It’s that time of the year again when we look back to smartphones that we have reviewed this 2025. In this article, we picked five of our most favorite smartphones under Php15,000 that really stood out in the lower mid-range segment.
Just a heads-up: this list is not ranked in any particular order, and all prices mentioned are based on each phone’s original retail price at launch.
Infinix GT 30 5G & GT 30 Pro 5G
Kicking things off, we have the Infinix GT 30 5G and the GT 30 Pro 5G, the latter being the most powerful entry on this list.
I know, gaming-centric phones aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but the amount of performance you’re getting out of these two devices is pretty good. They’re maybe even better than most phones for their price.
Case in point: the base model is equipped with the MediaTek Dimensity 7400 chip, and just like the Pro model, it comes with those fancy rear lighting and shoulder triggers.
Notably, the Pro model boasts the Dimensity 8350 Ultimate, a chip that you’d typically find in more expensive mid-range phones.
Trying out games is smooth for graphic-intensive ones like Wuthering Waves, and it’s even smoother with lighter games like Mobile Legends and can easily achieve 120 frames per second (fps) of stability. And yep, the base model can hit that number, too.
Specs-wise, everything else except for the camera and storage is similar. You get a 6.78-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with up to 144Hz refresh rate and 4500 nits of peak brightness.
Battery for both is rated 5500mAh paired with 45W of wired charging, but only the Pro has 30W of wireless charging. Notably, these phones support bypass charging which is something that other brands still lack. (I’m looking at you, POCO.)
Both phones differ in cameras as well. The base model gets a 64-megapixel main shooter while the Pro gets a 108-megapixel sensor. No OIS here, but that’s to be expected.
Talking about the price though, the difference isn’t that big. The Infinix GT 30 Pro 5G with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage retails for PHP 13,999. And for the same configuration, the base model goes even cheaper at PHP 11,999.
Infinix GT 30 5G written review
Infinix GT 30 Pro 5G written review
TECNO CAMON 40 Pro 5G
Now, camera performance is usually a hit or miss with phones under Php15K, but the TECNO CAMON 40 Pro 5G proves to hit good marks in this regard.
For starters, it has a 50-megapixel main shooter with optical image stabilization (OIS) joined by an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor. It also comes with another 50-megapixel sensor up front for selfies.
That sounded good on paper already, and in reality, the photos and videos coming out of this thing are quite comparable with higher-end models.
It’s backed by a strong chipset as well, the Dimensity 7300 Ultimate, and it has flagship-tier durability. This guy is IP68- and IP69-rated which means it provides a high level of protection against dust, especially water submersion and high temperatures.
Up front, it sports a 6.78-inch Full HD+ AMOLED screen with 144Hz refresh rate and 4500 nits of peak brightness.
Battery-wise, it has a 5200mAh battery paired with 45W of wired charging.
The TECNO CAMON 40 Pro 5G sets you back PHP 12,999 for the 8GB+256GB config.
TECNO CAMON 40 Pro 5G written review
nubia Air 5G
Next, we have an interesting release from nubia, the nubia Air 5G. Does it look and sound familiar? Well, that’s because this is the iPhone Air… at home.
Jokes aside, this is a fun phone to use, mainly because it’s light and compact in hand. It weighs 172 grams and has a frame that measures a mere 5.9 mm at its thinnest point. That’s a hair thicker than the iPhone Air with a 5.6 mm frame for reference.
Its camera performance is surprisingly good, for taking photos to say the least. At the rear, it has a 50-megapixel main sensor and a 2-megapixel macro sensor.
In terms of performance, it’s decent. The phone is powered by the UNISOC T8300 which is mostly good for casual and light gaming.
Despite the insanely thin frame, nubia was able to throw in a 5000mAh battery paired with 33W of wired charging. On top of that, the phone is not as fragile as you might think. The phone secures IP68, IP69, and even IP69K for that super extra peace of mind.
The nubia Air 5G goes for PHP 12,999 for the sole 8GB +256GB configuration.
nubia Air 5G written review
Redmi Note 14 5G
Looking for an all-rounder phone? Then, the Redmi Note 14 5G just might be the one phone that offers a balanced experience.
It has a nice screen, good cameras, and solid battery life. Not to mention, it has a couple of “old but gold” features like the 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot for storage expansion. (And I’m afraid this is gonna be one of the last good phones that has such features, but yeah.)
Going back to specs, the phone is powered by the Dimensity 7025-Ultra combined with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of expandable storage. Display-wise, it features a 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED panel running at up to 120Hz refresh rate.
Notably, it has a versatile camera setup led by a 108-megapixel main shooter with OIS alongside an 8-megapixel ultrawide and 2-megapixel macro lenses.
The battery is rated at 5110mAh capacity paired with 45W of wired charging. In our testing, the phone managed to get a solid uptime of 17 hours and 35 minutes, so that says a lot.
The Redmi Note 14 5G’s starting price is PHP 13,999 for the 8GB+256GB config.
Nothing Phone (3a) Lite
Our last entry for this list is a bit over the budget, but it’d be a waste not to include it: the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite. This guy has a retail price of PHP 15,490 which is still essentially near the budget, but with frequent sales coming up, then getting it at a lower price is definitely possible.
Weirdly enough, for a Nothing phone, its design ain’t really “giving” as compared to the more expensive Nothing phones. Well, not everything is about the looks. After all, design is subjective.
Where the Phone (3a) Lite pulls through is software stability. Nothing is known for offering optimized software and consistent update policy, and that holds true for this phone as well.
No bloatware to be found except for a few first-party apps like the Essential Space. It even offers THE longest software support in this entire list, promising up to three years of major OS upgrades and six years of security patches.
Specs-wise, it sports a 6.77-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, and a Dimensity 7300 Pro chipset.
There’s a triple camera setup at the rear: a 50-megapixel main shooter, an 8-megapixel ultrawide, and a 2-megapixel macro sensor. And battery-wise, it packs the usual 5000mAh unit paired with 33W of wired charging.
Nothing Phone (3a) Lite written review 12
That wraps up this list! Will you pick any of them soon? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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