Our Top 10 Smartphones under Php15k for 2013

If you’re on a tight budget on getting your new smartphone and you want the best bang for your buck, then look no more as we’ve got you covered! Here are our top 10 smartphones under Php15k for October 2013.

Notes:

• Prices are based on online sellers and SRPs; listed in no particular order.
• We wanted to keep the list as diverse as possible.

1. Starmobile Knight (±Php11,290USD 192INR 16,310EUR 183CNY 1,401)

If you’re looking for the best of Starmobile, then the Knight is your only choice for the moment. It offers a great balance of design, speed & performance.

Starmobile Knight specs:
4.7-inch (1280 x 720, 312ppi) HD LCD
Corning Gorilla Glass
1.2 Ghz MediaTek MT6589 quad-core CPU
1GB of RAM
4GB of internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD
18 megapixel AF BSI rear camera w/ dual-LED flash
8 megapixel AF BSI front-facing
dual-SIM
2,000mAh battery
Android 4.2 Jellybean

However, even with the great package, you can always add a little more to the Knight’s price & get something better.

2. Nokia Lumia 920 (±Php14,280USD 243INR 20,629EUR 232CNY 1,772 – 15,980)

We have a wide range of cameraphones in this list, but most of them can only take so much beating in image quality, especially in low-light. This is why the 8.7 megapixel PureView packing Nokia Lumia 920 makes it into this list!

Nokia Lumia 920 specs:
4.5-inch 720p display PureMotionHD+ @ 1280×768 pixels
Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.5GHz dual-core, Krait processor
Adreno 225 GPU
1GB RAM
32GB internal storage
LTE
8.7MP rear camera, LED flash
1.3MP front-facing camera
2,000mAh Li-Ion battery
Windows Phone 8

The Nokia Lumia 920 is quite heavy though, and it’s a flagship phone from last year which others may find lacking already.

3. BlackBerry Q5 (±Php13,700USD 233INR 19,791EUR 222CNY 1,700)

BlackBerry’s most affordable BB10 smartphone will still make the cut if you’re looking for the best BlackBerry experience & keyboard.

BlackBerry Q5 specs:
3.1-inch IPS LCD display @ 720×720 pixels, 328ppi
Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 1.2GHz dual-core
Adreno 305 graphics
2GB RAM
8GB internal storage
up to 64GB via microSD card
5MP autofocus rear camera, LED flash
2MP front-facing camera
BlackBerry OS 10.1
Li-Ion 2,180mAh battery

The thing is, BBM is already out for iOS & Android, and it’s harder to pick BlackBerry more than ever. However, the BBM experience with phones like the Q5 will still remain unparalleled.

4. LG Nexus 4 (±Php13,600USD 232INR 19,647EUR 221CNY 1,688 – 13,990)

Coming in white or black, 8GB or 16GB variants, the Nexus 4 is still easily one of the phones I’d recommend to anyone looking for the best Android experience. It has the highest spec configuration in this list with a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU, 2GB RAM & an Adreno 320 GPU; not to mention, it gets the latest version of Android first.

LG-Google Nexus 4 specs:
4.7” True HD IPS+ display 1280 x 720 @ 318ppi
Gorilla Glass 2 coated display
1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro (APQ8064)
2GB of RAM
Adreno 320 GPU
8/16GB non-expandable internal storage
8MP autofocus camera w/ LED flash
1.3MP front-facing camera
NFC
2100mAh non-removable battery
Android 4.3 Jelly bean (upgradable to KitKat)

However, I’m always quick to ask people who need advice “do you need a good camera?”, cause the Nexus 4 just isn’t that good in this field.

5. Asus FonePad (±Php13,500USD 230INR 19,502EUR 219CNY 1,675)

Before you come telling me that this is a 7-inch tablet, well it’s still also a phone – and a pretty well-packed one nonetheless.

ASUS FonePad specs:
7-inch WXGA (1280×800) IPS touchscreen display, 216ppi
1.6GHz Intel Atom Z2460 processor
PowerVR SGX540 GPU
1GB RAM
32GB internal storage
MicroSD card slot w/ support for up to 32GB
3.15MP autofocus camera
1.2MP front-facing camera
Non-removable 4270mAh Li-Ion battery
Android Jelly bean

However, a tablet-phone is surely not for everyone. If you’re not that type of person, you can always look at other phones in this list.

