November 2012 - Mid-Level Smartphone Buyers Guide

Having completed the entry level smartphone buyers guide, let's move on to the mid-level, which I will define as Php12,000 to Php22,000. The entry level smartphone buyers was for this month, is the the most interesting ever. With a pair of dual core phones which decent sized (I used to call them large) 4-inch displays with very decent WVGA (480 x 800) resolutions, if we will spend more than a few thousand pesos we expect something you wont get from a less expensive phone. A shiny brand name is not enough. 

Prices indicated are for phones with a manufacturers warranty.

5. Sony LT22i Xperia (Php15,850 to Php16,500) 

The Sony Xperia P is something worthwhile to consider if you are looking at something better than the entry levels. It offers features you wont find in the entry level phones. The Sony Xperia P's 4-inch display is a qHD display, which features a sharp 540 x 960 pixels resolution, giving it a leg up on its entry level competition. It also has 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal expandable storage, a 8MP camera capable of 1080p video recording. These are all capabilities you won't find in the entry level phones which have 512 MB of RAM, 5 MP camera's and at best 720p video recording. As a bonus, the Sony Xperia P also has USB-on-the-Go support.

You can read more about the Sony Xperia P at this link.

6. Lenovo K860 (Php18,500 to Php19,900)

Going up in price from the Sony Xperia P gives you a phone well worth the additional money. The Lenovo K860 is a 5-inch monster phone with a 720p (720 x 1280) display. A massive 5-incher is not for everyone, but those who want a monster phone will be very satisfied with the Lenovo K8860.

Inside is a quad core 1.4 GHz processor on an Exynos 4412 Quad chipset with Mali-400MP graphics. Yup, that is the same hardware as the Samsung Galaxy S III.  The impressive hardware is backed by 1 GB of RAM and a 2250 mAh battery.

This one is a tough act to follow.

You can read more about the Lenovo K860 at this link.