Christmas is the season of giving and sharing, so technically giving and sharing should be appreciated this yuletide season, however, we can’t all appreciate the stuff that we receive for christmas (trust us, you might say its okay to receive a sock for christmas, but deep down your disappointed). So, we figured to list down a few excellent smartphone picks for christmas times. Remember, we listed these device, base on their price, overall features and the worthwhile specs you get, when purchasing one.
Table of Contents
LG Nexus 5X
The Nexus 5X is a very new addition to the Nexus family. The simple yet very functional Nexus 5X has its obvious ups and downs in terms of performance, however, its by far one of the better picks right now in the market for a christmas gift or simply a self flattery christmas gift for a year of great work (talk about weird, giving a gift for yourself). The Nexus 5X’s 5.2-inch FHD display and excellent 12MP rear shooter and 5MP selfie shooter is very impressive, despite being a bit more in the budget side. And a quick note, the Nexus 5X shoots 4K UHD videos, what more can you ask for? A not so costly device, with excellent shooting and fair performance capabilities? Obviously, LG Nexus 5X is one great pick for a holiday gift, hands down. The Nexus 5X is currently available through online stores here in the country and should be around Php 18K.
See also: LG Nexus 5X VS Samsung Galaxy A7 Comparison, Camera Review, Benchmarks
| Specs/PH price |
LG Nexus 5X specs, PH price, features |
| Display | 5.2-inch 1080p FHD display, 424ppi |
| Size | 7.9mm thickness, 136g weight |
| Color | Carbon, Quartz, Ice |
| Protection | Cornings Gorilla Glass 3, oleophobic coating |
| Chip | Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 hexa-core |
| Graphics | Adreno 418 GPU |
| Processor | Dual-core 1.82GHz Cortex A57, Quad-core 1.44GHz Cortex 153 |
| Memory | 2GB Of RAM, 16/32GB internal storage, no microSD card slot |
| Main Shooter | 12MP rear shooter, Laser Autofocus, dual-LED flash (dual tone) |
| Multimedia | 4K UHD video, HDR |
| Front facing shooter | 5MP front camera |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE cat 6,WiFi ac, Bt 4.2, GPS, GLONASS, NFC USB Type-C |
| OS | Android 6.0 Marshmallow |
| Software features | Stock Android |
| Battery Capacity | 2700mah (non-removable) |
| Ports and charging | USB type-c |
| Released date | November |
| Official price | $379 US on 16GB (no official price in the Philippines, est. P18k pesos) |
| Where to buy | Hotgadgets, LG Philippine stores |
LG G4
The LG G4 has been widely acclaimed throughout 2015 and is even considered, one of the smartphone camera shooters in one point in time. However, despite the G4 losing out its camera glory days to the Xperia Z5 trio, the LG G4, nevertheless is considered to be a top notch handset that is expected to deliver great performance and shooting capabilities, a phone that truly deserves its space on your holiday gift list. The 5.5-inch 1440p QHD display is really something to look at, while the 16MP rear shooter, powered by OIS and laser autofocus is a very effective combination in shooting. Overall the G4 is a beastly handset to giveaway or to keep for yourself this christmas. Its available now in LG stores, with certain online stores offering it for Php 19,498.
See also: Sony Xperia Z5 vs LG G4, iPhone 6s, Galaxy Note 5 Camera Comparison!
| Specs/ PH price |
LG G4 specs, PH price, features |
| Display | 5.5-inch IPS 1440p LCD display, 538ppi |
| Size | 6.3mm -9.8mm thickness, 155g weight |
| Color | Grey, white, gold, leather black, leather brown, leather red |
| Protection | Gorilla Glass 3, curved body, leather stitch back cover |
| Chip | Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chip |
| Graphics | Adreno 418 GPU |
| Processor | Quad-core 1.44GHz Cortex-A53 & dual-core 1.82GHz Cortex-A57 |
| Memory | 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, microSD card up to 128GB |
| Main Shooter | 16MP rear shooter, laser autofocus, OIS feature, LED flash |
| Multimedia | 4K UHD video |
| Front facing shooter | 8MP selfie shooter, 1080p video |
| Connectivity | Dual SIM, 4G LTE cat 6, WiFi ac, Bt 4.1, FM Radio, GPS, Wireless charging, Infrared for remote |
| OS | Android 5.1 Lollipop |
| Software features | LG Optimus UX 4.0 UI |
| Battery Capacity | 3000mAh battery |
| Ports and charging | microUSB 2.0 (SlimPort 4K), USB Host, Wireless charging |
| Released date | April |
| Official price | Price at Php 19,498 for the leather red variant in lazada PH , as of October 19 2015 |
| Where to buy | Lazada and other online stores, LG stores |
Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
If you’re taking about size, then the C5 Ultra is also a pretty nice pick. The huge 6-incher Sony midranger is pretty good at its own right and has been part of many review comparisons in our book. We had a pretty good time with the C5 Ultra and still do, so take it from us, the Xperia C5 Ultra has its limits, but it does dish out some decent works in its pocket. One thing to take note is its dual paired sensors, the 13MP rear and selfie shooter that should deliver some great camera performance. Currently, the C5 Ultra is priced at Php 19,190 on Sony PH stores nationwide, though they are also available on online stores.
