Tis the season to treat yourself and your loved ones with a highly reliable everyday device such as a hardcore flagship phone. Now, it’s good to make sure that you get the best and updated smartphone for your budget, and if you’re looking for the most powerful devices this 2020 without passing the PHP 50k mark, then keep on reading!
Author’s note: The smartphones listed below are those that are officially launched in the Philippines in 2020.
ASUS ROG Phone 3
If you have a PHP 50k budget, then you are now open to more options for a gaming-centric smartphone, especially the Snapdragon 865+-powered ROG Phone 3 series. There’s a ROG Phone 3 Strix 8GB + 256GB for PHP 39,995, or you can go for the ROG Phone 3 Classic 12GB + 512GB for PHP 49,995. You’re also getting a 6.59-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with 144Hz refresh rate, triple-rear cameras, 5G connectivity, two USB-C ports, AirTrigger 3 system, RGB Lighting, AeroActive Cooler 3, and a huge 6,000mAh battery with 30W HyperCharge.
Price: 12GB + 512GB – PHP 49,995
Apple iPhone 12
A new iPhone means a new powerful chipset and a few more features. Behind its boxy design is the new A14 Bionic chip, 5G connectivity, IP68 waterproof rating, and dual rear cameras composed of a 12MP F1.6 main and a 12MP F2.4 ultrawide. The iPhone 12 can record up to 4K at 60fps and now supports a 10-bit high dynamic range with Dolby Vision, which results in cinema-grade clips that can be more flexible in post.
Price: 64GB – PHP 49,990
Samsung Galaxy S20 (4G)
Here’s the S20 series’ little brother, the Galaxy S20. It has a 6.2-inch QHD+ 120Hz HDR10+ display, Exynos 990 CPU, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, 12MP triple-rear cameras, 10MP front camera, and 4,000mAh battery. This device is the perfect option for those who want flagship performance but don’t need the more powerful cameras, bigger battery, and 5G connectivity.
Price: PHP 49,990
OnePlus 8 Pro
Do you want the most powerful OnePlus smartphone available? Then take a look at the OnePlus 8 Pro. This packs a 6.78-inch QHD+ AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G chipset, up to 12GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, quad-rear cameras, IP68 water and dust resistance, and a 4,510mAh battery with 30W wired fast charge, 30W wireless fast charge, and reverse wireless charging.
Price:
• 8GB + 128GB – PHP 45,990
• 12GB + 256GB – PHP 48,990
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
Another 5G-ready monstrous smartphone is the Mi 10 Pro. It sports a 6.67-inch AMOLED 90Hz 3D curved display, a Snapdragon 865 chipset, quad rear cameras, and a 4,500mAh battery with 50W fast charging support.
Price: PHP 45,990
Black Shark 3 Pro
Want a more beefed-up version of the Black Shark 3? Then go for the Black Shark 3 Pro. This one will get you a 7.1-inch QHD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, triple rear cameras, 5G connectivity, liquid cooling, and a 5,000mAh battery with 65W fast charging.
Price: PHP 44,990
Apple iPhone 12 mini
The iPhone 12 mini is pretty much identical to the standard iPhone 12. Their only difference is screen size. These are equipped with 5G connectivity and features MagSafe for magnetic wireless charging and for supporting magnetic accessories. Hardware-wise, it has the new A14 Bionic chip, 64/128/256GB of storage, and 4GB of RAM.
Price:
• 64GB – PHP 43,990
• 128GB – PHP 46,990
vivo X50 Pro 5G
If you like the vivo X50 but want better hardware, including 5G connectivity, get the vivo X50 Pro 5G. This one sports a 6.56-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset, up to 12GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, quad-rear cameras, 32MP front camera, and a 4,315mAh battery with 33W fast charging.
