It’s the midway point of the year and if you’re planning to get one of those Live tile touting phones with your mid-year bonus, you should probably check out our list of the most affordable phones running Windows Phone 8 in the local market, and maybe we can help you in deciding which one to choose.
(Note: Prices are based on online sellers and lowest mall prices we’ve found.)
1. HTC Windows Phone 8S (around Php12,990)
Pros:
- Solid and beautiful design
- Loud and clear sound performance
- Refreshing user interface
Cons:
- So-so battery life
- Sub-par camera performance
- Prone to dirt stains
HTC Windows Phone 8S specs:
4-inch S-LCD Display (480 x 800) 233ppi
1GHz dual-core Krait CPU
Adreno 305
512 RAM
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 3.1
4GB internal memory
up o 32GB via microSD card
5 megapixel camera (LED flash, 720p video)
Windows Phone 8
120.5 x 63 x 10.3 mm (dimensions)
113 g (weight)
Li-IOn battery 1700 mAh
2. Nokia Lumia 720 (Php12,700 – Php14,500)
Pros:
- Great performance for a WVGA screen
- Snappy performance
- Outstanding battery life
Cons:
- Inconsistent camera performance
- Lack of apps because of 512MB RAM
Nokia Lumia 720 specs:
4.3-inch ClearBlack IPS LCD display @ 800×480 pixels, 217ppi
Corning Gorilla Glass 2
Qualcomm MSM8227 Snapdragon 1.0GHz dual-core
Adreno 305 Graphics
512MB RAM
8GB internal memory
microSD card up to 64GB
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, dual-band
HSDPA 21.1 Mbps
Bluetooth 3.0
NFC
6.7MP AF camera, Carl Zeiss, with LED Flash
720p video recording at 30fps
1.3 megapixel front-facing wide angle camera
Li-Ion 2,000mAh battery
Windows Phone 8
Wireless Charging support
GPS w/ aGPS, GLONASS
Dimension: 127.9 x 67.5 x 9mm
Weight: 128g
3. Huawei Ascend W1 (Php8,990)
Pros:
- Solid construction
- Attractive design
- Good battery life
- Decent performance
Cons:
- 512MB RAM
- Limited internal storage
- Average camera performance
Huawei Ascend W1 specs:
4.0-inch IPS OGS display @ 480×800 pixels, 233ppi
Qualcomm MSM8230 Snapdragon 1.2GHz dual-core Krait
Adreno 305
512MB RAM
4GB internal storage (up to 32GB via microSD)
3G/HSDPA 21Mbps
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 2.1 w/ A2DP
5MP rear camera @ 720p
VGA front-facing camera
GPS w/ aGPS, GLONASS
Li-Ion 1950mAh battery
124.5 x 63.7 x 10.5 mm
130 g
Windows Phone 8
4. Nokia Lumia 620 (Php8,600 – Php11,600)
Pros:
- Solid construction
- Good design
- Decent performance
- Great display
Cons:
- 512MB RAM
- Limited internal storage
Nokia Lumia 620 specs:
3.8-inch TFT WVGA (800×480), ClearBlack
1 GHz Dual Core Snapdragon (TM) S4
512MB RAM
8GB internal memory, up to 64GB via microSD
5MP autofocus w/ LED flash; Video capture: HD 720p@30fps
VGA front camera
NFC
WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 3.0
GPS/A-GPS, Glonass
1,300mAh battery
115.4 x 61.1 x 11.02 mm
127g
Windows Phone 8
5. Nokia Lumia 520 (Php7,400 – Php7,990)
Pros:
- Solidly and beautifully built
- Amazing display
Cons:
- 512MB RAM
- Limited internal storage
Nokia Lumia 520 specs:
4-inch WVGA (480 x 800) IPS LCD, 233ppi
Qualcomm MSM8227 Dual-core 1 GHz
Adreno 305
512MB RAM
8GB internal storage
microSD up to 64GB
5MP AF camera
720p video recording at 30fps
HSDPA, 21.1 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual band
Bluetooth 3.0
GPS with A-GPS support and GLONASS
Li-Ion 1,430mAh battery
119.9 x 64 x 9.9 mm
124g
Windows Phone 8
Special Mention: We’d like to add though; if you are good in seeking for better deals – we have to tell you that we did see HTC 8Xs being sold for a cheaper Php10k recently.
