Smartphones

Best New Smartphones Under P10, 000 You can Buy in the Philippines

November 28, 2018 By Matthew Aaron Leave a Comment

Smartphones are becoming a hit and as you’ve noticed, leaders like Apple and Samsung are taking an annual feast in the Smartphone game. There are many financial institutions you can approach to relieve this matter but the prices might be a bit more demanding. Do you need a new smartphone but you’re currently short on budget? Are you interested in being up-to-date with the Smartphone game and you want an updated Smartphone but you don’t have enough funds to do so?

With a lot of choices, it may be a difficult task to pick a mobile phone that would suit your wants and needs. Moreover, it can be quite a hassle to weigh the differences between Smartphones to see which provides the exact perfect balance between price, specifications, performance, and overall value. Don’t worry because we’ve gather the best new smartphones under P10, 000 you can definitely rely on here in the Philippines.

Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus

One of the best new smartphones under P10, 000 — Image taken from Amazon | Amazon.com

Price: P9, 990.00

Starting the list would be the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus which is currently priced at P9, 990.00. At this price, you can have the guarantee of great battery performance and Full HD+ display with an ample amount of RAM and Internal Storage. With its specifications, you will be able to see why it’s seen as one of the best new Smartphones under P10, 000.

Key specifications:

Operating system runs at MIUI 9 based on Android 7.1 Nougat
Snapdragon 625 1.8GHz max octa-core processor
Battery: 4, 000mAh
4GB RAM
64GB of Internal storage
Display is at 99-inch 2160 x 1080 Full HD+ resolution
18:9 screen aspect ratio
12MP (rear) + 5MP (front) cameras

Vivo Y81

Price: P9, 999

One of the more famous Smartphone brands in the market, Vivo, has something to offer. With a looks of the newest iPhone X, it would definitely suit your wants and needs. Probably the most notable feature would be the fact that it’s inexpensive but conjures a big screen at a 6.22-inch display, perfect for entertainment and gaming purposes.

Read: The Vivo X21 to Bring In-Display Fingerprint Scanner Tech to the Philippines

Key specifications:

Funtouch OS 4.0 based on Android 8.1
MediaTek Helio P22 2.0 GHz octa-core processor
Battery: 3, 260mAh
3GB of RAM
32GB Internal storage and is expandable up to 256GB via Micro SD card
22-inch display with 1520 x 720 HD+ resolution
13MP (rear) + 5MP(front) cameras

ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1

Price: P9, 995

ASUS phones have been dubbed as the battery kings of the Smartphone game. That said, the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 actually complements to this as it’s powered by a 5, 000 mAh battery which can last up to a maximum of 28 hours even while connected to Wi-Fi and a straight 12-hour long gaming routine.

In addition to that, it’s packed with powerful specifications and display, really a one-of-a-kind phone that is light on the pockets.

With its 5, 000 mAh battery capacity, it can charge a phone from a base 0% to a full charge in less than three (3) full hours. Can you imagine?

Key specifications:

Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 with 14nm, 64-bit octa core processor
Runs on Pure Android 8.1 Oreo operating system
32GB of Internal storage which is expandable up to 2TB
3GB RAM
Battery: 5,000mAh, complete with fast charging
6-inch display with 2160 x 1080 Full HD+ resolution with
18:9 Full View IPS display
13MP / 16MP (main rear) + 5MP (secondary rear) + 8MP / 16MP (front) packed cameras

Huawei Nova 2 Lite

Price: P9, 990

Huawei has been off the hook lately and they’ve been battling in the Smartphone game quite strong. One of the newest additions in the Huawei family, the Huawei Nova 2 Lite, has classy and sophisiticated look that does not really reflect its price. One of the features that Huawei boasts about the Nova 2 Lite is its camera effect similar to those of the DSLRs.

Key specifications:

Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 1.4GHz octa core processor
3GB of RAM
Runs on OS Android 8.0 Oreo
Storage: 32GB which is expandable up to 256GB via Micro SD card
Battery: 3,000mAh
99 inch display at 1440 x 720 resolution FullView display
13 MP + 2 MP (rear) + 8 MP (front) cameras

Oppo A83

Price: P9, 990

Oppo is known to boast with its ultimate selfie modes and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology for flawless photos. Not just that, it’s part of the best new Smartphones under P10, 000 because of its display and high-paced processing.

The battery capacity might not seem to be enough but it works out just fine depending on how you utilize it. Holding the Oppo A83 would make you feel like holding a Smartphone priced at a fortune when in reality, it’s just really an inexpensive one.

