August 2011 mid-level smartphone buyers guide

What do we consider mid-level these days, basically phones priced at Php15,000 to Php23,000, although the best choices are really priced at about 18K. What do you expect to get for this amount. What do expect to get at this price range, a phone with a single 1GHz processor, a decent camera and is capable of 720p video recording and playback.

For Google's Android, you have plenty of options available. Many of the Android 2010 flagship phones are still available, and you have the 2011 mid-level Androids with 2010 technology upgraded with a front camera.  My favorite mid-level Android is the LG Optimus Black P970. It is the perfect example of a mid-level Android phone.

LG Optimus Black P970

Inside you will find 1 GHz Cortex-A8 processor, PowerVR SGX530 GPU, TI OMAP 3630 chipset, which by 2010 standards was not even top of the line, but which most users will find sufficient. Some of the newer games, or higher end versions of the newer games designed to run on dual core platforms will not run on the Optimus Black. Video recording is limited to 720p, and not the higher 1080p resolutions that the new dual-core Android phones are capable off. Other than that, it has enough power to do pretty much everything else.

If you want more power, take a look at the higher end offerings at this link.

Outside, it has what you expect from a 2011 Android. A better screen, slimmer form factor and front facing camera. The Optimus 2x has a large 4-inch screen capable of producing 700-nits brightness NOVA display, so it can be easily viewed even in bright sunlight. The phone is just 9.5 mm thick. The front camera means that it will be able to use apps the require a front camera, for things like video calling and facial recognition. A front camera became standard equipment when Google updated the Android OS to Gingerbread, so we expect more and more apps to take advantage of it.

With a suggested priced at Php19,900, and a market price of Php17,990 it is hard to beat.

Other options at this price range are Samsung i9000 Galaxy S and HTC Desire HD, the top of the line offerings from these two companies in 2010. They will cost you 4-5K more than the Optimus Black and the Desire HD does not have a front camera. Some Galaxy S phones do not have a front camera, so you should check the particular unit for that feature.

Update: One of our readers found the Samsung Galaxy S, available for Php18.600 at CMK Cellphones. At that price it would be a better choice than the Optimus Black, unless the absence of a flash on the Galaxy S is a deal breaker. The Galaxy S would have a better display, faster graphics and more internal storage. We have not found stocks in the retail stores in our area (the south) at that price, but if you can snag one at 20K or less, it would be a good deal.

You also have HTC's new for 2011 HTC Desire S which comes with a smaller 3.7-inch S-LCD screen. It is a very nice phone, but selling for Php21,500 the Optimus Black looks like the better deal. If you like HTC Sense UI, that would be a good reason to get the Desire S instead.

The other option at this price range is the new for 2011 Samsung i9003 Galaxy SL, which sells at Php16,900 these days and the older 2010 HTC Desire at Php17,000. Both are about 1K less than the Optimus Black, but the NOVA display and slimmer form factor make up for the higher price.

If you have been thinking about trying out Windows Phone 7, now might be a good time. The HTC 7 Mozart is available for just Php20,500 these days. Back in February I was looking at the 3.7-inch HTC 7 Mozart or the 4.3-inch HTC Desire HD, they were at the same price point. I went with the HTC Desire HD. If the Mozart had been a few thousand cheaper I may have gone with that. 

Windows Phone 7 is the new player, and is not well established, but it is coming along nicely. If I was looking at a HTC 7 Mozart versus a HTC Desire S, which are now at similar price points. I think I might pick-up the Mozart instead.

If you are a Nokia fan, the Nokia N8 is still the best camera phone ever built. It's not just the 12MP that makes the N8 camera special, it is the large sensor behind it. I don't think we will be seeing a better camera phone till 2012. You should be able to get it these days for about Php18,000 with the improve Symbian Anna operating system.

For BlackBerry users, you have the Torch and the Bold 9780, at this price range, but I would really recommend holding off till QNX, or investing in a BlackBerry Playbook and get a taste of QNX today.

Apple really has nothing at this price point for now. 

If you have no preference on operating systems, between the Android powered LG Optimus Black P970, the Windows Phone 7 HTC 7 Mozart and the Symbian powered Nokia N8, the LG Optimus Black P970 offers the best bang for the buck.

August 2011 high-end smarthpone buyers guide

If you are thinking of buying a smartphone this month, it might be a good time to wait. If you are decided on getting an Android phone, you safely buy the Samsung i9100 Galaxy S II without worrying that something better is just around the corner. It is by far the best Android phone available in the market today.

The Galaxy S II's 4.3-inch Super AMOLED screen is the best screen on a smartphone today. The Galaxy S II's thin 8.5 mm makes the massive screen much more manageable than previous large screen Androids. It has the fastest processor and graphics combination in any smartphone today. With 1GB of RAM and 16 or 32 GB of internal storage, it does not fall short in the department either. It's Php29,900 suggested retail price is lower than we expected, and a little comparative shopping and you will be able to snag it for just Php27,800.

The other top end Android are interesting, but outclassed. My own personal favorite is the HTC Sensation. If I was in the market right now this is what I would buy, but at Php27,000 with less RAM, a scant 1GB or internal storage and less processing power and slower graphcis, the Galaxy S II is by far a better deal. Why would I buy it. I like HTC's Sense user interface, and I would like my next phone to be similar to my last phone. 

Gamers may want to look at LG's Optimus 2x.  While it is no Galaxy S II beater, These days, it can be had for as low as Php24,990 which is a fair amount less. Also it's Tegra 2 chipset is the most common dual core Android platform in use there days, and Nvidia is supporting the gaming community, so it might provide better gaming compatibility.

If you want an iPhone instead this may be a good time to wait. A new iPhone is expected next month or two. Which means you can get the current iPhone 4 for a much lower price by than or get Apple's latest offering. The new A5 chip we expect on the next iPhone will make is substantially faster than the current iPhone 4. Rumor is, it will be getting a larger screen too. The 3.5-inch screen on the iPhone is really starting to feel small in 2011.

Nokia and BlackBerry. Nokia fans are better off looking at Windows Phone 7, that is where the company is heading. BlackBerry users are better off waiting for QNX to come to their phones or buying a BlackBerry Playbook and extend the capabilities of their existing phones.

Windows Phone 7 buyers, may want to wait a bit too. We understand that HTC, LG and Samsung are about to launch a series of Windows Phone 7 Mango phones to head off the iPhone launch. And really, there is no Windows Phone 7 device these days that we would consider to be "high end".

The good thing is this time last year, we would have been looking at 33K to 40K to get the best of the best. The 25K to 28K option we are looking at right now are friendlier to the wallet.

Looking for something cheaper? Click this link.