This year, 2018, more and more midrange phones have started to appear. However, unlike the usual mid-range phones in the past, they sport high-end specs or features but are still sold at an affordable price.
For example, the Face Unlock feature used to be only available to flagship phones. But companies were able to find a way to bring this feature to budget phones. Some handsets even skipped the fingerprint scanner to give way to the Face Unlock feature.
The OPPO F5 is part of the OPPO’s Selfie Expert series. It was released here in the Philippines last year at the month of November at the price of Php 15,990.
| SPECS | Oppo F5 |
| Display | 6″ 1080 x 2160 LTPS IPS LCD (~402 ppi) |
| Size | 156.5 x 76 x 7.5 mm, 152g |
| Design | Combination of Plastic back and Metal frame |
| Colors | Black, Red, Gold |
| Chipset | Mediatek MT6763T Helio P23 |
| Processor | Octa-core 2.5GHz Octa Core Cortex-A53 |
| Graphics | Mali-G71 MP2 |
| Rear Camera | 16 MP, f/1.8, phase detection autofocus, LED flash, 1080p@30 |
| Front Camera | 20 MP, f/2.0, 1/2.8″, 1080p@30 |
| Memory | 64 GB, 6 GB RAM or 32 GB, 4 GB RAM, <256GB microSD |
| Connectivity | GSM/HSPA/LTE WiFi ac, Bt 4.2, A2DP, LE, A-GPS, |
| OS | Android 7.1 |
| Software | ColorOS 3.2 |
| Battery | Non-removable 3200 mAh Li-Ion battery |
| Official Price | PhP 15,990 |
The OPPO F5 Youth is a more affordable version of the OPPO F5. It was released shortly after the OPPO F5 last year with a price of Php 13,990.
| SPECS | Oppo F5 |
| Display | 6″ 1080 x 2160 IPS LCD (~402 ppi) |
| Size | 156.5 x 76 x 7.5 mm, 152g |
| Design | Combination of Plastic back and Metal frame |
| Colors | Black, Red, Gold |
| Chipset | Mediatek MT6763V/CT |
| Processor | Octa-core 2.5 GHz Cortex-A53 |
| Graphics | Mali-G71 MP2 |
| Rear Camera | 13MP with f/2.0 aperture with LED flash |
| Front Camera | 16MP with AI Beauty Mode |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM, 32 GB of expandable up to 256 GB |
| Connectivity | GSM/HSPA/LTE WiFi ac, Bt 4.2, A2DP, LE, A-GPS, |
| OS | Android 7.1 |
| Software | ColorOS 3.2 |
| Battery | Non-removable 3200 mAh Li-Ion battery |
| Official Price | PhP 13,990 |
The Vivo V9 launched here in the Philippines this March 2018 at the price of Php 17,990.
| SPECS | Vivo V9 |
| Display | 6.3″ 1080×2280, IPS Capacitive Touchscreen, 2.5D Curved Glass planes |
| Size | 154.81 x 75.03 x 7.89mm |
| Weight | 150g |
| Colors | Pearl Black, Gold |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 626 |
| Processor | Octa-core 2.2 GHz Cortex-A53 |
| Graphics | Adreno 506 |
| Rear Camera | 16MP + 5MP (f2.0) |
| Front Camera | 24MP f/2.0 |
| Memory | 4GB RAM/64GB internal storage, up to 256GB via dedicated microSD card slot |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, OTG, FM |
| OS | Android 8.1 |
| Software | Funtouch OS 4.0 |
| Battery | 3,260mAh battery |
| Official Price | Php 17,990 |
The Vivo V9 Youth is a more affordable version of the Vivo V9. This was announced this April 2018 though it hasn’t arrived in the Philippines yet.
