(8) Eight 15k to 20k Smartphones to Choose From (1H 2023)

Trying to purchase for a new midrange smartphone may be quite a daunting task given how many smartphones are now available these days.

But overall, the price range of PHP 15,000USD 256INR 21,669EUR 243CNY 1,862 to PHP 20,000USD 341INR 28,892EUR 325CNY 2,482 offers a great balance of affordability and top-notch features, making it perfect for smartphone enthusiasts and for those looking for a solid daily driver.

In this article, we’ll highlight all the options available released in the first half of 2023.

POCO X5 Pro 5G 133

The POCO X5 Pro 5G 81 offers some of the best performance at this price point, it has a 6.67-inch AMOLED display and a 120Hz refresh rate paired with a Snapdragon 778G chipset.

You also get a triple camera setup at the back headlined by a 108MP main lens and an 8MP ultrawide while having support for 5G and 67W fast charging

The POCO X5 Pro 5G comes at of PHP 16,999USD 290INR 24,557EUR 276CNY 2,110 for the 6GB+128GB model and PHP 18,999USD 324INR 27,446EUR 308CNY 2,358 for an upgraded 8GB+256GB variant on both Shopee 65 and Lazada 56.

POCO X5 Pro 5G Specs:
6.67” FHD+ AMOLED DotDisplay
2400 x 1080 Resolution
120Hz Refresh Rate, 240Hz Touch Sampling Rate
Corning Gorilla Glass 5
SnapDragon 778G Chipset
Adreno 642L GPU
Triple Rear Camera:
108MP Main Lens
8MP Ultra Wide
2MP Macro
16MP Front Camera
Dual-Sim
5G, 4G LTE
USB-C
3.5mm Audio Jack
Fingerprint Scanner
MIUI Global 14 (Android 12)
5000mAh Battery w/ 67W Fast Charging
6GB+128GB, 8GB+256GB

realme 10 Pro+ 5G 46

The realme 10 Pro+ 5G stylish, premium-designed phone with a 6.7-inch curved edge AMOLED display for a sleek look and minimal bezels. Not to mention that it also has a 120hz refresh rate and supports HDR10+.

Inside, it comes with the Dimensity 920 chipset that also comes with 67W fast charging, 5G, and a triple camera setup with a 108MP main and 8MP ultrawide.

The realme 10 Pro+ 5G comes in at PHP 19,999USD 341INR 28,891EUR 325CNY 2,482 for its 8GB+128GB configuration on Shopee 45 and Lazada 20.

relame 10 Pro+ 5G specs:
6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED, 120Hz, (FHD+ 2412 × 1080, 394ppi)
Mediatek MT6877V Dimensity 920
Mali-G68 MC4
8GB/12GB RAM
128GB, 256GB internal storage
LTE, 5G
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band
Bluetooth 5.2
GPS (L1+L5)/ GALILEO/ GLONASS/ BDS/ QZSS
108MP Main camera (f/1.8 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF)
8MP Ultrawide (f/2.2 aperture)
2MP Macro (f/2.4 aperture)
@4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120/480fps, 720p@960fps, gyro-EIS
16MP Selfie (f/2.5 aperture)
@1080p@30fps
5000mAh Li-on battery
Type-C, USB 2.0
realme UI 4.0
161.5 x 73.9 x 7.8 mm (dimensions)
173 grams (weight)

realme 10 Pro 5G Coca-Cola Edition 35

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a truly unique phone and are a big fan of Coca Cola, you can pick up the realme 10 Pro 5G 40 Coca-Cola Edition. In contrast, it packs in a 6.7-inch FHD+ LCD panel with still a 120Hz refresh rate while now being powered by the Snapdragon 695 processor.

It also comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage while also packing a similar 108MP main but ditching the ultrawide for a 2MP depth sensor. It also has a support for 5G connections and a 5,000 mAh battery with 33W fast charging.

