Looking for the best mid-range phones in the Philippines this holiday season? We got you – today we’ve put together a list of 5 best mid-range phones in the Philippines for 2021. This year’s competition for the best mid-range phones in the Philippines is so tight that we had to trim it down to five compelling models. For a phone to show up on our best mid-range phone in the Philippines list for Q3 2021 list, it needs to have a great processor, 5G connectivity, as well as great optics, and more importantly, a mid-range price tag.

Best Mid-Range Phones in the Philippines 2021 (Q3)

• OnePlus Nord CE
• Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
• Motorola Edge 20 Fusion
• POCO F3
• realme GT Master Edition

OnePlus Nord CE 

• Php 16,990 8GB/128GB
• Php 19,990 12GB/256GB

OnePlus Nord CE Philippines Specs

• Snapdragon 750G processor
• 8GB/12GB LPDDR4X RAM
• 128GB/256GB UFS 2.1 storage
• 6.43-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display, 90hz refresh rate, support for HDR10+ and DCI-P3
• 64-megapixel f/1.8 main camera with PDAF, 8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera, 2-megapixel f/2.4 depth sensor
• 16-megapixel f/2.4 selfie camera with EIS
• 4G, 5G
• WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, in-display fingerprint scanner
• NFC
• 4500mAh battery
• 30w fast charging
• Android 11, OxygenOS 11

The most affordable model from the Nord series is a compelling one with its AMOLED display that has a 90hz refresh rate and in-display fingerprint scanner, along with a 4500mAh battery with 30w wired charging. It stays true to its Core Edition branding as it has the looks of the OG Nord while keeping only the essentials.

Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE

• Php 16,990 6GB/128GB
• Php 18,990 8GB/128GB
• Php 20,990 8GB/256GB

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G NE Philippines Specs

• Snapdragon 778G processor
• 6GB/8GB LPDDR4x RAM
• 128GB/256GB UFS 2.2 storage
• 6.55-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display, 90hz refresh rate, 10-bit color
• 64-megapixel f/1.79 main camera with PDAF, 5-megapixel f/2.4 telemacro camera with AF, 8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera
• 20-megapixel selfie camera
• 4G, 5G
• WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1, in-display fingerprint scanner
• 4250mAh battery
• 33w fast charging
• Android 11, MIUI 12.5

If you love a 5G-ready phone that’s skinny and light, the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is the one for you. Based on the previously-released 4G version, this 5G variant gets a Snapdragon 778G processor that offers better performance than the Snapdragon 732G used on the 4G version.

Motorola Edge 20 Fusion 

• Php 16,995 8GB/128GB

Motorola Edge 20 Fusion Philippines Specs

• Dimensity 800U processor
• 8GB RAM
• 128GB internal storage
• 6.7-inch Full HD+ OLED display, 90hz refresh rate, HDR10
• 108-megapixel f/1.9 ISOCELL HM2 main camera with PDAF; 8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera; 2-megapixel f/2.4 depth sensor
• 32-megapixel f/2.3 front camera
• Dual SIM
• 4G, LTE, 5G
• WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
• Side-mounted fingerprint scanner, IP52 rating
• 5000mAh battery
• 30W charging
• Android 11, Motorola MyUX

Motorola has been hitting the right notes with the Edge 20 series, and the Edge 20 Fusion improves on everything from last year’s Moto G 5G Plus. Aside from a sleeker overall design, the Edge 20 Fusion’s biggest improvement is with its cameras. Beyond the bigger and higher-resolution sensor, Motorola made a good effort to give the Edge 20 Fusion a vastly better camera software than the Moto G 5G Plus.

POCO F3

• Php 17,990 6GB/128GB
• Php 20,990 8GB/256GB

POCO F3 Philippines Specs

• Snapdragon 870 processor
• 6GB/8GB LPDDR5 RAM
• 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 storage
• 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display, 120hz refresh rate, 360hz touch sampling rate, support for HDR10+ and DCI-P3
• 48-megapixel f/1.8 main camera with PDAF, 5-megapixel f/2.4 telemacro camera with AF, 8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera
• 20-megapixel f/2.45 selfie camera
• 4G, 5G
• WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, side-mounted fingerprint scanner
• IP53 rating, stereo speakers
• 4520mAh battery
• 33w fast charging
• Android 11, MIUI 12.5

POCO’s F-series are known to offer top-tier performance at a mid-range price, and the F3 is another fine example of that. It is the most affordable phone you can buy that has Snapdragon 870 processor, and POCO managed to stuff the F3 with great features like a 120hz AMOLED display, stereo speakers, and 33w fast charging.

realme GT Master Edition

• Php 18,990 8GB/128GB
• Php 21,990 8GB/256GB

realme GT Master Edition Philippines Specs

• Snapdragon 778G processor
• 8GB LPDDR5 RAM
• 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 storage
• 6.55-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display, 120hz refresh rate, support for HDR10+ and DCI-P3
• 64-megapixel f/1.8 OV64B main camera with PDAF, 2-megapixel f/2.4 macro camera, 8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera
• 32-megapixel selfie camera
• 4G, 5G
• WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1, in-display fingerprint scanner
• 4300mAh battery
• 65w fast charging
• Android 11, realme UI 2.0

While it is more expensive than the POCO F3, the GT Master Edition comes with a better set of cameras with software that makes it a good workhorse for street photography. It also comes with fast 65w charging, and its 120hz AMOLED panel has an in-display fingerprint scanner too. The Voyager Grey variant is what you should get, as it is a refreshing sight among a sea of glass backs with its Naoto Fukasawa-designed back panel that is made from vegan leather and has a suitcase-inspired design.

That wraps up our picks for the best mid-range phones in the Philippines for Q3 2021. Which one will you most likely buy as your first 5G phone?