| SPECS | Vivo V9 Youth |
| Display | 6.3″ IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen |
| Size | 154.8 x 75.1 x 7.9 mm, 150g |
| Weight | 150g |
| Colors | Champagne Gold, Pearl Black, Red |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 450 |
| Processor | Octa-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A53 |
| Graphics | Adreno 506 |
| Rear Camera | Dual: 16 MP + 2 MP, phase detection autofocus, dual-LED flash |
| Front Camera | 16 MP, f/2.0, 1080p |
| Memory | 32 GB, 4 GB RAM, <256GB microSD |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth 4.2, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, microUSB 2.0, USB On-The-Go |
| OS | Android 8.1 (Oreo) |
| Software | Funtouch OS 4.0 |
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Ion 3260 mAh battery |
| Official Price | INR 18,990 (approx. PHP 15,000) |
At first, the Face Unlock feature was not available for the Huawei Nova 2i. It only became available on the smartphone after its update at around February this year.
| SPECS | Huawei Nova 2i |
| Display | [2160×1080] 5.9″ IPS LCD, ~409ppi |
| Size | 156.2 x 75 x 7.5 mm, 164g |
| Design | Metal frame |
| Colors | Black, Blue, Gold |
| Chipset | HiSilicon Kirin 659 |
| Processor | Octa-core (4×2.36 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4×1.7 GHz Cortex-A53) |
| Graphics | Mali T830MP2 |
| Rear Camera | Dual 16 MP + 2 MP, phase detection autofocus, LED flash, 1080p@30 |
| Front Camera | Dual 13 MP, f/2.0 + 2 MP, 1080p@30 |
| Memory | 4GB RAM, 64GB internal, <256GB microSD |
| Connectivity | GSM/HSPA/LTE WiFi ac, Bt 4.2, A2DP, LE, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC |
| OS | Android 7.1 |
| Software | EMUI 5.1 |
| Battery | Non-removable 3340mAh Li-Ion battery |
| Official Price | PhP 14,990 |
Because of the users’ hype on the Huawei Nova 2i, Huawei decided to make a more affordable version of it, the Huawei Nova 2 Lite. The smartphone was released in the Philippines this March 2018.
| SPECS | Huawei Nova 2 Lite |
| Display | 5.99-inch HD+ IPS 18:9 Display, 1440 x 720 pixel resolution |
| Size | 158.3×76.7×7.8mm |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 430 processor |
| CPU | 1.4GHz Octa Core Cortex-A53 |
| Chipset | HiSilicon Kirin 970 |
| GPU | Adreno 505 |
| Memory | 3 GB RAM, 32 GB (expandable up to 256GB) |
| Connectivity | LTE, 802.11n, BT 4.2, GPS, microUSB 2.0, USB On-The-Go, 3.5mm audio jack |
| Front Camera | 8MP f/2.0 aperture, Soft LED flash, Beautification mode |
| Rear Camera | 13+2 megapixel, PDAF and LED flash |
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Ion 3,000mAh battery |
| Official Price | PhP 9,990 |
The Huawei P20 lite is the mid-range phone in the Huawei P20 series. This device was released to the Philippines this April 2018.
| SPECS | Huawei P20 Lite |
| Display | 5.84-inches LTPS IPS LCD 1080 x 2280 resolution 80.55% screen-to-body ratio Ambient light sensor Proximity sensor |
| Dimensions | 148.6 x 71.2 x 7.4 mm |
| Chipset | HiSilicon Kirin 659 |
| CPU | Android 8.0 (Oreo) |
| GPU | Mali-T830 MP2 |
| Memory | 64GB internal storage 4GB RAM(expandable up to 256 GB) |
| Connectivity | LTE, 802.11ac, B.T. 4.2, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, LX1 NFC, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector |
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Po 3,000 mAh, Fast battery charging 9V/2A |
| Price | Php 15, 990 |
Another “Selfie Expert” series that made it on this list is the OPPO F7. The OPPO F7 became popular in the Philippines ever since it arrived this April 2018. The smartphone is priced at Php 17,990.
