Top Gaming Smartphones for under PHP 20K

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

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.