At just PHP 18,999USD 324INR 27,446EUR 308CNY 2,358 in Shopee 26, it’s one of the most unique smartphones you can get at this price point. The only downside being that it may be hard to find one nowadays as only 589 units were sold.

realme 10 Pro 5G specs:
6.7-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080) IPS LCD, 391ppi
120Hz refresh rate
Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G SoC
Adreno 619 GPU
6GB, 8GB RAM (additional 8GB Dynamic RAM)
128GB or 256GB storage
microSD card slot (hybrid)
Dual-rear cameras:
• 108MP Samsung HM6 main
• 2MP depth
16MP front camera
Dual-SIM
5G, 4G LTE
WiFi 6
Bluetooth 5.1
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
NFC
USB-C
Fingerprint scanner (side-mounted)
Stereo speakers
realme UI 4.0 (Android 13)
5,000mAh battery w/ 33W SUPERVOOC Charge
163.7 x 74.2 x 8.1 mm (dimensions)
190 grams (weight)

HONOR X9a 5G 15

The HONOR X9a 53 5G offers one of the best values among smartphones. It has the Snapdragon 695 chipset for ample performance. It also has a 6.6-inch curved OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate that is hailed as the “strongest” smartphone screen for extra durability.

It also has a triple camera setup at the back with a 64MP main and 8MP ultrawide while also having 5G capabilities and 40W fast charging.

For just PHP 16,990USD 290INR 24,544EUR 276CNY 2,108 it comes in a substantial 8GB+256GB configuration and a pretty Emerald Green colorway on both Shopee 81 and Lazada 80.

HONOR X9a 5G specs:
6.67-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080) 45° Curved AMOLED display
120Hz refresh rate, 300Hz touch sampling rate
10-bit colors
Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC
6GB, 8GB RAM
128GB, 256GB storage
Triple rear cameras:
• 64MP f/1.8 main
• 5MP f/2.2 ultrawide/depth
• 2MP f/2.4 macro
16MP f/2.45 front
Dual SIM
5G, 4G LTE
Bluetooth 5.1
GPS
USB Type-C
NFC
Under-display fingerprint sensor
MagicUI 6.1 (Android 12)
5100mAh, 40W charging rate
161.6 x 73.9 x 7.9 mm
175 g
Emerald Green, Titanium Silver

Samsung Galaxy A34 5G 35

The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G is a pretty good all rounder with its 6.6-inch FHD+ AMOLED display and 120Hz refresh rate, Dimensity 1080 chipset, and triple camera setup with a 48MP main, 8MP ultrawide, and 2MP macro.

It also comes with 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, 5G support, IP67 dust and water resistance, and a 5,000 mAh battery with 25W fast charging.

The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G is priced at PHP 19,990USD 341INR 28,878EUR 324CNY 2,481 on their official Shopee 24 store.

Samsung Galaxy A34 5G specs:
6.6-inch FHD+ (1080 x 2340) Super AMOLED display
120Hz refresh rate
MediaTek Dimensity 1080 SoC
8GB RAM
128, 256GB internal storage
Up to 1TB expansion via microSD (hybrid slot)
Triple rear cameras:
• 48MP f/1.8 main, OIS
• 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide
• 2MP f/2.4 macro
13MP f/2.2 front
Dual SIM
5G, 4G LTE
WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2.4G + 5GHz, VHT80 MIMO
Bluetooth 5.3
GPS
USB Type-C
NFC
Under-display fingerprint sensor
IP67 dust and water resistance
One UI 5.1 (Android 13)
5000mAh battery
25W fast charging
161.3 x 78.1 x 8.2 mm (dimensions)
199 grams (weight)
Lime, Silver, Violet and Graphite

Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G 41

If you’re looking towards spending at the lower limit of the price budget, then you’d be impressed to find the Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a Dimensity 1080 chipset.

You also get 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage with a triple rear camera setup of a 50MP wide, 2MP macro, and 8MP ultrawide while also having a 16MP selfie camera up front. You also get support for IP54 splash resistance, 5G, and Dolby Atmos while also having a 5,000 mAh battery with 67W turbo charging.

With all that it offers, the Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G is a complete package coming in at PHP 16,999USD 290INR 24,557EUR 276CNY 2,110 for the 8GB+128GB model and PHP 17,999USD 307INR 26,001EUR 292CNY 2,234 for an upgraded 8GB+256GB configuration at both Shopee 17 and Lazada.

Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G specs:
6.67-inch FHD+ Flow AMOLED @ 2400 x 1800 pixels
120Hz refresh rate
Corning Gorilla Glass 5
IP53 Splash-proof tested
MediaTek Dimensity 1080
6GB, 8GB LPDDR4X RAM
128GB, 256GB storage
Triple-rear camera:
• 50MP IMX766 OIS wide f/1.88
• 8MP ultra-wide f/2.2
• 2MP macro f/2.4
16MP front camera f/2.45
MIUI 14 (Android 12)
5000mAh battery (67W turbocharging)
5G, 4G/LTE, Wi-Fi
Dolby Atmos
Side fingerprint sensor
AI Face Unlock
162.9 x 76 x 7.9 mm (dimensions)
187 grams (weight)
Midnight Black, Polar White, Sky Blue

vivo V27e 41

The vivo V27e is one of the most elegant phones you can get at this price with a sleek design at the back. Up front it has a 6.62-inch AMOLED panel with a Full HD resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate.

It’s powered by a decent Helio G99 processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Its camera setup is great for portrait mode with a 64MP main, 2MP macro, and most especially a 2MP bokeh lens.

The vivo V27e also has a 4,600 mAh battery with 66W flash charge and Dual-SIM 4G LTE support while priced at just PHP 16,990USD 290INR 24,544EUR 276CNY 2,108 on Shopee 18 or Lazada.

vivo V27e specs:
6.62-inch FHD+ (2400 × 1080 pixels) AMOLED
120Hz refresh rate
MediaTek Helio G99 octa-core
2x Cortex-A76 2.2GHz & 6x Cortex-A55 2.0GHz
Mali-G57 MC2
8GB RAM
256GB internal storage
microSD card slot (hybrid with 2nd SIM)
Dual-SIM 4G/LTE
Triple-rear camera setup:
64MP OIS main f/1.79
2MP bokeh lens f/2.4
2MP macro f/2.4
Triple rear flash with single color temperature
Front camera: 33MP selfie f/2.0
WiFi 802.11/ac
Bluetooth 5.2
GPS, BEIDOU, GALILEO, GLONASS, QZSS
USB Type-C
Funtouch OS 13 Global (based on Android 12)
4600 mAh battery, 66W Flash Charge
Lavender Purple, Glory Black

OPPO Reno8 T 449

The OPPO Reno8 T like the vivo is powered by the Helio G99 processor but has a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate. It also has 8GB of RAM with another 8GB of virtual expansion and 256GB of internal storage.

The cameras feature a 100MP main and a 2MP macro, while its 5,000 mAh battery has support for 33W SuperVOOC chaging.

The OPPO Reno8 T is priced at PHP 18,999USD 324INR 27,446EUR 308CNY 2,358 and comes in either Midnight Black or a stunning Sunset Orange colorway on both Shopee and Lazada.

OPPO Reno8 T specs:
6.43-inch AMOLED FHD+ (1080 x 2400 pixels) 90Hz
Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Mediatek Helio G99
ARM Mali G57 MC2 GPU
8GB RAM + 8GB RAM Extension
128GB, 256GB UFS 2.2 internal storage
Up to 1TB storage via microSD card
Dual SIM, 4G LTE
100MP main camera
2MP micro camera
GPS / QZSS L1+ L5 / Galileo E1 + E5a / BeiDou B1C + B2a / NAVIC
WiFi 5 (802.11ac)
Bluetooth 5.2
5,000mAh Li-Ion battery
USB-C 33W SuperVOOC fast charging
ColorOS 13, Android 13
Sunset Orange, Midnight Black

We hope this list has helped you in making your next smartphone purchase. Let us know which one’s your favorite down in the comments!

And if you want to step up your budget, we also got you covered with 20K to 25K Smartphones to Choose From (1H 2023).

Author’s Note: This list comprises the official smartphone releases in the Philippines during the first half of 2023 (from January to June 2023). Prices may change without prior notice.