| SPECS | OPPO F7 |
| Display | 6.23 inches 1080×2280 pixels IPS LCD |
| Dimensions & Features | 6.2×2.9×0.2 inches, 158 g |
| Chipset | Mediatek Helio P60 |
| CPU | 8-Octa Core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A73 |
| GPU | ARM Mali-G72 |
| Memory | 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage, (up to 256GB via microSD) |
| Connectivity | LTE Cat. 5/4, 802.11, BT 4.2, GPS, microUSB 2.0, 3.5mm audio jack |
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Ion 3400 mAh |
| OS | Android OS, v8.1 (Oreo) ColorOS 5.0 UI |
| Price | PHP 17,990 |
In order to cater to people who can’t afford the OPPO F7 due to a tight budget, OPPO made a more affordable version of it, the OPPO F7 Youth. The OPPO F7 Youth was available for purchase through pre-orders last week.
| SPECS | OPPO F7 Youth |
| Display | 6-inch Full HD+ LTPS IPS display, 2160 x 1080 resolution, 18:9 aspect ratio |
| Chipset | MediaTek octa-core Helio P60 processor |
| GPU | ARM Mali-G72 MP3 GPU |
| Memory | 4GB RAM, 64GB of expandable storage |
| Rear Camera | 13-megapixel rear camera f/1.8 aperture PDAF with LED flash |
| Front Camera | 8-megapixel front camera with AI beautification |
| Connectivity | Dual SIM, 3G, LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS |
| Battery | 3400mAh battery |
| OS | Android Oreo with ColorOS 5.0 UI |
| Price | PHP 13,990 |
The OPPO A83 had similar specs with the OPPO F5 Youth although the difference was that it was deemed as a budget Gaming phone. It arrived in the Philippines this February 2018 with a price of Php 9,990.
| SPECS | OPPO A83 |
| Display | 5.7-inch HD+ (1440 x 720) 18:9 display, 2.5D curved glass |
| Dimensions | 150.5 × 73.1 × 7.7mm, 143g |
| Chipset | Mediatek MT6763T Helio P23 |
| CPU | Octa-core 2.5 GHz Cortex-A53 |
| GPU | Mali-G71 MP2 |
| Memory | 4GB RAM, 32GB Internal Storage, expandable up to 128GB |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, WiFi Direct, hotspot, BT 4.2, A-GPS, GLONASS, microUSB 2.0, 3.5mm audio jack |
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Ion 3,090mAh battery |
| OS | Android 7.1 (Nougat) ColorOS 3.2 |
| Price | Php 9,990 |
The Asus ZenFone Max M1 also known as a battery king was released in the Philippines this May 2018 at the price of PHP 8,995.
| SPECS | ASUS ZenFone Max M1 |
| Display | 5.5-inch HD+ IPS LCD display (1440×720 resolution), 292 ppi |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor |
| GPU | Adreno 505 |
| Memory | 3GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage (up to 2TB via microSD card) |
| Rear Camera | 13-megapixel rear camera, f/2.0 aperture + 8-megapixel wide-angle camera with 120-degree FoV |
| Front Camera | 13-megapixel front camera, f/2.2 aperture |
| Connectivity | WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Fingerprint Scanner, Face Unlock |
| Battery | 4000mAh battery with Asus Boost Master |
| OS | Android Oreo 8.0 with ZenUI 5.0 |
| Price | PHP 8,995 |
The Asus ZenFone 5 Lite or 5Q was first announced during the latest MWC along with its flagship versions, the Asus ZenFone 5 and Asus ZenFone 5Z. The smartphone is currently available in the Philippines at the price of Php 16,995.
| SPECS | Asus ZenFone 5Q |
| Display | 6.0 inches IPS LCD Display (2160 x 1080) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 |
| GPU | Adreno 508 |
| Memory | 4GB of RAM, 64GB internal storage |
| Rear Camera | Dual 16MP+8MP rear camera with phase detection autofocus and LED Flash |
| Front Camera | Dual 20MP+8MP selfie camera |
| Connectivity | Dual Nano sim, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS support, microUSB 2.0, NFC |
| Battery | non-removable 3,300mAh Li-Ion battery |
| OS | Android 7.1.1 Oreo |
| Price/Availability | PHP 16,995, Available April 14, 2018 |
(This article will update through time.)
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