Read: OPPO A71 2018 Phone Review – Philippines

Key specifications:

MediaTek MT6737T 2.5GHz octa-core processor
32GB of Internal storage and is expandable up to 256GB via Micro SD card
Battery: 3,180mAh
It runs on ColorOS 3.2 based on Android 7.1 operating system
3GB of RAM
7-inch display at 1440 x 720 resolution
18:9 screen aspect ratio
13MP (rear) + 8MP (front) cameras

Xiaomi Redmi 5A

Price: P4, 890

The second of the Xiaomi family comes the Redmi 5A is considered to be one of the best new Smartphones under P10, 000 at an entry-level smartphone. It doesn’t have maximum phone specifications but it can do you good if you plan on having a Smartphone to do browsing, social media, and light-gaming.

Key Specifications:

Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 64-bit quad-core 1.4GHz max processor
Runs on MIUI 9 based on Android 7.1 Nougat operating system
Battery: 3,000mAh
2GB/3GB RAM
16GB/32GB of Internal storage
5-inch HD display at best; 1281 x 720 resolution
13MP (rear) + 5MP (front) cameras

Infinix HOT 6 Pro

Price: P6, 499

Probably one of the more underrated Smartphones of today, the Infinix HOT series can be a good phone depending on the user. It’s part of the best new Smartphones under P10, 000 because of the fact that its specifications are balanced; from great performance, to battery capacity, and overall mobile results, you can get a lot from the Infinix HOT 6 Pro.

Read: Infinix Note 4 User Review at P6, 999 with 32GB ROM, 3GB RAM

Key Specifications:

Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 1.4GHz quad-core processo
Battery: 4,000mAh
Android 8.0 Oreo operating system
3GB of RAM
32GB of Internal storage and is expandable up to 128GB via Micro SD
6-inch display at 18:9 HD+ IPS displa
1440 x 720 resolution
13MP + 2MP dual rear cameras

Those are among the best new Smartphones today under P10, 000. You might be shocked with the price and its features because you won’t be able to see that for its price, you have a chance to get high-end, sophisticated-looking, and great-performing Smartphones.

What are you waiting for? Grab your chance at owning an inexpensive but overall performing Smartphone now! Scan through the list of these best new Smartphones under P10, 000 and be amazed at the prices and the specifications along with it.

OPPO A71 2018 Phone Review – Philippines

July 1, 2018 By Matthew Aaron Leave a Comment

The smartphone market is becoming easier and inexpensive. A lot of companies are looking at Samsung and Apple and making their own versions of it. In fact, a lot of them are Chinese and Korean companies looking to play the game with the big ballers (Apple and Samsung). One of which is the Chinese brand OPPO which is reengineering the smartphone market.

There are a lot of noticeable models OPPO has released one of which was the OPPO A71 (2017). This year, OPPO has released a newer version of it, the OPPO A71 (2018). This newer version is ran by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 chipset. The previous one had a MediaTek MT6750, which carries less RAM – 3GB RAM. Now that you know one of the main changes, what else is there to discuss?

Phone construction and overall design

One of OPPO’s main signature looks is the curve on the edges of the phone. This specific feature was not lost in the A71 (2018). Technically speaking, it doesn’t look exactly different than its predecessor and the matte finish of the back of the phone won’t be filled with fingerprints which is excellent.

On the right part of the phone you will see the lock/power button just slightly above the SIM and expandable micro SD card slot. The left part houses the volume button. On the bottom part of the screen, the buttons that serve as the task manager, home, and back buttons are still there. The top edge of the phone contains nothing but the 3.5mm audio port. On the bottom edge however, the charging port, microphone, and speakers can be found. The phone still uses a microUSB port although it would be nicer if they put USB Type-C port since it’s a newer version. Let’s hope that OPPO realizes the goodness of having a Type-C port.

The back part of the phone has the 13MP camera and the OPPO logo. It’s finished with matte texture which is excellent in terms of not catching fingerprints and oil from our hands.

Camera

Its camera is 13MP with an aperture of f/2.2 and an LED flash. The front cam uses an aperture of f/2.4 and 5MP. In addition to that, the rear camera contains Beauty, Expert (manual mode), Panorama, Watermark, and HDR + different built-in filters to choose from.

The front cam or “selfie” tool has Beauty, Depth (artificial Bokeh), HDR, and Panorama; the Beauty feature has levels 1 to 6 you can adjust.

Photos produced by the rear camera are are sharp and crisp. However, the rear camera has a hard time adjusting to very bright conditions, as it tends to kill or remove shadows. Despite that, colors are accurate with a good amount of details and color mixture. It’s excellent in well-lit areas but dim areas make it appear a little blurry, though.

The front cam, on the other hand, are good, it’s fine in dim-lighting but is fantastic in well-lit conditions. The whole A.I. Beauty technology thing works smoothly and just smoothens our selfies. Although it will look more natural without it, a lot of people patronize this feature.

