If you can spare the cash, we wholeheartedly recommend people grabbing a mid-range phone instead of an entry-level one during the holidays. Many mid-range phones nowadays have flagship-esque features and hardware, and should last you for a few years before you need to replace them.
We’re starting this list off with yet another Redmi phone, this time it’s the Redmi Note 8 Pro. This phone has the distinction of having a 64-megapixel rear camera which is quite impressive considering it’s priced barely above Php 10K.
Its internals are pretty decent too, with the phone running an Helio G90T processor which MediaTek claims can give users flagship-level gaming experience.
The phone is priced at just Php 11,490 for the 6/64GB variant.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro (Global) specs
- MediaTek Helio G90T octa-core processor
- Mali-G76 GPU
- 6GB RAM
- 6.53-inch Full HD+ IPS display, Gorilla Glass 5 Protection
- 64GB/128GB expandable internal storage
- Quad rear cameras: 64-megapixel f/1.8 Samsung ISOCELL GW1 main camera, 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, 2-megapixel depth-sensor, 2-megapixel macro camera; with LED flash, PDAF
- 20-megapixel front camera
- Dual SIM
- 3G, LTE
- WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, NFC
- Fingerprint scanner, face unlock, USB-C, Liquid cooling
- 4500mAh battery with 18w quick charging
- Android Pie with MIUI
READ: Redmi Note 8 Pro Unboxing and Quick Review: They Did It Again!
Realme had a really great year in 2019, releasing several solid smartphones in quick succession. The Realme 5 Pro is the best of Realme’s 2019 releases in our opinion, thanks to its solid, all-round performance.
It has a great camera, good processor as well as fast 20W charging, and more importantly, it’s only Php 12,990 for the 8GB/128GB variant, making it more affordable than ever before.
Realme 5 Pro Specs
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 octa-core processor
- Adreno 616 GPU
- 4GB/8GB RAM
- 6.3-inch Full HD+ LTPS IPS Dewdrop display, Gorilla Glass 5 protection
- 128GB of expandable storage
- Quad rear cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.79 Sony IMX 586 main camera; 8-megapixel f/2.25 ultra-wide-angle camera; 2-megapixel f/2.4 macro camera; 2-megapixel f/2.4 portrait camera; with LED flash, Dual Pixel Autofocus, EIS, Chroma Boost, Ultra HD mode, 960FPS slow-motion video, Speed Shot, Nightscape, and 4K video recording
- 16-megapixel f/2.0 Sony IMX 471 front camera with AI beautification, Smart Groufie
- Dual SIM
- 3G, LTE
- WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
- Fingerprint scanner, AI Face Unlock, Smart Audio Amplifier, Dust and splash resistant
- 4035mAh battery with VOOC 3.0 20w fast charging
- Android 9 Pie with ColorOS 6.1
READ: Realme 5 Pro Review: Camera Speedster On A Budget?
Huawei’s Nova 5T is still a great bang-for-the-buck contender until now, months after its initial release.
This beautiful, quad-camera packing smartphone has flagship-level silicon that provides its number-crunching prowess and has battery life that can last for a day and can be charged in a jiffy.
The best part is that the Nova 5T recently got a price cut, retailing for just Php 17,990.
Huawei Nova 5T specs
- Kirin 980 processor
- 8GB of RAM
- 6.26-inch full HD+ display with hole punch notch, 1080 x 2340 resolution display
- 48-megapixel rear camera with f/1.8 aperture lens, OIS, 16-megapixel wide-angle camera with f/2.2 aperture, 2-megapixel macro lens with f/2.4 aperture, 2-megapixel depth camera
- 128GB of storage
- Dual SIM
- 3G, LTE
- WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, side-mounted fingerprint scanner, USB Type-C
- 3750mAh battery, 22.5W wired charging
- Android 9 with EMUI 9.1
READ: Huawei Nova 5T Review: Insanely Good Value
Just in case you forget, Realme also has a 64-megapixel equipped smartphone in its roster in the form of the Realme XT. This handsome-looking smartphone also uses the same 64-megapixel sensor in Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 8 Pro, and also comes equipped with a quad-camera setup.
The Realme XT is a little more expensive than the Redmi Note 8 Pro though it brings better performance to the table in both gaming and photos taken – you can check out our full 64-megapixel camera comparo to see for yourself.
Anyway, the Realme XT is priced at Php 16,990.
Realme XT Specs
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 octa-core processor
- Adreno 616 GPU
- 8GB RAM
- 6.4-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED Dewdrop display, Gorilla Glass 5 protection
- 128GB of expandable storage
- Quad rear cameras: 64-megapixel f/1.8 Samsung GW1 main camera; 8-megapixel f/2.25 ultra-wide-angle camera; 2-megapixel f/2.4 macro camera; 2-megapixel f/2.4 portrait camera; with LED flash, Dual Pixel Autofocus, EIS, Chroma Boost, Ultra HD mode, 960FPS slow-motion video, Speed Shot, Nightscape, and 4K video recording
- 16-megapixel f/2.0 Sony IMX 471 front camera with AI beautification, Smart Groufie
- Dual SIM
- 3G, LTE
- WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
- Fingerprint scanner, AI Face Unlock, Dolby Atmos, Dust and splash resistant
- 4000mAh battery with VOOC 3.0 20w fast charging
- Android 9 Pie with ColorOS 6
READ: Realme XT Review: The Real Pro?
If you’re really stretching your budget to 20K, it’s hard not to recommend Xiaomi’s Mi 9T Pro. The Mi 9T Pro is one of the most affordable phones in the market today that’s equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 processor, making it a great phone for mobile gamers that want to play games on high detail without paying top-tier prices for flagships.
The Mi 9T Pro is priced at Php18,990 for the 6GB/64GB model.
Mi 9T Pro specs
- AI-Powered Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 octa-core processor
- Adreno 640 GPU
- 6GB/8GB RAM
- 6.39-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display, 18:7.9 aspect ratio, support for DCI-P3, 60000:1 Contrast Ratio, Gorilla Glass 6 protection
- 64GB/128GB/256GB of non-expandable storage
- Triple rear camera setup: 48-megapixel f/1.75 Sony IMX586 main camera with 6P lens; 13-megapixel f/2.4 ultra-wide-angle camera with 6P lens, 4cm macro mode; 8-megapixel f/2.4 telephoto lens with 2X zoom, Dual Pixel and Laser Autofocus, dual-tone flash, AI scene detection, and AI portrait
- 20-megapixel f/2.0 pop-up front camera with 1.8um pixels, AI Portrait, AI Beauty
- Dual SIM, with 4G LTE, LTE-A
- Dual Frequency GPS, GLONASS
- WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC
- In-display Fingerprint scanner, USB-C, Reading Mode 2.0, Game Turbo
- 4000mAh battery with 27W Quick Wired Charging
- Android Pie with MIUI 10