Mobile gaming is one of the reasons why people purchase smartphones. Everyone would love to have the best hardware possible but the budget can be a challenge. With that in mind, we compiled a list of smartphones that can game for under PHP 20K. Check out our top picks below.
Author’s note: All the smartphones listed here launched this year and are officially available in the Philippines. Check out the specs requirements below:
• RAM: – 3GB and above
• CPU: – Snapdragon 636 and above; MediaTek Helio P60 and above; Kirin 710 and above
• GPU: – Adreno 509 and above; Mali-G51 MP4 and above
• Price range: PHP 10-20K
Table of Contents
Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro
Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro specs:
Specification | Xiaomi redmi Note 6 Pro |
---|---|
Display | 6.26-inch 19:9 FHD+ display @ 2280 x 1080px |
CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 1.8GHz octa-core |
GPU | Adreno 509 |
RAM | 3GB RAM |
ROM | 32GB internal storage |
Storage | expandable via microSD card slot |
Rear Camera | 12MP + 5MP dual rear cameras |
Front Camera | 20MP + 2MP dual front cameras |
SIM | Dual-SIM (Nano, Hybrid) |
Connectivity | 4G LTE |
Wi-Fi | WiFi |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth |
GPS | GPS |
USB | micro USB |
Sensor | -Fingerprint scanner |
OS | MIUI 9 (Android 8 Oreo) |
Battery | 4,000mAh battery with Fast Charging (5V 2A adapter) |
Price: PHP 10,999 (3GB +32GB), PHP 12,990 (4GB + 64GB)
Cherry Mobile Flare S7 Plus
Cherry Mobile Flare S7 Plus specs:
Specification | Cherry Mobile Flare S7 Plus |
---|---|
Display | 6.18-inch 18.5:9 LTPS FHD+ TrueView display @ 2246 x 1080 px, ~403ppi |
Glass Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
CPU | MediaTek Helio P60 2.0GHz octa-core |
GPU | Mali-G72 MP3 |
RAM | 4GB |
Storage | 64GB |
MicroSD | expandable via microSD card up to 256GB (uses SIM2) |
Rear Camera | 16MP + 5MP BSI rear cameras with LED Flash |
Front Camera | 16MP + IR front camera with AI Selfie |
SIM | Dual-SIM (nano, hybrid) |
LTE | 4G VoLTE with Band 28 support, Carrier Aggregation |
WiFi | Wi-Fi a/b/g/n |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.2 |
GPS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS |
Biometrics | -Fingerprint scanner -Face Unlock |
Port | USB Type-C |
OS | Stock Android (Android 8.1 Oreo) |
Battery | 3,050mAh battery with fast and wireless charging |
Price: PHP 11,999
Honor 8X
Honor 8X specs:
Specification | Honor 8X |
---|---|
Display | 6.5-inch 19.5:9 Full HD+ IPS display @2340 x 1080px, 396ppi |
Glass type | 2.5D Curved Glass |
CPU | HiSilicon Kirin 710 4x cortex a73 2.2ghz + 4x cortex a53 1.7ghz Octa-core Processor |
GPU | Mali-G51 MP4 |
RAM | 4GB RAM |
Storage | 64GB/128GB internal storage |
SIM | Dual-SIM (nano, nano) |
MicroSD | Expandable via microSD (dedicated) |
Rear Camera | 20MP f/1.8 PDAF + 2MP rear cameras, LED flash |
Front Camera | 16MP f/2.0 front camera |
LTE | Dual 4G LTE |
WiFi | WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.2 |
GPS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS |
Port | Micro USB 2.0 |
3.5mm audio port | Yes |
Biometrics | - Fingerprint scanner - Face Unlock |
OS | EMUI 8.2 (Android 8.1 Oreo) |
Battery | 3,750mAh battery |
Price: PHP 12,990
Huawei Y9 2019
Huawei Y9 2019 specs:
Specification | Huawei Y9 (2019) |
---|---|
Display | 6.5-inch 19.5:9 Full HD+ IPS display @2340 x 1080px, 396ppi |
Glass type | 3D Curved Glass |
CPU | HiSilicon Kirin 710 4x cortex a73 2.2ghz + 4x cortex a53 1.7ghz Octa-core Processor |
GPU | Mali-G51 MP4 |
RAM | 4GB RAM |
Storage | 64GB internal storage |
SIM | Dual-SIM (nano, nano) |
MicroSD | Expandable via microSD (dedicated) |
Rear Camera | 16MP f/2.0 + 2MP f/2.4 AI dual rear cameras |
Front Camera | 13MP f/1.8 + 2MP f/2.4 dual front cameras |
LTE | Dual 4G LTE |