Mutimedia and Display

Same as the one last year, the A71 (2018) still uses a 5.2 HD IPS with the resolution 1280 x 720 (282ppi). It’s technically the same as the model last year that’s why it would’ve been nice if the resolution was straightened at full HD. The UI looks more Apple than the other smartphones in its tier.

The volume is pretty straight and accurate although having it in max volume makes the sound pretty tinny. The combination of the UI, colors, and the sound concludes the characteristics of OPPO smartphones. It doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner by the way which requires you to do the traditional setting up of a lock/screen code. The back part of the phone is not occupied or whatsoever and OPPO could’ve used this space to apply fingerprint scans.

Battery

The device comes with a normal battery of 3, 000mAh but it can last more than a day with average phone usage. Meaning, no heavy gaming, not too much time in social media, etc. The power and the efficiency of the SnapDragon 450 makes all of these possible. Charging the device can take 2 hours and 30 minutes to a total of 3 hours, though from zero. However, using it under draining circumstances and substantial uses might kill the battery performance; use it in moderation.

Operating System and Storage

One of the downsides of this newer OPPO model is its storage. Although it has an expandable memory via microSD, it’s internal storage is just 16GB which leaves you somewhere around 6 to 8GB of extra usage. The only third-party application built-in on the phone is Facebook, others are the defaults of OPPO. OPPO still has their default “owned” programs and applications like the Theme Store, Phone Manager, and the Manage (CleanUp) Tool.

Since we’re talking about apps, it runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat and uses OPPO’s ColorOS3.2. Instead of a menu or an app drawer, it uses multiple home screens.

Overall performance, feedback, and price

In a whole picture, OPPO did a wonderful job in its processing and performing GPU and CPU. Moreover, the Beauty Technology is now present. Although OPPO could have taken this opportunity in taking the storage to a whole new level and the charger at Type-C USB port + the fact that it doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner. Although it’s still good at its below Php8, 000.00 range price. To be specific, its SRP is at Php7, 990 and is available to be bought in a lot of stores nationwide.

OPPO A71 (2018) Specs
Display	5.2-inch HD IPS Display
Resolution	1280 x 720 resolution (282ppi)
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 450
GPU	Adreno 506
CPU	Octa-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A53
Storage	16 GB, 2 GB RAM or 3 GB RAM (India)
Rear Cameras	13MP, f/2.2 with LED Flash
Front Cameras	5MP, f/2.4
OS	Android 7.1.1 Nougat ColorOS 3.2
battery	3, 000mAh Li-Ion (non-removable)
Dimensions	148.1 x 73.8 x 7.6 mm (5.83 x 2.91 x 0.30 in)
Weight	137 grams
Price	Php7, 990

In-depth Huawei Nova 2i Review – Philippines

July 1, 2018 By Matthew Aaron Leave a Comment

Right now, China is now considered to be the largest telecom infrastructure maker in the world of course with the help of various partnerships. Since it’s rise, the country has been making great excitement to subscribers by manufacturing mid-range Android devices.

Huawei is one of China’s best bets; they’ve been creating flagship models with extraordinary outcome since the day it was launched. The introduction of Huawei’s Nova 2i is quite appealing and out of the ordinary. It’s been creating popularity with other smartphones with its large, near bezel-less displays which puts more room for a bigger screen for better experience. A few of its competitors would be the LG Q6, the Vivo V7+ and OPPO F5. Huawei’s Nova 2i is nevertheless an additional hard competitor with its price ranging around Php15k.

This article will focus on reviews of the Huawei Nova 2i as we come across all features and characteristics of the phone. We would also be tackling its design and how it is good; In addition, we will also include its battery life and most particularly the quad-camera setup which is said to be the first of its kind.

Design, Quality, and Construction

Nova 2i’s main advantage is its quality; aside from being a good-looking device, it is a unibody, which means it doesn’t have any bezels; an all metal design with no plastic material. It has a tall and slim profile despite the humongous 5.9-inch display. It’s only 7.5mm thin and 164 grams in weight which is excellent for the display size. The power button and volume controls are on the right side.

The size of the phone is still convenient to hold with its smooth, rounded corners and edges; it’s finished up with a hint of matte design. It is comfortable actually, can be easily gripped considering the size of the display. The antenna band at the back just forms a straight line, which also encompasses the LED flash.

It also comes in various colors – Graphite, Aurora Blue, and Prestige Gold.

The Nova 2i has a hybrid dual-SIM tray — the first one carries a nano SIM card and support 4G LTE while the second one can accommodate a micro SD card that goes up to 256GB or a nano SIM card. However, it can only accommodate 2G in terms of connectivity.

