Philippines
Best Premium Smartphones above P30,000 (August 2017 Edition)

If you’re looking for the very best high-end smartphones available, you’ve come to the right place! Every month, GadgetMatch updates this list with the finest devices money can buy, no matter how much they cost.
As a follow-up to our July compilation, this August list takes every newly launched flagship costing more than PhP 30,000 into consideration, but doesn’t discount the smartphones that continue to make an impact since their launch last year.
Here they are in no particular order:
Samsung Galaxy S8+ (PhP 45,990)
Was there any doubt about Samsung’s most gorgeous phone making this selection? Armed with the finest processor ever built in the Snapdragon 835, possibly the best single camera in a handset today, and the most refined Android skin to date, the Galaxy S8+ looks to stay on our radar for a long time.
REVIEW: Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
Apple iPhone 7 Plus (PhP 44,990)
You can’t complete a selection like this without including Apple’s latest handset. And it’s not because an iPhone has to be included; the iPhone 7 Plus is so fast and so smooth, there’s no way we could ignore it. It also gets the nod over the regular iPhone 7 thanks to its far more impressive dual-camera setup.
REVIEW: Apple iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
Google Pixel XL (PhP 41,200)
While the Pixel XL has its shortcomings — the lack of serious water resistance and oddly plain design spring to mind — you can’t find a more optimized Android smartphone right now. Everything about it is snappy, from the incredible camera to its witty Google Assistant. It’s also got the most up-to-date operating system, unlimited storage for all your photos, plus a better screen resolution and battery life than the smaller Pixel.
REVIEW: Google Pixel (3 months later)
LG G6 (PhP 29,990 — discounted from PhP 37,990)
After what many considered to be a failure in the G5, LG went back to the drawing board and crafted a smartphone that looks and feels great, and — more importantly — simply works. We’ve been so fond of the G6’s generous but not-too-tall display, extra-wide-angle camera, and super-solid build quality since we got our hands on it. Buh-bye, modules!
Sony Xperia XZ Premium (PhP 40,990)
Say whatever you want about its traditional design and seriously high-end pricing, but the Xperia XZ Premium is the only smartphone that competes well against Samsung’s pride and joy, which sits at the top of this list. That’s because this Sony flagship has an equally capable Snapdragon 835 processor and a screen that’ll make you go, “Woah!”
REVIEW: Sony Xperia XZ Premium
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Philippines
OPPO Find N2 Flip: Price, availability in the Philippines
The premier flip smartphone is here!

OPPO’s premier flip smartphone is now in the Philippines!
The super compact smartphone delivers power and premier design, making it an ideal daily driver. It prides itself on a crease-free display, a waterdrop hinge made from aircraft-grade high-strength steel and polymer, and a tough build that allows 400,000 cycles of folding and unfolding the smartphone.
The Find N2 Flip is also equipped with a powerful set of cameras, co-developed with Hasselblad. Moreover, it’s equipped with a large 4300mAh battery capable of 44W SUPERVOOC charge, enabling up to 20 hours of video streaming, 16 hours of social media browsing, or 6 hours of video calls.
It also comes with a generous 3.26-inch display on its cover screen, the largest of its kind on any flip smartphone today.
Price, availability
The OPPO Find N2 Flip retails for PhP 49,999 and is now available at select OPPO concept stores nationwide. It comes in two stunning colors: Moonlit Purple and Astral Black.
0% installment plans
The Find N2 Flip is available at Lazada, offering freebies for every purchase such as the OPPO Watch Free (worth PhP 5,499), and the OPPO Enco Air 3 (worth PhP 3,999). It also comes with 0% interest installment for 45 days via LazPayLater, as well as free shipping.
Alternatively, it’s also available via Home Credit with installment options for 9, 12, 15, 18, and 24 months with the lowest monthly payment at PhP 1,504.
The same goes for credit cards, where customers can avail of the Find N2 Flip at 6 or 12 months installment at 0% interest.
Via Postpaid
The esteemed compact phone is also available via Globe Plan 1499 with a cash out of PhP 28,800. It also comes in Plan 999 with a cash out of PhP 33,600. Both plans offer the OPPO Enco Air 3 and OPPO Band 2 as freebies.
For Smart, the Find N2 Flip is available at Plan 1499 with cash out available and the same freebies.

Maya is offering subscribers many ways to save this summer season by using the digital bank app.
Those who have not downloaded Maya yet will get a free Maya Card when they open an account and deposit PhP 1,000.
For cash ins and bank transfers, Maya helps people get rid of transaction fees and enjoy cashbacks.
Customers who cash in via InstaPay will get up to PhP 25 cashback. Those who use Maya Center, meanwhile, get a full cashback on their 1% cash in fee, capped at PhP 150.
There’s also no cash in fee for linked banks and over-the-counter transactions up to PhP 8,000.
Need to pay for something but do not have enough funds at the moment? Maya may also be used to get instant credit of up to PhP 18,000 for eligible users.
Throughout summer, users should also be on the lookout for these exclusive deals:
- Zalora: 20% off discount for new users, 18% off for existing users on purchases using Maya; 15% off on Michaela Bags
- Robinsons Malls: Up to PhP 200 cashback using Maya QR, minimum spend PhP 1,000
- SM Store: Raffle entry for every cash in or Maya QR scan-to-pay; prizes are PhP 3,000 Maya credits, Apple Airpods Pro 2, Apple iPhone 14
- Boozy: PhP 150 off sitewide using promo code MAYA150 upon checkout
- Airpaz: 3% discount on flight and hotel bookings using Maya, minimum spend PhP 1,600

vivo’s highly-touted Aura Light — a ring light that effectively replaces the regular flash on the rear of smartphones — on its vivo V27 series 5G made quite the impression from the get-go.
The wait is over for those intrigued about it, as preorders for the latest devices are now available via vivo’s online store.
The series comes in two variants — the vivo V27e which retails for PhP 16,999, and the vivo V27 5G which is priced at PhP 24,999.
Simple, elegant design
Veering away from the matte finish that has become more common in midrange phones, vivo opted for a polished gem-like design for the vivo V27 series.
Both are equipped with 120Hz FHD+ AMOLED screens. The 7.36mm 3D curved screen on the V27 5G is the thinnest yet for a V series phone. Meanwhile, the V27e has a 7.7mm thickness.
There are three colorway choices:
- Color-changing Emerald Green
- Lavender Purple
- Glory Black (specifically for the V27e, which is said to shimmer at night)
Innovative, powerful cameras
As previously mentioned, the vivo V27 series has a f/1.9 IMX766V 50MP ultra-sensing main camera.
This is supported by EIS+OIS dual ultra-stabilization for sharp and high-quality shots even when moving or at night.
The Aura Portrait Algorithm paves the way for impressive image and video-processing yet on a vivo smartphone for its category.
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