Despite the ongoing chip shortage, brands haven’t given up trying to offer compelling affordable flagship phones in the Philippines. This 2021, we have encountered a number of affordable flagship phones in the Philippines that deserve to be on your “should buy” list. Gone are the days where you’d have to fork over insane amounts of cash for top-tier performance. Flagship-level smartphones are even more affordable nowadays, and we’ve compiled 5 of the ones that should be in your wishlist this Christmas:
Best Affordable Flagship Phones in the Philippines 2021 (Q4)
- Xiaomi 11T
- OnePlus Nord2
- Samsung Galaxy A52S 5G
- Xiaomi 11T Pro
- Motorola Edge 20 Pro
Xiaomi 11T
- Php 21,990 8GB/128GB
- Php 24,990 8GB/256GB
Xiaomi 11T Philippines Specs
- Dimensity 1200-Ultra processor
- 8GB LPDDR5 RAM
- 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 storage
- 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display, 120hz refresh rate
- 108-megapixel f/1.75 main camera with PDAF, 8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera, 5-megapixel telemacro camera with AF
- 16-megapixel f/2.2 selfie camera
- 4G, 5G
- WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1, side-mounted fingerprint scanner
- Stereo speakers
- 5000mAh battery
- 67w wired charging
- Android 11, MIUI 12.5
Xiaomi is no stranger to great affordable flagship phones, and the 11T improves on the things we love with the equally good Mi 10T last year. Aside from a Dimensity 1200-Ultra processor, the Xiaomi 11T gets a speedy 67w wired charging, a better 108-megapixel main rear camera that boasts a bigger sensor, and a 120hz AMOLED display that supports 10-bit color. Despite being more expensive than its predecessor, the Xiaomi 11T’s higher asking price is well worth it.
OnePlus Nord2
- Php 21,990 8GB/128GB
- Php 25,990 12GB/256GB)
OnePlus Nord2 Philippines Specs:
- Dimensity 1200-AI processor
- 8GB/12GB RAM
- 128GB/256GB internal storage
- 6.43-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display, 90hz refresh rate, support for HDR10+ and DCI-P3
- 50-megapixel f/1.8 IMX766 main camera with PDAF and OIS, 2-megapixel f/2.4 mono 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
- Stereo speakers
- 4500mAh battery
- 65w fast charging
- Android 11, OxygenOS 11.3
As the closest competitor to the Xiaomi 11T since both use a Dimensity 1200 processor, the OnePlus Nord2 gets an advantage for having OIS on its 50-megapixel IMX 766 main camera and a 90hz AMOLED display that has an in-display fingerprint scanner. The Nord2 is also a good choice for those who are looking for a more compact smartphone that has top-tier internals to boot.
Samsung Galaxy A52S 5G
- Php 22,990 8GB/128GB
- Php 24,990 8GB/256GB
Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G Philippines Specs:
- Snapdragon 778G processor
- 8GB RAM
- 128GB/256GB storage, expandable via MicroSD
- 6.5-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-O Display, 120hz refresh rate
- 64-megapixel f/1.8 main camera with PDAF and OIS, 12-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera, 5-megapixel f/2.4 macro camera, 5-megapixel f/2.4 depth sensor
- 32-megapixel f/2.2 selfie camera
- 4G, LTE, 5G
- WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, in-display fingerprint scanner
- Stereo speakers, IP67 rating
- 4500mAh battery
- 25w charging
- Android 11, OneUI 3.1
Samsung is one of those brands that believe that incremental upgrades make a difference, and the Snapdragon 778G processor used on the Galaxy A52S 5G makes it a vastly better offering than the Snapdragon 750G-powered Galaxy A52 5G. Compared to rivals OnePlus and Xiaomi, the Galaxy A52S 5G boasts an IP67 rating, a better ultra-wide-angle camera, and MicroSD expansion.
Xiaomi 11T Pro
- Php 27,990 8GB/256GB
- Php 29,990 12GB/256GB
Xiaomi 11T Pro Philippines Specs
- Snapdragon 888 processor
- 8GB/12GB LPDDR5 RAM
- 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 storage
- 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display, 120hz refresh rate
- 108-megapixel f/1.75 main camera with PDAF, 8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera, 5-megapixel telemacro camera with AF
- 16-megapixel f/2.2 selfie camera
- 4G, 5G
- WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1, side-mounted fingerprint scanner
- Harman Kardon-tuned Stereo Speakers
- 5000mAh battery
- 120w wired charging
- Android 11, MIUI 12.5
Aside from being one of the most affordable phones in the Philippines to have a Snapdragon 888 processor, the Xiaomi 11T Pro is better than its vanilla sibling with its Harman Kardon-tuned stereo speakers and an insane, best-in-class 120w wired charging solution.
Motorola Edge 20 Pro
- Php 29,995 12GB/256GB
Motorola Edge 20 Pro Philippines Specs
- Snapdragon 870 processor
- 12GB RAM
- 256GB internal storage
- 6.7-inch Full HD+ POLED display, 144hz refresh rate, HDR10+
- 108-megapixel f/1.9 ISOCELL HM2 main camera with PDAF; 16-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera; 8-megapixel f/2.4 periscope camera with 5x optical zoom and OIS
- 32-megapixel f/2.2 front camera
- Dual SIM
- 4G, LTE, 5G
- WiFi 6, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
- Side-mounted fingerprint scanner, IP52 rating
- 4500mAh battery
- 30W charging
- Android 11, Motorola MyUX
It has been a while since Motorola launched a good phone locally, and the Edge 20 Pro is definitely part of our list. At under Php 30k, the Edge 20 Pro has a versatile camera setup that consists of a 108-megapixel main camera, 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and an 8-megapixel periscope camera. It also has an insanely fast 144hz refresh rate on its AMOLED display, along with a very capable Snapdragon 870 processor that is paired with 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage.
That wraps up our list of best affordable flagship phones in the Philippines for 2021. Which one will you most likely purchase?