant
Android 12 (Go edition)
3000 mAh battery
5W charging rate
160.6 mm x 74.3 mm x 8.75 mm
177.4 g
Charcoal

Author’s Note: This list comprises the official smartphone releases in the Philippines during the first half of 2023 (from January to June 2023). Prices may change without prior notice.