WiFi | WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, 2.4GHz |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.2 |
GPS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS |
Port | Micro USB 2.0 |
3.5mm audio port | Yes |
Biometrics | - Fingerprint scanner - Face Unlock |
OS | EMUI 8.2 (Android 8.1 Oreo) |
Battery | 4,000mAh battery |
Price: PHP 12,990
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite specs:
Specification | Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite |
---|---|
Display | 6.26-inch 19:9 Full HD+ display @ 2280 x 1080px, ~403PPI |
Glass Protection | n/a |
CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 AIE 2.2GHz octa-core |
GPU | Adreno 512 |
RAM | 4GB/6GB RAM |
Storage | 64GB/128GB emmc 5.1 internal storage |
Rear Camera | 12MP f/1.9 + 5MP dual rear cameras |
Front Camera | 24MP front camera |
Connectivity | Dual 4G VoLTE |
SIM | Dual-SIM (nano) |
Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 |
GPS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou |
NFC | NFC |
USB | USB Type-C |
Sensor | - Fingerprint scanner (rear-mount) - Face Unlock |
OS | MIUI (Android 8 Oreo) |
Battery | 3,350mAh battery w/ QC3.0 fast charging |
Price: PHP 13,990 (4GB + 64GB), PHP 16,990 (6GB + 128GB)
Xiaomi Mi A2
Xiaomi Mi A2 specs:
Specification | Xiaomi Mi A2 |
---|---|
Display | 5.99-inch FHD+ LTPS display @ 2160 x 1080px, 403ppi |
Glass type | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 2.2GHz Octa-core processor |
GPU | Adreno 512 |
RAM | 4GB, 6GB LPDDR4X RAM |
Storage | 64GB. 128GB internal storage |
SIM | Dual SIM |
MicroSD | - |
Rear Camera | 12MP + 20MP dual rear cameras with LED flash |
Front Camera | 20MP front camera |
LTE | 4G LTE |
WiFi | WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 |
GPS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS |
Port | USB 2.0 Type-C (supports Quick Charge 3.0) |
3.5mm audio port | - |
Biometrics | - Fingerprint scanner - Face unlock |
OS | Android One (Android 8.1 Oreo) |
Battery | 3,010mAh non-removable battery w/ Qualcomm Quickcharge 3.0 |
Colors | Gold, Blue, Black |
Price: PHP 13,990 (4GB + 64GB), PHP 17,490 (6GB + 128GB)
Xiaomi Mi Max 3
Xiaomi Mi Max 3 specs:
Specification | Xiaomi Mi Max 3 |
---|---|
Display | 6.9-inch 18:9 aspect ratio Full HD display @ 2160 x 1080 resolution |
CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 1.8Ghz octa-core |
GPU | Adreno 509 |
RAM | 4GB RAM |
Storage | 64GB internal storage |
SIM | Dual SIM |
MicroSD | expandable up to 256GB via microSD |
Rear Camera | 12MP + 5MP f/1.9 aperture rear cameras with LED Flash, AI, and Dual PD speed focus |
Front Camera | 8MP f/2.0 aperture front camera with AI |
LTE | 4G LTE |
WiFi | WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 |
GPS | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Beidou |
Port | USB Type-C |
Biometrics | - Fingerprint scanner - Face unlock |
OS | MIUI 10 (Android 8.1 Oreo) |
Battery | 5,500mAh battery |
Price: PHP 14,990
Honor Play
Honor Play specs:
Specs | Honor Play |
---|---|
Display | 6.3-inch 2340 x 1080 display, 409ppi |
CPU | HiSilicon Kirin 970 2.36GHz octa-core |
GPU | Mali-G72 MP12 |
RAM | 4GB/6GB |
Storage | 64GB internal storage |
Expandable Storage | expandable via microSD up to 256GB (SIM Slot 2) |
Rear Camera | 16MP + 2MP rear cameras, LED flash |
Front Camera | 16MP front camera |
Connectivity | 4G LTE |
SIM | Dual SIM (nano) |
Wi-Fi | WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.2, BLE, aptX, aptX HD, HWA |
GPS | GPS, A-GPS, Beidou, GLONASS |
USB | USB 2.0 Type-C |
Audio Port | 3.5mm audio port |
OS | EMUI 8.2 (Android 8.1 Oreo) |
Battery | 3,750mAh battery (Fast Charge 9V/2A) |
Dimension | 157.91 x 74.27 x 7.48 mm |
Weight | 176 g |
Price: PHP 14,990
ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2
ASIS ZenFone Max Pro M2 specs:
Specification | ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2 |
---|---|