6. Samsung Galaxy Grand (±Php12,400USD 211INR 17,913EUR 201CNY 1,539 – 12,680)

For this price range, Samsung’s offering a very decent deal too in the form of the Galaxy Grand.

Samsung Galaxy Grand i9082 specs:
5-inch WVGA LCD screen @ 187ppi
1.2GHz dual-core processor
1GB RAM
8GB internal storage
Dual SIM
expandable up to 64GB via microSD
8MP autofocus camera w/ LED flash
2MP HD front-facing camera
2100mAh Li-Ion battery
Android 4.1.2 Jelly bean

Everything looks decent for the dual-SIM smartphone except for the 5-inch display with lackluster resolution.

7. Nokia Lumia 625 (±Php12,200USD 208INR 17,624EUR 198CNY 1,514)

The second Nokia handset in this list also makes the cut because of a great balance in specs. It also has a huge screen for a Windows Phone, and it packs LTE on-board.

Nokia Lumia 625 specs:
4.7-inch IPS ClearBlack LCD screen, 800×480 @199ppi
1.2GH Snapdragon S4 MSM8930 dual-core processor
Adreno 305 GPU
Expandable 8GB internal storage (up to 64GB)
512MB RAM
5MP rear camera w/ LED flash
VGA front-facing camera
LTE
2000mAh Li-Ion battery
Windows Phone 8 (w/ Amber update)

However, you may want to think hard about this one – especially with the Lumia 625’s 512MB RAM & all.

8. HTC Windows Phone 8X (±Php12,080USD 206INR 17,451EUR 196CNY 1,499 – Php13,500USD 230INR 19,502EUR 219CNY 1,675)

If Windows Phone 8 & HTC are your endgames, then the HTC Windows Phone 8X is perfect for you. It packs a beautiful design with decent internals – from Beats Audio to that wide-angle front-facing camera.

HTC Windows Phone 8X specs:
4.3-inch S-LCD2 HD display @ 1280×720 pixels, 342ppi
Snapdragon S4 Krait (MSM8960) 1.5GHz dual-core
Adreno 225 GPU
1GB RAM
16GB internal storage
8MP autofocus camera w/ flash, 2.1MP secondary camera
1800mAh Li-Po battery
Windows Phone 8

The downside is it’s also a phone which has some age to it already. If you wish to stay updated and a bit more futureproof, then the HTC 8X is easy to disregard.

9. Cherry Mobile Cosmos Z (±Php11,300USD 193INR 16,324EUR 183CNY 1,402 – 11,999)

We have to applaud Cherry Mobile for this one; the Cosmos Z is the most affordable phone with a full HD 1080p display!

Cherry Mobile Cosmos Z specs:
5-inch IPS LCD display @ 1080×1920 pixels, 441ppi
Mediatek MT6589 1.5GHz quad-core processor
PowerVR SGX 544MP
1GB RAM
16GB internal storage
micro SD up to 32GB
18.2MP BSI rear camera with LED flash
8MP front-facing cameraDual SIM
Li-Ion 2,000mAh battery
Android 4.2.1 Jellybean

CM updates their lineup of phones very often though, so the Cosmos Z might easily see a successor soon. Also, the phone suffers from a low battery capacity, so you may want to think twice too.

10. Sony Xperia SP (±Php13,990USD 238INR 20,210EUR 227CNY 1,736 – 15,700)

Sony won’t be too late in the game as it has a very capable performer in its hands. With the Xperia SP, you can access LTE networks without facing much hardware & software compromises.

Sony Xperia SP specs:
4.6-inch HD display @ 720 x 1280, 319ppi
Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon Pro 1.7GHz dual-core processor
Adreno 320 GPU
1GB RAM
8GB internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD card
LTE
NFC
8MP rear camera, LED flash
VGA front-facing camera
Android 4.1 Jellybean
2370mah Li-Po battery

While seemingly perfect for the mid-range market, reviews have pointed out that it has an underwhelming display.

Well, there you have it and that’s our list for now. We’ll be updating you with more as time goes by, and if you have any other suggestions, feel free to comment down below!