The mid-level category is comprised of phones priced at Php10,000 or more, but not exceeding Php20,000. Just two months ago, there seemed to be few good choices for those looking for something a bit more upmarket than an entry level phone. Now, two months later, things are drastically different. The competition at the mid-level is pretty heavy, and keeping the list down to five, is going to be tough.
The prices posted are those covered by an official manufacturer's warranty.
1. Starmobile Knight - A trim package makes it a compelling option
The Starmobile Knight is a pretty compelling choice. This phone packs a sharp 4.7-inch 720p (720 x 1280) display and the same powerful processor and graphics processing unit you find in the lower cost Cherry Mobile Cosmos X, in a handier package.
Starmobile Knight dimensions: 138 x 66.7 x 7.5 mm
HTC One: 137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3 mm
Google Nexus 4 dimensions: 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1 mm
Google Nexus 4 dimensions: 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1 mm
It actually beats its similarly sized competition in terms dimensions. The Starmobile Knight's 7.5 mm thick case is pretty amazing to behold. It is thinner than the Apple iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S 4, and Sony Xperia Z.
Given that is has essentially the same hardware specifications as the Cherry Mobile Omega HD 2.0 and Cosmos X, which are priced at Php8,999 and Php9,990, is it worth the money? It depends on how much you value the more compact and handier package.
Quick specs:
- Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
- 4.7-inch IPS HD display (720 x 1280) protected by Gorilla Glass
- Dual SIM
- 4 GB internal storage, expandable via a microSD card slot
- 1 GB RAM
- 1.2 GHz quad core MediaTek MT6589 processor
- PowerVR 5XT graphics
- 18 MP BSI primary camera, autofocus with flash
- 8 MP BSI front camera
- HSPA+
- WiFi
- Bluetooth
- A-GPS
- 2000 mAh battery (not user replaceable)
2. ZTE V987 Grand X Quad (Php11,500) - A well rounded 5-inch quad core Android
The ZTE V987 Grand X Quad has specifications which are nearly identical to the lower cost Cherry Mobile Omega HD 2.0 (Php8,999). But ZTE's 5-inch offering brings enough to the table to justify its higher price. It has double the internal storage at 8 GB (which gives you three times more user available storage). The battery of the ZTE V987 Grand X Quad has 400 mAh more juice than the 2100 mAh unit on the Cherry Mobile Omega HD 2.0, which should be good for another 15-20% endurance.
Quick specifications:
- Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
- 5-inch HD (720 x 1280) display
- 8 GB internal storage expandable via a MicroSD card slot
- 1 GB RAM
- 1.2 GHz quad core MediaTek MT6589 processor
- PowerVR SGX544 graphics
- 8 MP autofocus primary camera with LED Flash
- 1.3 MP front camera
- HSPA+
- WiFi
- Bluetooth
- A-GPS
- 2500 mAh battery
3. MyPhone Iceberg (Php11,988) - Makes the Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 look jurassic
MyPhone has its own upscale offering, the Iceberg phablet. The specifications are similar to the lower cost Cherry Mobile Blaze 2.0 (Php9,490). The higher priced Iceberg comes in a more premium aluminum case, and has 16GB of internal storage. It does not have a MicroSD slot, so you cannot expand the internal storage, but it does support USB-on-the-go so you can plug it to USB flashdrives.
MyPhone has its own upscale offering, the Iceberg phablet. The specifications are similar to the lower cost Cherry Mobile Blaze 2.0 (Php9,490). The higher priced Iceberg comes in a more premium aluminum case, and has 16GB of internal storage. It does not have a MicroSD slot, so you cannot expand the internal storage, but it does support USB-on-the-go so you can plug it to USB flashdrives.
Quick specifications:
- Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
- 5.7-inch HD (720 x 1280) display
- Dual SIM
- 16 GB internal storage, not expandable
- 1 GB RAM
- 1.2 GHz quad core MediaTek MT6589 processor
- PowerVR SGX544 graphics
- 12 MP autofocus primary camera with LED Flash
- 5 MP front camera
- HSPA+
- WiFi
- Bluetooth
- A-GPS
- 2600 mAh battery
4. Huawei Ascend Mate - 6.1 inch quad core monster Droid (Php16,700)
Huawei's entry for the phablets wars, the Ascend Mate, is now available, and it is one impressive monster of a phone. The price is surprisingly low at Php16,990.
