Top smartphones under Php10K (mid-2018)

Written by Zen EstacioPublished • July 14, 2018

As we chug along 2018, relatively quickly, let’s look at the top contenders for the budget segment, so far. These are the devices that launched during the better half of the year. So, without further ado here are the top smartphones under Php10k for mid-2018.

Note: Devices listed are those available in the Philippine market from January 1, 2018 – June 30, 2018. Recently announced and soon to be released phones were excluded. Reviews and launch articles are linked via headers.

Vivo Y81 – Php 9,999

The Vivo Y81 is one of the earliest devices to get released locally that sports MediaTek’s newest Helio P22 chipset. Vivo’s touting the phone’s AI-beauty features and Face unlock technology. It’s not too shabby either with its 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, and Android 8.1 Oreo out-of-the-box.

Vivo Y81 specifications:

6.22-inch FullView 19:9 aspect ratio HD+ display @ 1520 x 720 resolution
MediaTek Helio P22 2.0 GHz Octa-core processor
PowerVR GE8320 GPU
3GB of RAM
32GB internal storage, expandable up to 256GB via microSD
13MP f/2.2 aperture rear camera with PDAF and LED flash
5MP f/2.2 aperture front camera with Face access and AI Beauty
Dual-SIM (nano)
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 5.0
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
microUSB
Face access
USB OTG
FunTouch OS (Android 8.1 Oreo)
3,260mAh battery
155.06 x 75.0 x 7.77 mm
147g

Honor 9 Lite – Php 9,999

Hauwei’s Honor sub-brand only recently entered the Philippine market, despite their fame overseas and in their homeland. Although their devices quickly gained traction locally thanks to competitive pricing and specs. One of those hot contenders is the Honor 9 Lite, a phone sporting mid-range internals for a budget price tag.

Honor 9 Lite specifications:

5.65-inch 2160 x 1080 IPS display, 428ppi
HiSilicon Kirin 659 2.36GHz octa-core CPU
Mali-T830 MP2 GPU
3GB RAM
32GB storage
microSD up to 256GB
13MP + 2MP rear camera w/ LED flash
13MP + 2MP front camera
Dual-SIM
4G LTE
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.2
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
Fingerprint sensor
Android 8.0 Oreo w/ EMUI 8.0
3,000mAh battery
151 × 71.9 × 7.60 mm
149 g
Sapphire Blue, Glacier Gray

Xiaomi Mi A1 – Php 9,800

One of Xiaomi’s budget Android One devices. The Xiaomi Mi A1 is a perfect choice for those looking to have Stock Android experience for under Php 10k. That’s not all it has to offer though, as it has 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, and USB Type-C.

Xiaomi Mi A1 specifications:

5.5-inch Full HD display2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass
Corning Gorilla Glass
Snapdragon 625 octa-core CPU
Adreno 506 GPU
4GB RAM
64GB storage
microSD card support
12MP wide-angle + 12MP telephoto (2x zoom) rear cameras, LED flash
5MP front camera
Dual-SIM
4G LTE
Dual-band WiFi
Bluetooth
GPS
Fingerprint scanner
10V smart power amplifier
USB Type-C
IR blaster
Dual graphite sheet for lower temp
Pure Android 7.1.2 Nougat (Update to Android 8.0 Oreo now available)
3,080mAh battery
Black, Gold, Rose Gold

ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 – Php 9,995 (3GB)

A strong contender in this segment and a crowd favorite. The Max Pro M1 is one of the most anticipated phones in the market for the first-half of 2018. Sporting strong internals and a long battery life, the device is a solid choice for people who want power and longevity but are on a budget.

ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 specifications:

5.99-inch FHD+ IPS display @ 2160 x 1080px, 424ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 octa-core processor
Adreno 509 GPU
3GB
32GB internal storage
expandable via microSD (dedicated slot)
13MP + 5MP PDAF rear camera, LED flash
8MP front camera, LED flash
Dual SIM
4G VoLTE
WiFi
Bluetooth 5.0
GPS, A-GPS
Gyroscope
Fingerprint scanner
Micro-USB
Android 8.1 Oreo
5,000mAh battery
159 x 76 x 8.61 mm
180 grams
Meteor Silver, Deepsea Black

OPPO A83 – Php 9,990 (3GB), Php 6,990 (2GB)

The OPPO A83 actually has three variants — one with 4GB RAM, one with 3GB, and one with 2GB. Performance differences will be minimal if you only jump from 1GB to the other. It has been regarded as one of the best budget smartphones during its release in the Philippine market. That still holds true today, even though it now has stronger competition. We’re currently holding a giveaway for the OPPO A83 (2GB), check out the details here.

OPPO A83 specifications:

5.7-inch 1440 x 720, 18:9 Full Screen display, 282ppi
MediaTek MT6763T Helio P23 2.5GHz octa-core processor
Mali-G71 MP2 GPU
2/3/4GB RAM
16/32/64GB storage
microSD card slot (dedicated slot)
13MP rear camera, LED flash
8MP front camera, screen flash
A.I. Beautification Technology
Dual-SIM (nano)
4G LTE
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.2
GPS, A-GPS
microUSB 2.0
USB OTG
Face Unlock
ColorOS 3.2 (Android 7.1.1 Nougat)
3,180mAh battery
150.5 x 73.1 x 7.7 mm
143 g

Xiaomi Redmi S2 — Php 7,990

The Redmi S2 is Xiaomi’s non-Android One competitor for the budget segment. It sports almost the same specs as its Mi A1 sibling but for a lower price tag.

Xiaomi Redmi S2 specifications:

5.99-inch 18:9 HD+ display @ 1440 x 720 pixels
Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 2.0Ghz Octa-core CPU
Adreno 506 GPU
3GB RAM
32GB Internal storage expandable up to 256GB via microSD
12MP f/2.2 aperture + 5MP f/2.0 aperture dual rear cameras with LED flash
16MP front camera
4G LTE Dual SIM (Nano, Hybrid)
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 5.0
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
Fingerprint scanner (rear-mounted)
micro-USB MIUI 9 (Android 8.1 Oreo)
3,080mAh Battery

OPPO A71 (2018) – Php 7,990

The OPPO A83’s more affordable sibling. The A71 (2018) has its shortcomings but is still a worthy contender in its price point, offering good performance, a long battery life, and AI beautification.

OPPO A71 (2018) specifications

5.2-inch HD IPS display @ 1280 x 720 resolution, 282ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 450
Adreno 506 GPU
2GB RAM
16GB internal storage
Expandable up to 256GB via microSD (dedicated)
13MP f/2.2 rear camera w/ LED flash
5MP f/2.4 front camera w/ A.I. Beauty Technology
4G LTE
Dual SIM (nano-SIM)
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/b
Bluetooth 4.2
GPS, A-GPS
microUSB
USB OTG
ColorOS 3.2 (based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat)
3,000mAh battery
148.1 x 73.8 x 7.6 mm
137 g
Gold, Black

Infinix Hot 6 Pro – Php 6,499

A very solid contender for the budget market. The Infinix Hot 6 Pro comes equipped with the very reliable Snapdragon 425 and a 4,000mAh battery. Not only that, it has generous RAM (3GB) and Internal storage (32GB) for its price.

Infinix Hot 6 Pro specs:

6? 18:9 HD+ IPS display @ 1440 x 720px
Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 1.4GHz quad-core
Adreno 308 GPU
3GB RAM
32GB internal storage
expandable up to 128GB
Dual nano-SIM card slot
13MP + 2MP dual rear cameras w/ LED flash
5MP front camera
4G LTE Cat.4
Wifi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.1
OTG
Gyroscope
Fingerprint Scanner
FM Radio
Android 8.0 Oreo
4,000mAh battery
160.43 x 76.21 x 8.3mm
158g
Sandstone Black, Magic Gold, Bordeaux Red, City Blue

Huawei Y6 (2018) — Php 5,990

Arguably one of the strongest competitor in the lower spectrum of the budget segment. The Huawei Y6 (2018) is a solid choice for anyone looking to have a good performing device with respectable cameras, display, and face unlock features.