Display | 6.3-inch FHD+ IPS display @ 2280 x 1080px |
CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 1.95GHz octa-core |
GPU | Adreno 512 |
RAM | 6GB |
Storage | 64GB |
MicroSD | expandable via dedicated microSD card slot |
Rear Camera | 12MP Sony IMX486 F1.8 + 5MP dual rear |
Front Camera | 13MP F2.0 front camera |
SIM | Dual-nano SIM |
LTE | 4G LTE |
WiFi | WiFi 802.11 b/g/n |
Bluetooth | 5.0 |
GPS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS |
Audio | 5 Magnet speaker with NXP 9874 smart amp |
Port | microUSB |
OS | Android 8.1 Oreo (Upgradable to Android Pie) |
Biometrics | - Fingerprint Scanner - Face Unlock |
Battery | 5,000mAh battery with flash charge |
Dimensions | 157.9 x 75.5 x 8.5 mm |
Weight | 175g |
Price: PHP 14,995 (6GB+64GB)
Nokia 6.1 Plus
Nokia 6.1 Plus specs:
Specification | Nokia 6.1 Plus |
---|---|
Display | 5.8-inch Full HD+ (1080 x 2280) IPS 19:9 display, 435ppi |
Glass protection | Gorilla Glass 3 |
CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 1.8GHz octa-core |
GPU | Adreno 509 |
RAM | 4GB/6GB RAM |
Storage | 32GB/64GB e-MMC 5.1 |
MicroSD | microSD up to 256GB (SIM2 slot) |
Rear Camera | 16MP + 5MP EIS, PDAF rear camera, LED flash |
Front Camera | 16MP front camera |
SIM | Dual-SIM card slot (nano, hybrid) |
LTE | LTE Cat.4 150Mbps DL/50Mbps UL |
WiFi | WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 |
GPS | GPS/AGPS, GLONASS, Beidou |
Biometrics | -Fingerprint Scanner |
Port | USB 2.0 Type-C |
OS | Android 8.1 Oreo (Android One) |
Battery | 3,060mAh battery w/ QC 3.0 |
Price: PHP 15,990
Huawei Nova 3i
Huawei Nova 3i specs:
Specification | Huawei Nova 3i |
---|---|
Display | 6.3-inch 19.5:9 IPS LCD FullView display 2.0 @ 2340 x 1080 pixels, 409ppi |
Glass type | 2.5D Curved Glass |
CPU | HiSilicon Kirin 710 4x cortex a73 2.2ghz + 4x cortex a53 1.7ghz Octa-core Processor |
GPU | Mali-G51 w/ GPU Turbo Tech |
RAM | 4GB RAM |
Storage | 128GB internal storage |
SIM | Dual-SIM (nano, hybrid) |
MicroSD | Expandable via microSD (hybrid) |
Rear Camera | 16MP + 2MP AI dual rear cameras w/ Super slow mo 480fps |
Front Camera | 24MP + 2MP AI dual front cameras |
LTE | Dual 4G, Dual-VoLTE |
WiFi | WiFi 802.11b/g/n, 2.4GHz |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.2, BLE, HWA, aptX, and aptX HD |
GPS | GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, A-GPS |
Port | Micro USB 2.0 |
3.5mm audio port | Yes |
Biometrics | - Fingerprint scanner - 360 face unlock |
OS | EMUI 8.2 (Android 8.1 Oreo) |
Battery | 3,340mAh Li-Po battery |
Colors | Gradient, Classic Black, White |
Price: PHP 15,990
Pocophone F1
Pocophone F1 specs:
Specs | POCO F1 |
---|---|
Display | 6.18-inch Full HD+ edge-to-edge display @ 2160 x 1080px |
Glass protection | Corning Gorilla Glass (version not specified) |
CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 2.8GHz octa-core |
GPU | Adreno 630 |
RAM | 6GB/8GB LPDDR4X |
Storage | 64GB/256GB |
Expandable Storage | expandable via MicroSD up to 256GB |
Rear Camera | 12MP Sony IMX363 + 5MP Samsung sensor rear cameras, LED flash |
Front Camera | 20MP front camera |
Connectivity | 4G+ VoLTE (India) |
SIM | Dual-SIM (hybrid) |
Wi-Fi | WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 |
GPS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS |
USB | USB Type-C |
OS | MIUI for POCO (Android 8.1 Oreo) |
Battery | 4,000mAh battery w/ QC 3.0 |
Price: PHP 17,990 (6GB + 64GB), PHP 19,990 (6GB + 128GB)
OPPO F9
OPPO F9 specs:
Specs | OPPO F9 |
---|---|
Display | 6.3-inches FHD+ (2340 x 1080) 19.5:9 LTPS TFT , 409ppi |
CPU | Mediatek MTK P60 |
GPU | ARM Mali-G72 MP3 800MHz |
RAM | 6GB |
Storage | 64GB / 128GB |
SIM Card Type | Dual Nano-SIM Cards |
microSD card | dedicated slot |
Rear Camera | 16MP+2MP dual rear camera |
Front Camera | 25MP with Screen Flash |
GSM | 850/900/1800/1900MHz |
WCDMA | 850/900/2100MHz |
FDD-LTE | Bands 1/3/5/7/8/20/28 |
