Christmas Gift Guide 2016: Best Smartphones for Php15k

Buying a new smartphone within the budget of Php10k to Php15k could be a bit tricky and most of the devices you could find are already midrange or a toned-down version of the brand’s flagship phone. Without further ado, here’s our guide to the smartphones under Php15k you can buy this holiday season.

Asus

The Taiwanese tech giant made a noise with their new Zenfone line of smartphones. Coming from its predecessor, the Zenfone 3 now has a premium design and top of the line specs. Although, its official pricing it a bit steep especially when compared with last year’s model. Although, Widget City brought their own units for the 5.2″ variant starting at Php13,500USD 230INR 19,502EUR 219CNY 1,675 (see listing here).

Zenfone 3 5.5 & Zenfone 3 5.2

If you want a cheaper offering, Asus officially has the Zenfone 3 Laser in the country for Php11,995USD 204INR 17,328EUR 195CNY 1,489. There’s also the latest member of the family, Zenfone 3 Max (5.5), which is probably the most favorable Zenfone today and it retails for Php10,995USD 187INR 15,883EUR 178CNY 1,364.

BlackBerry

BlackBerry’s venture into the Android-sphere gave us a couple of smartphones from the company with the help of TCL. If you like to stay in their arms, the DTEK50 is the way to go. It’s a 5.2-inch midrange handset with all the features and enhancements from BlackBerry.

BlackBerry DTEK50

You can officially avail it in the country for Php14,990USD 255INR 21,655EUR 243CNY 1,860.

Cherry Mobile

Of course, our distinct local player also has a premium offering aside from its wide range of lower tier devices. The Flare Infinity is currently the most beautiful Cherry handset. It has a borderless 1080p display, aluminum construction, and 4GB RAM for Php12,999USD 222INR 18,778EUR 211CNY 1,613.

Cherry Mobile Flare Infinity

On the other hand, the Cherry Mobile M1 may not have the looks but it’s a more powerful smartphone inside with its Helio X20 chipset. It goes for Php11,990USD 204INR 17,321EUR 195CNY 1,488.

Huawei

Huawei’s own flagship device has a toned-down version sans the dual-camera and the Leica branding but it still features a similar design and experience. The P9 Lite comes as expected since the company has the habit of producing a “Lite” variant of its current top offering. This one retails for Php12,490USD 213INR 18,043EUR 203CNY 1,550.

Huawei GR5

There’s another mid-range phone on the block and it’s the Huawei GR5. When we reviewed it, we liked its premium look and feel. It’s now priced at Php10,490USD 179INR 15,154EUR 170CNY 1,302.

Lenovo

We spotted two Lenovo Mobile offerings in this range — the Phab2 Plus and K5 Note. The Phab2 Plus is ideal for those looking for phablets thanks to its 6.4-inch Full HD display and dual-rear cameras. It’s currently priced at Php14,999USD 256INR 21,668EUR 243CNY 1,861.

Lenovo K5 Note

While the K5 Note is marketed for virtual reality use with its VR headset and controller bundle for Php11,999USD 204INR 17,334EUR 195CNY 1,489.

LG

LG’s midrange offering didn’t share the same limelight with its modular flagship but that doesn’t take away it’s potential to be a good everyday companion. The LG X Cam also boasts two rear cameras just with LG’s flagship.

LG X Cam

The handset is currently on sale for Php11,990USD 204INR 17,321EUR 195CNY 1,488 (from Php13,990USD 238INR 20,210EUR 227CNY 1,736) with a free Quick Cover.

Motorola

Moto’s comeback in the country has brought a number of handsets and along with them is the Moto G4 Plus. This is the current generation of the Moto G family equipped with a fingerprint scanner.

Moto G4 Plus

You can grab one for Php13,999USD 239INR 20,223EUR 227CNY 1,737. Other two members of the Moto G family are available under postpaid plans of Globe and Smart.

OPPO

OPPO’s strong game in selfie features puts the brand among the choice Filipino consumers. Its best bet is the OPPO F1s with its HD display and 16-megapixel front camera complete with software suites to get the perfect selfie.

OPPO F1s

It currently has an SRP of Php12,990USD 221INR 18,765EUR 211CNY 1,612.

Samsung

Samsung’s presence in the mobile scene is undoubtedly large and even at this range, they have three current offerings. Let’s start with the Galaxy J5 (2016) with its 5.2-inch AMOLED display at just Php10,990USD 187INR 15,876EUR 178CNY 1,364. A larger variant comes in the form of Galaxy J7 (2016) at 5.5-inches for Php11,990USD 204INR 17,321EUR 195CNY 1,488.

Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime

Lastly, if you want a premium looking phone that’s akin to be a part of Galaxy S series, you should check out the Galaxy J7 Prime which retails for Php13,990USD 238INR 20,210EUR 227CNY 1,736. You can visit the official store of Samsung on Lazada PH here.

Sony

Sony gets in the list with the Xperia XA. A 5-inch smartphone with borderless display and the trademark design and look of Sony.

Sony Xperia XA

Good news is that Sony is currently offering this for just Php10,990USD 187INR 15,876EUR 178CNY 1,364 from its original Php14k SRP.

Vivo

Vivo is a new player in the market and from what it looks like, they want to join the battle of selfie smartphones. That’s why their VivoV5 handset has a whopping 20-megapixel front-facing camera to satisfy vanity for Php12,990USD 221INR 18,765EUR 211CNY 1,612.

Vivo V5

If you value performance more, the Vivo V3 Max is more capable and has a sharper display. It’s even at a big markdown at just Php13,990USD 238INR 20,210EUR 227CNY 1,736 from its Php16,990USD 290INR 24,544EUR 276CNY 2,108 initial price.

Xiaomi

Xiaomi may not be officially present in the country but there’s a number of parallel imports available in the local scene. That why we were able to play with the Redmi Note 4 with its Helio X20 and 3GB/64GB memory for just Php10,500USD 179INR 15,168EUR 170CNY 1,303 from Widget City. If you want to have a dual rear camera setup, then you can check out the Redmi Pro which is now at Php10,500USD 179INR 15,168EUR 170CNY 1,303.

Xiaomi Mi Max & Mi 5

You can also get flagship Snapdragon 820 performance starting at just Php14,000USD 239INR 20,224EUR 227CNY 1,737 with Mi 5. The Mi Max are for those who wants large battery capacities for longer battery life. You can grab its 3GB variant with either 32GB or 64GB storage for Php11,500USD 196INR 16,613EUR 187CNY 1,427 or Php12,500USD 213INR 18,058EUR 203CNY 1,551, respectively.

And that wraps our guide for Php15k smartphones. If we missed anything, hit the comments sections below.