That’s about it folks. Fancy anything on the list? Or rather, maybe you have one of them already? Feel free to give us all your says on the space down below.
Sana mag mura pa tong Lumia 520 this december, ayaw q kc bumili ngaun kc hindi full updated ang WP application, may nabasa kc aq na ibang user na madali daw mag init ung fon. but all, it was a great phone for the price.
sana mag mura or may lumabas na bagong wp sa december
Yung Nokia Lumia 520, microsim lang available doon?
Dagdag na lang ako ng 6K may s3 na ako. hindi pa ako maiinggit sa dami ng apps sa Android.
using my WP8 Lumia 820, i can use NOKIA HERE MAPS even not connecting to internet. Just download the map (country of your choice, i.e. Philippines), then just ON your GPS. and voila, you have a MAP with GPS (with your location indicated). No need for internet connection. Great for travelers/commuters roaming around the Metro.
@Bob Freking pwede malaman kung san mo nakita ang htc 8x na nasa 10k lang?? salamt.
Wait, Nokia Lumia 520 has an IPS display? Someone clarify this please! Thanks! :)
yes. it has an IPS display. and it is amazing, as compared to other phones (especially androids) with the same resolution and screen size. I have one, and it’s great for its price. :)
Wait, Nokia Lumia 520 has an “AMAZING DISPLAY”?
gusto ko nyan!!! hahaha wala nga lang arep
Meron bang mp3 downloader ang windows phones? Yung similar sa mp3 downloader apps ng android?
And meron din bang id3 tag editor and cover art downloader for mp3 files? Medyo OC kasi ako sa music ko gusto ko maayos ang mga titles, artists and album covers. Namamanipulate ko lahat yan using android phone alone. No need for itunes/zune from the computer.
Are these possible sa windows phone? Baka mag switch nako kung pwede.
BOYCOTT CHINA MADE PRODUCTS!!!
Windows phones are theoretically expensive because of the OS.
I have a 620 and it’s really great. Solid built, snappier than low-mid end Androids and the screen is amazing. In hindsight though, I should have probably gone with the 820 with the AMOLED screen.
Nokia maps and drive are awesome apps! You get turn by turn GPS navigation even if you’re not online. The maps are updated as well.
I’m a lumia 720 user.
512ram is not a con.
been a user of windowsphone. 512ram actually is not that a minus.yes,ull get some limitation for highend apps but thats a given since it is not a highend device.ull notice how great the os is even with 512ram. :-)
I got to test drive a Lumia 720. Definitely a nice, smooth device with a relatively long battery life.
I’d buy one if I wasn’t eyeing for 925 :P
I got to test drive a Lumia 720. Definitely a nice, smooth device and relatively longer battery life.
I’d buy one if I wasn’t eyeing for 925 :P
Yeah, I got to test drive a Lumia 720 too. I was thinking of buying one but I am waiting for the 925.
Good phone to have though.
I wonder why hindi con sa HTC Windows Phone 8S ang limited disk storage, it’s much much worse than Nokia WPs dahil sobrang limited nung internal storage nito (4GB) compared sa mga 8GB na lowest ng Nokia WPs
kahit 512 mb niyan di yan magla log gaya ng android at ios
sir, big deal po ang 512mb ram sa windows phone 8. lalo na sa apps. alam nyo po bang hindi ka pwdeng magdownload ng temple run 2 dahil hindi siya pwedeng iinstall sa phones with less than 1gb ram, nililimit ng ms yun.
tama c heff,pero kung smartphone user ka na d mahilig sa apps at ginagamit mo lng for business purposes or others 512 mb RAM will not be a burden for you =)
@heff yea, kasi lahat kami sobrang bumibili lang ng phone para sa temple run 2 at mga gamez! lel
Bibili na ‘ko ng Windows 8 phone… sa December :)
Yung Lumia 820 nasa P13k nalang online brandnew, may LTE pa (supports 1800 and 2100MHz, so pwede sa Globe at Smart) tapos 1GB yung RAM. Nasa P10-P12k used. That’s the best unit to get if you want to try Windows Phone. :)
Isa dapat sa pros ng mga lumia is yung Nokia Drive. ok sana yung 520, kaso 1 year old pa lang yung 610 ko.
Almost all the phones have the same pros and cons.
Arghh 512 Ram!!!
The Frek is back! :)
wahaha… good observation :-)