Smartphones Launched Under 10k in the Philippines (Q1 2022)

The first quarter of 2022 is officially over, and many smartphone brands have released their new devices for this year. From January to March 2022, a handful of budget handsets have arrived in our markets, sporting entry-level specs that are good for daily usage and media consumption.

If you’re on a tight budget and looking for a smartphone that won’t zero out your wallet, this is the place for you. Today, we’re covering the latest smartphones launched in the Philippines this Q1 2022 that are under PHP 10,000.

Note that they are listed from earliest to latest launch.

Motorola Moto G31

Let’s start with Motorola‘s first smartphone offering this year, the Motorola Moto G31. It is a budget smartphone that sports a 6.4-inch AMOLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate. The device is being powered by MediaTek’s Helio G85 and a large 5,000mAh with 10W charging.

In the camera department, it comes with capable triple-rear cameras consisting of a 50MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle shooter, and a 2MP macro lens. upfront is a 13MP selfie camera. The Motorola Moto G31 is also IPX2 rated and connects to a 4G LTE network.

Price: 4GB RAM + 128GB storage – PHP 8,995

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Samsung Galaxy A03

Next is the Samsung Galaxy A03. So far, it is the only Samsung smartphone launched in the country that is under the 10k price. For specs, it has a display size of 6.5-inch with a pixel resolution of 720 x 1600. Powering it is an unnamed 2×1.6GHz + 6×1.6GHz octa-core processor, paired with up to 4GB of RAM, up to 128GB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery with 15W charging.

Camera-wise, it uses a 48MP main sensor, a 2MP depth lens, and a 5MP selfie module. It connects via micro USB, has a 3.5mm audio jack, and is 4G LTE-enabled. There are also three color options to choose from Black, Blue, and Red.

Price: 3GB + 32GB – PHP 5,490 / 3GB + 64GB – PHP 6,490 / 4GB + 128GB – PHP 7,490

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Xiaomi Redmi Note 11

Probably the most “sulit” smartphone on the list, the Redmi Note 11 4G boasts a 6.43-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080) AMOLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for protection. Inside, you get a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor built on a 6nm process, paired with up to 6GB LDPRR4X RAM, up to 128GB UFS 2.2 expandable storage, and a 5,000mAh battery capacity with 33W fast charging.

For the cameras, it has a 50MP main module, an 8MP ultra-wide shooter, a pair of 2MP lenses for macro and depth, and a 13MP selfie camera. That is a total of five cameras for a smartphone that’s under 10k price. In addition, the Redmi Note 11 is also IP53 splash-proof and comes with dual speakers. Colorways are Graphite Gray, Twilight Blue, and Star Blue.

Price: 4GB + 64GB – PHP 8,999 / 6GB + 128GB – PHP 9,999

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Cherry Mobile Aqua X

The most affordable on the list, local giant Cherry Mobile’s Aqua X smartphone packs a 6.26-inch HD (1600 x 720) IPS LCD display, a MediaTek Helio P23 chipset with Mali-G71 MP2 GPU, 3GB RAM, 32GB expandable storage, and a 3,500mAh with 10W charging.

There’s also a single 13MP Sony IMX258 main camera. For selfies, it has an 8MP Sony IMX219 front module. It also has a Face Unlock feature for security and boots Android 9.0 Pie OS. This smartphone is good for those who want a budget smartphone with minimum usage and photography.

Price: 3GB + 32GB – PHP 3,599

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TCL 20B

An entry-level smartphone from TCL, the TCL 20B incorporates a thin and light 3D-curved design with a 6.52-inch HD+ (1600 x 720) LCD panel. Its display is powered by NXTVISION, which dramatically enhances the visuals with smarter screen functioning. Under the hood, it comes with a MediaTek Helio P22 chipset, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, and a 4,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging.

Camera-wise, it uses a 50MP primary sensor, a 2MP lens, and an 8MP module for selfies. There’s also a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. Color options available are Purple and Black.

Price: 4GB + 64GB – PHP 8,190

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Infinix Smart 6

One of the cheapest on the list, the Infinix Smart 6 comes with a 6.6-inch HD+ (1600 x 720) IPS LCD screen with 2.5D glass. Infinix didn’t reveal the processor but it boots XOS 7.6 OS based on Android 11 Go Edition. It comes with 3GB of RAM and 64GB of storage that’s expandable up to 512GB via a dedicated microSD card slot.

For performance, it packs a 5,000mAh battery with 10W charging. It also boasts DTS Audio Processing + Beez 2.0 for audio and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner as well as Face Unlock for security. The dual-rear cameras at the back consist of an 8MP main module and an AI lens. The front is being handled by an 8MP selfie camera. It is available in Black, Cyan, and Ocean colors.

Price: 3GB + 64GB – PHP 5,490

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TECNO Pova Neo (6GB/128GB)

This is a new variant of the TECNO Pova Neo, packing a bigger 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. For specs, it sports a 6.8-inch HD+ (720 x 1640) IPS LCD display with a 120Hz touch sampling rate. It boots an Android 11-based HiOS 7.6 OS. Inside, it is powered by a Mediatek Helio P22 chipset.

For photography, it features a 13MP primary camera, a 2MP depth sensor, and n 8MP selfie snapper. It also packs a large 6,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging. For the sensor, it has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The colors available are Obsidian, Gek Blue, and Powehi.

Price: 6GB + 128GB – PHP 6,999

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realme narzo 50

The vanilla smartphone of the narzo 50 lineup, the realme narzo 50 boasts a 120Hz refresh rate for a 6.6-inch (2412 x 1080) IPS LCD panel. Inside, it comes with a capable Mediatek Helio G96, paired with up to 6GB of RAM, and up to 128GB UFS 2.1 storage.

For a longer usage time, it packs a 5,000mAh battery with 33W wired charging. Handling the cameras are a 50MP primary sensor, a pair of 2MP lenses for macro and depth, and a 16MP selfie snapper. For audio, it has stereo speakers. Available colors are Speed Blue and Speed Black.

Price: 4GB + 64GB – PHP 8,990 / 6GB + 128GB – PHP 9,990

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realme narzo 50A Prime

Another member of the narzo 50 family, the realme narzo 50A Prime is an entry-level smartphone sporting a 6.6-inch (2408 x 1080) IPS LCD panel just like the vanilla narzo 50 but lacks the high refresh rate. Under the hood, it is powered by an octa-core Unisoc Tiger T612 processor, paired with 4GB of RAM, up to 128GB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery but with a slower 18W charging.

The triple-rear cameras at the back consist of a 50MP main camera, a 2MP macro lens, and a 0.3 depth sensor. Upfront is an 8MP selfie snapper. It can shoot 1080p videos @30fps. For security, it has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and a Face Unlock feature.

Price: 4GB + 64GB – PHP 7,290 / 4GB + 128GB – PHP 7,990

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TECNO Spark 8C

Lastly, the TECNO Spark 8C features a 6.6-inch HD+ IPS display with a 90Hz refresh rate and an unnamed octa-core processor with Memory Fusion Technology. There’s also DTS surround sound for audio. It also has 4GB of RAM that can be extended via Memory Fusion and 64GB of storage.

Other specs include a 13MP main camera, AI lens, 8MP selfie snapper, rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, and NFC. It is available in Turquoise Cyan, Magnet Black, Iris Purple, and Diamond Grey.

Price: 4GB + 64GB – PHP 5,999

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The first quarter of 2022 included ten entry-level smartphones that were under PHP 10,000. We expect the numbers to grow in the next quarters. Let us know in the comment section if we miss something.

That’s it for the list. We hope you find the smartphone that you want and that fits within your budget.