Quick specs:
- Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
- 6.1-inch PIS+ HD display (720 x 1280)
- 8 GB internal storage, expandable via a microSD card slot
- 1 GB RAM
- 1.5 GHz quad core Huawei K3V2 processor
- 8 MP primary camera, autofocus with flash
- 2 MP front camera
- HSPA+
- WiFi
- Bluetooth
- A-GPS
- 4050 mAh battery
The in-house designed Huawei K3V2 processor is as fast as the Exynos quad on the Samsung Galaxy S III. The 4050 mAh battery also promises amazing battery life.
5. Sony Xperia SP LTE (Php17,000) - A really nice new mid-level offering from Sony
The Sony Xperia SP is an excellent mid-level Android. It has an HD display, powerful processor, LTE connectivity and long battery life. The biggest weakness in the package though is the camera which produces pictures which are a bit lower in quality than the 5 MP shooter on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus or its lower cost sibling, the Sony Xperia L.
Quick specifications:
- Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean).
- 4.6-inch HD (720 x 1280) display
- 8 GB internal storage expandable via a MicroSD card slot
- 1 GB RAM
- 1.7 GHz dual core Qualcomm Krait processor
- Adreno 320 graphics
- 8 MP autofocus primary camera with LED Flash
- VGA front camera
- LTE/HSPA+
- WiFi
- Bluetooth
- A-GPS
- 2370 mAh battery
Wildcard: HTC 8X (Php13,990) - Picking up where the Nokia Lumia 520 left off
Not everyone wants an Android, and a large price drop on HTC's 8X gives you a good reason to get something else. The mid-level non-Android choice is pretty good. If you want a Windows Phone 8 device, and want something more than the Nokia Lumia 520 and the Huawei Ascend W1, the HTC 8X fits the bill nicely with a sharp 4.3-inch (720 x 1280) display, more RAM and a more powerful processor.
Quick specifications:
- Windows Phone 8
- 4.3-inch HD (720 x 1280) display
- 16 GB internal storage, non-expandable
- 1 GB RAM
- 1.5 GHz dual core Qualcomm Krait Snapdragon processor
- Adreno 225 graphics
- 8 MP autofocus primary camera with a Carl Zeiss lens and a LED Flash
- 1.3 MP front camera
- HSPA+
- WiFi
- Bluetooth
- A-GPS
- 1800 mAh battery
The battery is not user replaceable. If you want a user-replaceable battery and can live with a lower resolution display, take a look at the Nokia Lumia 720.
Wow, that's nice. Sony Xperia SP is in the list. :)
ReplyDeleteIt has an aluminum body like the Iceberg, and the dual core it has is clocked high so it shouldn't fall behind too much with the quad cores (or at least it's faster than any other dual core). Sony also said they're sure to update it to Android 4.3 in the future.
Also good call on replacing the Lumia 720 with the HTC Windows Phone 8X, that entry by Nokia isn't really competitive. Its WVGA screen and only 512 MB of memory on a handset priced at 15k is just bad value proposition.
Was about to post this last night, but for some reason the mobile site doesn't want to accept posts, eek.
DeleteYeah, not really a fan of the Huawei P6 either, it's too expensive. It's like they took the SM Knight and made it thinner with a 1GB more memory for almost 8k more. No thanks.
The Huawei Mate made sense since the other 6-inchers by Samsung and Sony are well over 20k and up. It's a decent pick at least until the local brands catch up and bring out their own 6-inch phones.
By the way I suggest updating the titles of this series from "mid-level" to "mid-range". That's because mid-level is more used on health care and weather phenomenon, while mid-range refers to hardware. Also that would make the articles easier to google since they would be up there in the search results for best or top midrange smartphones in the Philippines.
I am American but hoping I can get at least 1 of these phones in America if they are not here.
ReplyDelete