See also: Sony Xperia C5 Ultra VS LG Nexus 5X Comparison, Camera Review, Benchmarks
| Specs/PH price |
Sony Xperia C5 Ultra dual specs, PH price, features |
| Display | 6-inch 1080p IPS LCD display BraviaEngine 2, 367ppi |
| Size | 8.2mm thickness, 187g weight |
| Variant | Black, white, mint |
| Protection | Scratch-resistant glass |
| Chip | MediaTek 6752 octacore chipset |
| Processor | 8 x 1.7GHz Cortex-A53 processor |
| Graphics | Mali-T760MP2 |
| Memory | 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, microSD card up to 128GB |
| Main camera | 13MP rear shooter, AF, LED flash |
| Multimedia | 1080p FHD video, HDR |
| Front facing camera | 13MP selfie shooter, 1080p video, LED flash |
| Ports and charging | microUSB v2.0, MHL |
| OS | Android 5.0 to be updated to Android 6.0 Marshmallow |
| Software features | Xperia UI (close to stock Android experience) |
| Connectivity | WiFi a, BT 4.1, GPS, NFC, dual-SIM 4G LTE, FM Radio |
| Battery capacity | 2950mAh battery |
| Release date | September |
| Official price | Php 19,190 from Sony PH| bought device from onestoptech |
| Where to buy | Online stores like lazada, onestoptech and official retailers, Sony PH store |
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3
The recently released Redmi Note 3 is really a massive addition to the market’s ever growing brands of smartphone. A budget-wise 5.5-incher by heart, the Redmi Note 3 packs a few decent arsenal in its bags of tricks that can make anyones holiday a merry one. The latter carries a 13MP rear shooter, with phase detection feature and a 5MP selfie shooter. It holds a pretty decent 4000mAh battery capacity and is truly a must-have for christmas. Want one? The Redmi Note 3 is currently available through Widget City for Php 10,500.
See also: Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Unboxing, Hands-on, First impressions
| Specs/ PH price |
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 specs, PH price, features |
| Display | 5.5-inch IPS 1080p LCD FHD display, 403ppi |
| Size | 8.7mm thickness, 164g weight |
| Protection | Scratch resistant glass |
| Colour | Silver, gray, gold |
| Chip | Mediatek MT 6795 Helio x10 chipset |
| Processor | An octa-core processor |
| Graphics | PowerVR G6200 GPU |
| Memory | 16 or 32GB of ROM, 2 or 3GB of RAM, no microSD card |
| Main camera | 13MP rear shooter, phase detection feature, dual- LED (dual-tone flash) |
| Multimedia | 1080p video shooter |
| Front facing camera | 5MP selfie shooter, 1080p video |
| Connectivity | LTE, WiFI ac, BT 4.1, GPS, GLONASS BDS, FM Radio |
| OS | Android 5.1 Lollipop |
| Software features | MIUI 7.0 |
| Battery capacity | 4000mAh battery |
| Ports and charging | microUSB v2.0, USB On-The-Go, Fast battery charging |
| Release date | November, 2015 |
| Official price | Php 10, 500 price on Online stores |
| Where to buy | Xiaomi stores and online stores |
Asus Zenfone Max
The yet to be launched Asus Zenfone Max is looking very fine and to be honest, its one of those must watch this christmas. It is expected to be launched sooner this December and might still make it in your holiday list and trust us, is gonna be worth that little space in your list. The 5.5-incher 720p HD display might not be something new to some people, but the pride and joy of the Zenfone Max lies on its battery. The 5000mAh battery capacity of the Zenfone Max is truly something to look and it promises you a prolonged christmas moment with the Zenfone Max. If you’re looking to have a phone that can keep up with the busy bodies of Christmas hype, then the Zenfone Max is a pretty neat pick. The official price of the Zenfone Max is yet to be announced, our best guesstimate is around Php 10-11K.
See also: Asus Zenfone Max VS Lenovo K80 and P1 Specs Comparison: The Battery Battle
| Specs/ PH price |
Asus Zenfone Max specs, PH price, features |
| Display | 5.5-inch 720p HD IPS display, 267ppi |
| Size | 10.55mm thick, 205g weight (with sealed battery) |
| Design | Gorilla Glass 4, faux leather |
| Colors | Black, White |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 410 chip 64-bit |
| Processor | 4×1.2GHz Cortex |
| Graphics | Adreno 306 graphics |
| Memory | 16GB internal, microSD card up to 64GB |
| Main Camera | 13MP AF, laser focus, LED flash |
| Multimedia | 1080p video, HDR |
| Front camera | 5MP, 720p video |
| Connectivity | WiFi n, Bt 4.0, GPS, NFC, dual SIM 4G LTE |
| OS | Android 5.0 Lollipop |
| Software features | Zen UI |
| Battery | 5000mAh battery, non-swappable, non-replaceable |
| Ports | microUSB 2.0 |
| Official Price | No official pricing yet, Guesstimate P10k-11k pesos |
| Availability date | 2015 December |
| Where to buy | Asus Philippines |
Related posts and reviews
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Unboxing, Hands-on, First impressions
- LG Nexus 5X VS Samsung Galaxy A7 Comparison, Camera Review, Benchmarks
- Sony Xperia C5 Ultra VS LG Nexus 5X Comparison, Camera Review, Benchmarks
- Asus Zenfone Max VS Lenovo K80 and P1 Specs Comparison: The Battery Battle
- Sony Xperia Z5 vs LG G4, iPhone 6s, Galaxy Note 5 Camera Comparison!
