Many smartphones were released at the conclusion of the first quarter of 2023 so we think that it is time for a new tier list of smartphones priced under ₱20,000. 😉
Which smartphones are the new Super Sulit? Which ones fell down from the glorious meta? Are there plenty of “Maganda na” smartphones? Keep reading to find out! 😇
Check out the smartphone tier list for yourself to assess: unboxdiaries.com/smartphone-tier-list
The first tier is the Sakto lang or in common terms, “decent”. There’s not much to show here other than just barely average smartphones. Let us find the reason why we placed three realme phones here along with an HONOR phone.
To kick things off is the HONOR X9a 5G, it has a Snapdragon 695 with an 8/256GB storage combo. Its price is ₱16,990. It has the typical specs of a smartphone in its pricepoint so we placed it in this tier.
Next is the realme 10 Pro+ 5G that has a Mediatek Dimensity 920 and an 8/128GB storage combo for ₱19,999. And again, the specs and features of the smartphone are typical of 20k PHP and below the price of a smartphone.
Lastly, the realme 10 Pro 5G also has a Snapdragon 695 with an 8+128GB storage combo at a price of ₱16,999. The specs are decent for its price and the realme UI is very responsive.
Then, the realme 10 Pro Coca-Cola Edition has a Snapdragon 695 and 8+128GB with a price of ₱18,999. The phone’s specs are the same as the vanilla realme 10 pro 5G just with a Coca-Cola aesthetic and design.
Next is the Needs Improvement tier, where we place smartphones that are barely decent, barebones, and good, but not good enough for the Sakto lang tier.
The HONOR X8a is the only phone in this tier. The HONOR X8a is equipped with a Mediatek Helio G88 with an 8/128GB storage combo at a price of ₱10,990. The camera specs are quite great actually with a 100MP main shooter but sadly, it is the only thing that this phone can really offer.
Now we enter a realm of above-average smartphones. These smartphones are placed in the Maganda na tier because they offer great specs and features for their price.
The vivo V27e has an Helio G99 with an 8/128GB storage combo for a price of ₱16,999. It is the lite version of the vivo V27 which is quite capable in its own right. The phone’s specs are highly suitable for a smartphone with its price. It is also a good choice because its design is aesthetically pleasing, along with a camera that can take high-quality photos and videos. The chipset’s AnTuTu score is also around 370k, making it suitable for light-medium gaming – according to Nanoreview.
And then there’s the ZTE Blade V40S, for the price of ₱11,999, the smartphone comes with a Unisoc UMS512T T618 and a 6/128GB storage combo. According to Nanoreview, the AnTuTu score for the phone should be around 250k which is quite weak for most midrange phones but with its price, the ZTE Blade V40S is still a great deal.
Next is the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G with an Exynos 1330 and a 4/128GB storage combo. There is no official price yet. For its price, it is still a great entry-level phone. The smartphone is also quite smooth and responsive because of Samsung’s One UI which is pretty good.
Lastly, the POCO X5 5G has a price of ₱14,999. For its price, it offers a good smartphone equipped with Snapdragon 695 and a 6/128GB storage combo. Well, we know that POCO phones are a bang for the buck but the POCO X5 5G lacks the necessary oomph to be in our Super Sulit tier. It is still a great deal because of its great specs however.
And now for the main event, are the Super Sulit smartphones. These smartphones are in our opinion, the best of the best in this tier. They offer superb specs at an aggressive price point.
Firstly, there is the ZTE Blade V41 Vita, equipped with a Dimensity 810 and a 6/128GB storage combo, it is a great deal for its price of ₱11,999. Its chipset is pretty powerful, able to achieve near a score of 400k in AnTuTu according to Nanoreview which makes it a very capable gaming chipset. It is a mid-range smartphone for a very inexpensive price. The design is also very sleek, ZTE made a great job into developing this smartphone.
Next is the POCO X5 Pro 5G equipped with a Snapdragon 778G and a 6/128GB storage combo – all for a sweet price of ₱15,659. The phone’s chipset is capable of scoring above 500k in AnTuTu as mentioned by Nanoreview. The smartphone’s specs are effing absurd for its price point, and along with its design, it is a great contender for this tier.
And to conclude this tier is the Samsung Galaxy A34 5G. The smartphone has a Dimensity 1080 along with an 8/256GB storage combo for a price offer of ₱19,990. Its chipset is also capable of scoring above 500k in AnTuTu according to Nanoreview making it a very capable gaming smartphone. It also runs on Samsung’s One UI 5.1 which is pretty smooth and responsive – a huge positive for smartphone enthusiasts. Samsung is also known for their great camera quality so it is also a good thing to consider.
Well after the main course, is the dessert. A dessert that is extremely lackluster and bland LMAO. There are only two smartphones here, and both of them came from OPPO.
The OPPO A78 5G is equipped with a Dimensity 700 and an 8/128GB storage combo at a price of ₱14,999. The chipset is actually pretty powerful, capable of scoring around 300k in AnTuTu according to Nanoreview. The thing is, the price should be a little lower. There are smartphones that can offer the same specs for a lower price.
Lastly is the OPPO Reno8 T. It has a Snapdragon 695 with a price of ₱18,999 for the 8/256GB storage variant. The chipset is capable of scoring around 400k in AnTuTu according to Nanoreview and along with the phone’s splendid design, with a back that has a leather material, the smartphone should be a good deal right? Well, the price is the issue here, it is over the top. When compared to other smartphones with the same price, the OPPO Reno8 T is lacking. It is still a good phone though it you are an OPPO fan.
For the whole tier list, please look at the image below! We will update the 2023 tier list as more smartphones get released throughout the year!