The fingerprint sensor at the back where it is normally found in almost every Huawei devices is just below the rear cameras. To add to that, this scanner works as quick as lightning; it’s easy to access and unlock the phone and it can accommodate up to 5 unique fingerprints. Other than unlocking the device, it can also be used to toggle different shortcuts which you can then toggle or modify.

Display and Multimedia

What’s noticeable about the Nova 2i is its gorgeous looking screen. It is called FHD+ FullView 18:9 aspect ratio screen. 5.9 inches of display squeezed into a 5.5-inch form factor; this is still not fully common even on flagships models. The sharp, FHD screen offers forceful and to some extent, saturated colors. The screen brightness is a little low when viewing in direct sunlight. The display is clear, with 2160-x 1080 pixel resolution perfect for those who love watching videos or live. The 409ppi gives it more than enough pixel density to produce accurate, noticeable, and sharp images.

The Nova 2i has a single speaker at the bottom, just on the left side of the USB port. The quality of the sound is excellent and maximum volume is loud. However, putting it on the maximum might cause damage so keep it to a minimum.

Camera

The Nova 2i is the first smartphone from Huawei to gain quad-camera setup. It features dual lens cameras both front and back so that’s two rear cameras and two front-facing cameras.

The main 16-megapixel camera can shoot at full resolution in a 16:9 aspect ratio and the supported resolution is at 11MP. Both cameras are supplemented by a smaller 2-megapixel unit. The second rear camera is there to provide in depth-of-field and simulate very good aperture which can be as wide as f/0.95 to f/16.

In terms of camera quality, I can be a witness that it’s out-of-the-ordinary in daylight. With an aperture of f2.2, it’s a bit hard to get a not-so-blurry shot when shooting in low light, so it’s quite difficult to maintain a great photo in the dark. Video recording maxes at full HD1080 at 30fps. There’s no 4K support but fancy features such as slow motion (480p), time-lapse and light painting are present. The front-facing camera also comes with LED soft light for better selfies.

Battery Life

For typical average to heavy usage, Huawei Nova 2i with 3340mAh of battery power can make it throughout a day. This is relatively good and can be used for 24 hours if you maintain the brightness low and cut on gaming and GPS. The battery is non-removable for better conduction and security, of course.

It can last for a dy with standard calls, messaging, an hour of YouTube video, an hour of social media, and an hour of gaming. On the downside, there’s no fast-charging available and the use of a regular USB port rather than a type-C is kind of a letdown.

If you want a slight comment on how powerful its battery is, being idle for 6 straight hours consumes about 4-5% of the battery.

Overall Performance

An excellent display should be partnered with good performance, and the Nova 2i has persuading specifications as far as performance is concern. The phone is powered by Huawei’s latest home-baked Octa-core High Silicon Kirin 659 processor with Mali-T830 MP2 graphics. It has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, which is expandable via micro SD.

If you’re wondering about gaming, yes the Nova 2i won’t disappoint you in gaming. Given the fact that it can accommodate heavy RAM usage, you can be carefree that no lag will remain even if applications are open.

Huwaei Nova 2i specifications:
Display	5.9-inch 18:9 IPS LCD display
Resolution	2160 x 1080 pixels
Processor	HiSilicon Kirin 659 2.36GHz GHz Octa-Core
RAM	4GB LPDDR3
Storage	64GB internal storage
Rear Cameras	16MP+2MP, f/2.2 with LED Flash
Front Cameras	13MP+2MP, f/2.0
OS	Android 7 Nougat with Huawei EMUI 5.1
Battery	3,340mAh Li-Ion
Dimensions	156.2 × 75.2 × 7.5mm
Weight	164 grams
Price	Php14, 999
Other Specs:	Dual SIM, hybrid ((GSM and GSM)) 2.5D Curved Glass Display 4 x 2.36GHz ARM Cortex A53 + 4 x 1.4GHz ARM Cortex A5 Expandable via microSD up to 256GB (uses SIM2) 4G VoLTE Hybrid Dual-SIM (nano+nano/microSD) WiFi 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth 4.2 GPS with aGPS support, GLONASS

Sources: Yugatech, Noypigeeks

Smartphones

Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus

Price: P9, 990.00

Vivo Y81

Price: P9, 999

ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1

Price: P9, 995

Huawei Nova 2 Lite

Price: P9, 990

Oppo A83

Price: P9, 990

Xiaomi Redmi 5A

Price: P4, 890

Infinix HOT 6 Pro

Price: P6, 499

Phone construction and overall design

Camera

Mutimedia and Display

Battery

Operating System and Storage

Overall performance, feedback, and price

OPPO A71 (2018) Specs

Design, Quality, and Construction

Display and Multimedia

Camera

Battery Life

Overall Performance

Huwaei Nova 2i specifications: