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Unbox Holiday Smartphone Buying Guide: 5 Phones Under 5K

John Nieves

Can’t decide on the phone to buy? Let us help you

Christmas is quickly approaching, and most of you are probably thinking about what gadget to splurge your hard-earned money on. There’s definitely a lot of choices out there, and it’s only natural that you’re confused as to which one to get. That’s where we come in: we’ll be listing five of our must get gadgets that you can grab this holiday season in different price categories (5K, 10K, 20K and so on). Today’s holiday buying guide is for the penny pinchers who need an awesome new smartphone but only have 5K to spend. Ready? Let’s go.

 

Starmobile Up+

Starmobile Up+

The affordable under 5K segment is pretty cutthroat, and each local brand has its own champion in the fight. Starmobile’s offering, the Up+, is an enhanced model of the original Up that has had its price cut down to just Php 4,990. The only difference between the original Up is the internal memory, everything else stays the same.

Starmobile Up+ specs

The Up+ has quite a lot of freebies in the package, including a flip cover, screen protector and a USB OTG cable.

You can read our unboxing of the Starmobile Up here. 

Cherry Mobile Flare 3

Cherry Mobile is known for undercutting the prices of their competitors by a fair margin, and that’s exactly what they did with the Flare 3. The Flare 3 comes in at a price that’s lower than most of its competitors at Php 3,999.

Cherry Mobile Flare 3 specs

Of course there’s going to be a snag when you price a smartphone this low, and it’s the device’s camera. The camera is just a part of the entire package, and if you’re looking to save a few hundred pesos for accessories, then the Flare 3 is your best bet. The only problem with the Flare 3? It’s relatively hard to find because of stock issues.

You can read our review of the Flare 3 here. 

THL T6S

Another phone that dips below the 4K mark is THL’s T6S. Since the popularity of the Flare 3 usually means it’s usually out of stock, the THL T6S is a good replacement considering it plays roughly at the same price range.

THL T6S specs

We haven’t finished our review of the T6S yet, but off the bat, but it still looks like a solid smartphone for the price range. Some may not like how Novo7Tech included their own enhancements to the T6S via the Hydroid UI, but the upside is that the device is already rooted out of the box, perfect for people who like tinkering with their phones. If you have a budding developer or mobile tinkerer in your life, this might be the perfect gift for him or her.

You can read our unboxing of the THL T6S here. 

Cherry Mobile Alpha Luxe

While today’s low-cost smartphone offerings are all overwhelmingly Android, there’s still something to be said about Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8.1 It’s fast, easy to use and is surprisingly powerful, although the high price of some of the Lumia devices out there means that it’s difficult for people with stretched budgets to jump into the fray.

Cherry Mobile Alpha Luxe specs

At just Php 4,999, it’s pretty affordable, so you can check out what Windows Phone 8.1 has to offer without wiping out your bank account. Personally we think Windows Phone has a lot to offer (better phone optimization, longer battery life compared to Android) so trying out the Alpha Luxe is definitely worth it.

You can read our review of the Alpha Luxe here. 

MyPhone Rio

No talk about the sub 5K Android smartphones would be complete without the device that changed the game – the MyPhone Rio. The Rio created a flurry of interest when it was officially released and prompted its competitors to come out with their own sub 5K quad-core lineups, which ultimately lead to better pricing and more choices (a win-win for everybody).

MyPhone Rio Specs

Of course like any smartphone the Rio isn’t perfect, and you will have to make sure that you buy the right version if you want to get the most out of the device. We’ve laid out what to look for the device right here if you’re interested in getting one. Unlike before, stock is pretty plentiful and you can now walk up into a MyPhone kiosk and pick yours up.

You can read our review of the MyPhone Rio here. 

Have a favorite gadget that fit the 5K price range that’ll make a perfect gift? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll add them as honorable mentions.

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