Philippines

Best Midrange Smartphones (Philippine Edition)

Published

November 1, 2017

Marvin Velasco

When premium phones are out of financial reach and entry-level handsets just don’t make your cut, something in between is the next best thing. This is our updated list of the best midrange smartphones retailing from PhP 15,000 to PhP 30,000.

Formulating this category was tricky, since you can’t set an exact price and some of these devices are, in fact, the flagship phones of their respective brands. To simplify things, we chose a price range that simply sits between our two other lists for best budget and premium smartphones.

Here they are in no particular order:

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 (PhP 25,000)

It was the original Mi Mix that put borderless phones on the map, but it’s only with the Mi Mix 2 that Xiaomi can say they finally refined the concept. Now easier to hold and smarter in execution, the newest Xiaomi flagship has an improved pair of cameras and some of the best specs you can find on a phone priced at around PhP 25,000.

REVIEW: Xiaomi Mi Mix 2

OnePlus 5 (PhP 25,990)

The OnePlus 3T has finally been unseated from our list, and what better way than by its successor, the OnePlus 5. The price may have gone up, but you get even more flagship-level features this time around: a much faster Snapdragon 835 processor, up to 8GB of memory, and an additional camera at the back capable of zooming in on subjects.

REVIEW: OnePlus 5

Huawei P10 (PhP 28,990)

While it may seem odd placing Huawei’s latest and greatest smartphone on a midrange list, the P10’s price is surprisingly competitive, especially when compared to other flagships launched alongside it at Mobile World Congress 2017 (MWC). If you’re after something a little more beefed up, there’s always the more expensive P10 Plus.

REVIEW: Huawei P10

Vivo V7+ (PhP 17,990)

Slim bezels have finally become mainstream on midrange smartphones thanks to the Vivo V7+. Although it no longer has a dual-camera setup like its predecessor, image quality is still top-notch for the price, and the new Snapdragon 450 chipset proves its worth in terms of performance and energy efficiency.

REVIEW: Vivo V7+

Moto Z2 Play (PhP 24,999)

We’re not including the Moto Z2 Play on our list just because it’s one of the few modular smartphones to come out this year (the Moto Z2 Force being the other one); in fact, it’s a solid handset with or without Moto Mods. We can thank the efficient Snapdragon 626 processor, super-fast fingerprint sensor, and clear Android skin for that.

REVIEW: Moto Z2 Play

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Updates as of October:

Replaced Xiaomi Mi 6 with Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
Replaced OPPO R11 with Vivo V7+

Updates as of September:

Replaced ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom with Xiaomi Mi 6

[irp posts=”19163″ name=”Best Midrange Smartphones from $300 to $600″]

Related Topics:Huawei Moto OnePlus Vivo Xiaomi

Deals

OPPO 6.6 Mega Sale: Get discounts, freebies

Brighten up the rainy season

Published

June 2, 2023

GadgetMatch

OPPO is set to brighten up the rainy season with its 6.6 Mega Sale on both Lazada and Shopee.

Customers stand to get discounts, vouchers, special freebies, and bundle deals from June 6 to 8 when they purchase participating OPPO smartphones.

Included are the following devices:

A16 4GB
A17k
A17
A55
A76
A95
Reno6 Z
Reno 6 5G
Reno8 T

On Lazada, customers can get up to a 10% cashback, capped at PhP 1,000. A 100% cashback raffle will also reward six lucky winners on both e-commerce apps.

6.6 freebie shower

On 6.6 itself, OPPO will offer buyers various freebies for its smartphones:

A16k: Free Bluetooth speaker
A16 4GB: Free memory card
A55: Free memory card
A76: Free remote-controlled selfie stick
Reno8 T series: Free Neon Island desk pad
Reno 6 series: Free Bluetooth speaker, selfie stick

Meanwhile, the first 12 buyers of OPPO’s latest foldable, the Find Flip N2, will get a free OPPO Enco Air3 and OPPO Watch Free.

Rainy bundles

The budget OPPO A series will also be part of bundle deals from June 6 to 8.

With OPPO Band:

A16k: PhP 6,099
A16 4GB: PhP 7,599
A55: PhP 8,599

With Enco Buds2:

A16k: PhP 6,299
A16 4GB: PhP 7,799
A55: PhP 8,799

In-app discounts, vouchers

Lastly, shoppers should be on the lookout for further discounts and vouchers during the sale period.

Lazada and Shopee both offer free shipping for a PhP 500 minimum spend, as well as PhP 1,000 livestream vouchers for a PhP 4,999 minimum spend.

Lazada will also have a Lazada Bonus for an extra 10% off, capped at PhP 1,000. On the other hand, Shopee will give out 15% off Shopee Mall vouchers capped at PhP 1,000.

Both apps also allow installment at 0% interest rates for OPPO’s smartphones.

Deals

Great Samsung Sale: Own Galaxy phones for less

With bundles and freebies too

Published

June 1, 2023

GadgetMatch

This June, Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones will come with big discounts of up to 25% off and freebies, offering customers a mid-year treat. From June 1 to 25, the Great Samsung Sale lets customers avail of these deals, as well as trading in their old phones for up to PhP 15,000 off.

Foldables go on sale

Included in the sale is the foldable Galaxy Z Fold4 which will retail for PhP 18,990 throughout the period and will come with a free Galaxy Watch5 44mm.

Meanwhile, those who purchase the Galaxy Z Flip4 will get a free Buds2 Pro for just a total bill of PhP 12,990.

Galaxy S23 series: Trade in for savings

Even Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S23 series will come with free Galaxy Buds2 Pro, while those who trade in their old devices get savings of up to PhP 49,000.

Galaxy A34, A54 5G bundles

The new 5G-capable mid-range Galaxy A34 and A54 phones will also be bundled with a free Galaxy Buds Live worth PhP 7,990.

If you have not yet upgraded your current smartphones, both devices have Super AMOLED FHD+ displays and come in lime, violet, and graphite colorways.

They also promise four generations of OS upgrades and five years of security updates, so they’re a sound investment.

Budget phone offers

For those on a budget, the Galaxy A14 5G will be packaged with a free travel adapter and a 128GB memory card for only PhP 12,990.

The Galaxy Tab S8 series will also get a free Galaxy Tab A7 Lite or Galaxy tab A8 Wi-Fi, as well as a free bookcover keyboard for a virtual buy one, take one deal.

Discounts on select Galaxy devices

Lastly, some of Samsung’s previous S series flagship smartphones will also get special prices throughout the promo period:

Galaxy S22 Ultra (256GB): PhP 58,990 (PhP 14,000 off)
Galaxy S22 (128GB): PhP 35,990 (PhP 10,000 off)
Galaxy S21 (128GB): PhP 28,990 (PhP 10,000 off)

These devices can get even more affordable, as they’re also eligible for trade-ins.

WATCH: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Review: One Week Later

Deals

Budget vivo smartphones Y35, Y02s get discounts

Y series standouts

Published

June 1, 2023

GadgetMatch

Customers looking for budget-friendly smartphone options may want to consider vivo’s pair of trendy devices: the vivo Y35 and vivo Y02s.

Getting even more affordable with discounts, both phones offer users a good overall performance, the capability to handle general tasks with ease, and reliable specs for their price points.

vivo Y35: Stylish all-day phone

The vivo Y35 comes with a Snapdragon 680 processor, 6.58-inch FHD+ 90Hz display, 256GB storage, and up to 16GB memory (8GB+8GB extended RAM).

With multi-Turbo 5.5, the device can be used for gaming without hassles. The vivo Y35 also has a 5,000mAh battery with 44W fast charging support, allowing its users to enjoy all-day usage for various activities such as gaming and social media browsing.

Its triple camera setup features a 50MP large sensor, a 2MP macro, and a 2MP bokeh camera, while a 16MP selfie camera with EIS and stabilization is in front.

What’s best is that the phone is now available for just PhP 11,999 from its original of PhP 14,999 in Dawn Gold and Agate Black.

vivo Y02s: Sleekest entry-level phone

For an even more affordable choice, the vivo Y02s boasts of an ultra-thin 8.19mm design made of glass.

It also comes with multi-turbo 5.5 and an Ultra Game mode with “do not disturb.” It also has “e-sport mode” features to give users leverage when playing with games that require light to moderate workloads.

Elsewhere, it has an 8MP main camera and 5MP selfie camera, and a 5,000mAh battery for all day use.

Available in Vibrant Blue and Fluorite Black, the vivo Y02s retails for only PhP 5,699.

This article is a sponsored press release by vivo Philippines.