TD-LTE | Bands 38/40/41 (2535-2655MHz) |
WiFi | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4/5GHz |
Bluetooth | 4.2, A2DP, LE |
USB OTG | Yes |
Sensors | E-Compass Light Sensor Proximity Sensor G-Sensor/Acceleration Sensor |
OS | Color OS 5.2 Android 8.1 |
Battery | 3500mAh w/ VOOC Flash Charge |
Dimension | 156.7mmx74.0mmx7.99mm |
Weight | 169g |
Color | Sunrise Red, Twilight Blue, Starry Purple |
Price: PHP 17,990
Nokia 7 Plus
Nokia 7 Plus specs:
Specification | Nokia 7 Plus |
---|---|
Display | 6-inch IPS LCD Full HD+ display @ 2160 x 1080px, 403ppi |
Glass protection | Gorilla Glass 3 |
CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 2.2GHz octa-core CPU |
GPU | Adreno 512 GPU |
RAM | 4GB |
Storage | 64GB internal storage |
MicroSD | microSD up to 256GB (SIM2 slot) |
Rear Camera | 12 MP (f/1.75) + 12 MP (f/2.6), Carl Zeiss optics |
Front Camera | 16MP (f/2.0) front camera |
SIM | Dual-SIM card slot (nano, hybrid) |
LTE | 4G LTE |
WiFi | WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 |
GPS | GPS/AGPS, GLONASS, Beidou |
NFC | Yes |
Audio | Nokia OZO |
Biometrics | Fingerprint scanner |
Port | USB 2.0 Type-C |
OS | Android 8.1 Oreo (Android One) |
Battery | 3,800mAh battery w/ QC 3.0 |
Dimensions | 158.4 x 75.6 x 8 mm |
Weight | 183 g |
Price: PHP 19,990
VIVO V11
VIVO V11 specs:
Specification | VIVO V11 |
---|---|
Display | 6.41-inch 19.5:9 Super AMOLED FHD+ HALO Fullview display @2340x1080px, 402ppi |
CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 AIE 2.0GHz octa-core |
GPU | Adreno 512 GPU |
RAM | 6GB |
Storage | 64GB |
MicroSD | expandable via microSD card slot (up to 256GB) (dedicated) |
Rear Camera | 12MP f/1.8 + 5MP f/2.4 dual rear cameras |
Front Camera | 25MP f/2.0 front camera |
SIM | Dual-SIM (nano) |
LTE | 4G LTE |
WiFi | WiFi |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 |
GPS | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou |
Biometrics | -In-Display fingerprint scanner -Face Unlock |
Port | micro USB 2.0 |
OS | FunTouch OS 4.5 (Android 8.1 Oreo) |
Battery | 3,400mAh battery w/ dual-engine fast charging |
Price: PHP 19,999
My Top Picks
- Pocophone F1 – This is probably my number 1 pick of all the ones that I’ve listed here due to its flagship performance capabilities. You won’t see any Snapdragon 845-powered smartphone being very affordable this year aside from the Pocophone F1.
- Honor Play – This is the next favorite in the list since it is equipped with a Kirin 970 chipset which is the previous flagship processor of Huawei. Expect that the Honor Play and the Pocophone F1 can play almost all of the games in the Google Play Store.
- Nokia 6.1 Plus – If you are a compact person and doesn’t want to use a large space in your bag or pockets, then the Nokia 6.1 Plus is the right choice. Aside from its good gaming capabilities, this is probably the smallest smartphone in this list.
- ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2 – ASUS wow-ed us a few months ago with their Max Pro M1 but with the Max Pro M2, they really stepped up by introducing a 6GB RAM variant in the country along with a Snapdragon 660 chipset.
- Huawei Y9 2019 – This is my most affordable pick in the list. The Kirin 710 is a premium mid-range chipset which can also be found in the Honor 8X and the Nova 3i. I picked the Y9 2019 over the other two mainly for its affordability. I do understand that the aforementioned phones have a larger storage capacity but for me, 64GB is more than enough to store a lot of games.
So that’s all of the top gaming smartphones this year! What do you guys think? If you have suggestions, let your fellow readers know in the comments section below.
I own pocophone and my friend own Honor play, well pocophone wins!
Welllll I own Honor Play hahahahahaha
So all mid-range phone that is less than Php 20,000 are Gaming Smartphones. Amazing.
Not all though.