Price: PHP 39,999
ASUS ROG Phone 3 Strix Edition
The ASUS ROG Phone 3 Strix Edition is the more affordable variant in the ROG Phone 3 series, but it sure still is a great gaming smartphone. It features a fast SoC, a highly responsive and bright 144 Hz HDR display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset paired with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and 256GB UFS 3.1.
Price: PHP 39,995
Lenovo Legion Phone Duel
This 5G-ready gaming-centric smartphone features specs that satisfy serious gamers’ basic needs. It sports a 6.65-inch FHD+ 144Hz AMOLED display with a 240Hz touch sampling rate, a quad-microphone system with Qualcomm Noise Reduction, and customizable RGB lighting. Powering the Legion Phone Duel is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus, an Adreno 650 GPU, 12GB/16GB LPDDR5 RAM, and 256GB/512GB UFS 3.1 storage.
Price:
•12GB + 256GB – PHP 39,995
•16GB + 512GB – PHP 49,995
Huawei P40
The P40 Pro’s small brother is the P40. It has a 6.1-inch Full HD+ OLED display, Kirin 990 5G CPU, Mali-G76 GPU, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, 50MP triple-rear cameras, 32MP front camera, 5G connectivity, and 3,800mAh battery. It’s also priced than most flagships, which makes this a competitive offering.
Price: PHP 36,990
OnePlus 8
If you want the power of the OnePlus 8 Pro but at a lower price, you can go with the OnePlus 8. It might have a lower Full HD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate compared to its big brother, but it is still a great display. It also features a 48MP triple rear cameras, Snapdragon 865 CPU, Adreno 650 GPU, up to 12GB LPDDR4X RAM, up to 256GB UFS 3.0, 5G connectivity, and a 4,300mAh battery.
Price: PHP 35,990
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition is a toned-down variant of the premium Galaxy S20-series of devices. It has good cameras, a 120Hz 6.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, a 4,500mAh battery, a fashionable design, and offers a flagship-level performance with the Exynos 990 at a lower price.
Price: PHP 35,990
ASUS ROG Phone II Strix Edition
Mobile gamers or ROG fans will certainly enjoy the ROG Phone II Strix Edition. It’s identical to the ROG Phone II released in 2019 but with a lower RAM and storage configuration. It has a 6.59-inch FHD+ AMOLED 120Hz display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ CPU, Adreno 640 GPU, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, 48MP dual-rear cameras, 24MP front camera, AirTriggers 2.0, RGB lighting, and a massive 6,000mAh battery. This is a good option if you want the gaming features but don’t demand the large memory capacity.
Price: PHP 34,995
Black Shark 3
As one of Xiaomi’s latest gaming smartphones under its sub-brand Black Shark, the Black Shark 3 is a 5G-ready device with a 90HZ AMOLED display, a 270Hz touch-sampling rate, Snapdragon 865 chipset, triple-rear cameras, and an 18W magnetic charging plug. Compared to the Pro version, the Black Shark 3 comes with a smaller screen in a lower FHD+ resolution, a smaller battery, two storage configurations, and capacitive shoulder buttons.
Price: 12GB + 256GB – PHP 34,995
Xiaomi Mi 10
The Xiaomi Mi 10 is equipped with a Snapdragon 865 processor, 8GB RAM, a 6.67-inch AMOLED 90Hz display, and quad rear cameras. Compared to its Pro version, it features cut down cameras and a larger 4,780mAh battery with slower 30W charging support.
Price:
• 8GB + 128GB – PHP 34,590
• 8GB + 256GB – PHP 36,990
Apple iPhone SE 2020
The iPhone SE 2020 basically looks like a refresh version of the iPhone 8 but with updated features. Most of the improvements are its 4.7-inch HD display, 12MP rear camera, 7MP front camera, 4k video recording, and the A13 Bionic chip, which is found in the iPhone 11 series.
Price:
• 128GB – PHP 30,490
• 256GB – PHP 36,490
And that’s it! If you want to check out all the smartphones launched in the Philippines in 2020, check out our list here.
