Budget phones have become even more relevant this year thanks to the financial crunch brought on by COVID-19. Brands have gone all-out for the incredibly competitive under Php 10K market, aimed at people struggling to come to grips with the new normal. With so many competitive offerings, picking the best was a little hard, but here are our top 5 picks for under Php 10K for 2020:
POCO M3 (4GB/64GB) – Php 6,990
POCO is a name that rings a bell when you mention flagship killers, and the now-independent brand wants to take a slice of the budget segment with the POCO M3. The brand’s debut budget phone has unbeatable value: for under Php 7K, you get a Snapdragon 662 processor, 6.53-inch Full HD+ display (a rarity for the under Php 7k segment), triple rear cameras led by a 48-megapixel main shooter, and a huge 6000mAh battery with 18w USB-C charging-all housed in a faux leather-like back with a large statement camera bump that makes the rear panel look symmetrical.
https://unbox.ph/editorials/poco-m3-unboxing-quick-review-unbeatable-value/
Redmi Note 9 (4GB/64GB) Php 7,990
Redmi is a brand that always appears on our top picks for the under Php 10k segment, and the Redmi Note 9 continues on with that tradition. Being Php 1k more expensive than the POCO M3, you get a more usable quad-rear camera setup with the addition of an ultra-wide-angle camera, higher-resolution 13-megapixel selfie camera, trendier punch-hole display, and a more powerful Helio G85 processor. The battery may be smaller at 5020mAh, but the upgrades it has over the POCO M3 makes the Redmi Note 9 worth it.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 and Note 9 Pro Review: Setting The Standard
Cherry Mobile Aqua S9 Max (4GB/128GB) – Php 9,999
Before anyone would have assumed that Cherry Mobile was waving the white flag, the Pinoy mobile brand made a big surprise with the Aqua S9 Max. It is arguably the most feature-packed Cherry Mobile phone we have seen in recent memory: aside from the generous 128GB internal storage, the Aqua S9 Max gets a tried-and-tested Helio G90T processor, a quad-rear camera that includes a 48-megapixel main camera and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera (both being firsts for Cherry Mobile), and a large 5130mAh battery with 18w USB-C charging.
Cherry Mobile Aqua S9 Max Unboxing, Quick Review: Budget Hero
realme Narzo 20 (4GB/64GB) – Php 7,990
As the middle child between the C series and realme’s mainstream numbered series, the Narzo 20 offers a balanced set of specs for under Php 8K. While it shares nearly the same design cues as the realme C12, the Narzo 20 has a modern USB-C port, a more useful 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and a vastly more powerful Helio G85 processor.
realme 7i (4GB/128GB) – Php 9,990
While we were skeptical at the realme 7i’s pricing at Php 11,990 for the 8GB/128GB variant, realme made a good move when it decided to bring over the 4GB version at a sub-Php 10k price. Being Php 2k less than its 8GB sibling, you still get the same goods like a 6.5-inch HD+ display with 90hz refresh rate, 64-megapixel main rear camera, and a 5000mAh battery with 18w USB-C charging.
Honorable Mention: Huawei Y7a – Php 8,999
Don’t count out Huawei in the sub-Php 10k segment just yet, as the Y7a is one of ther better offerings this 2020. While its Kirin 710a processor is not as powerful as other processors used in the sub-Php 10k segment, you get a bunch of awesome features like a 5000mAh battery with 22.5w SuperCharge, a quad-rear camera setup that is led by a 48-megapixel main camera that performs well in low-light and can shoot 60FPS video, and a Full HD+ display that is better than the competition.
