November Mid-level Smartphone Buyers Guide

Android greatest gift to mobile is making high quality smartphone really affordable. And it looks like Windows Phone handsets are following Androids lead. How affordable? We have to redefine mid-level smartphones to the price range of Php12,000 to Php20,000. 

At this price range you could look at one of RIM's BlackBerry Curve phones, but unless you really are dependent on BBM we really cannot recommend buying a BlackBerry phone at this time. In a few months time we expect BlackBerry to release its new BBX phones rendering all current BlackBerry phones obsolete. If you heart is set on an iPhone, the only you will be able to buy is a iPhone 3GS, and you will be sourcing a phone from the grey market with a questionable warranty. The iPhone 3GS, with its 320 x 480 resolution screen and poor 3MP camera, it is really looking dated and not something that will keep you happy for the next year or two.

For Php12,000 to Php20,000 these days, you should expect a high resolution screen, a decent auto focus camera with a flash, the ability to capture 720p video and a fast processor.

Now, one could happilyspend Php13,400 on a smartphone and not worry about the fact thatthere are better phones out there. The Sony Xperia neo V withits 3.7-inch high resolution 480 x 854 screen, a 1GHz processor,512MB of RAM, a decent 5MP camera with Panorama mode, a secondarycamera, HDMI out and pretty much everything you expect from asmartphone these days is good enough to do the smartphone heavylifting work as well as play all but a few dozen of the latest games.

Add another 2.6Kto the budget, at Php16,000 you have the Samsung Galaxy W i8150 and the LG Optimus Black.

The Samsung Galaxy W i8510 has afaster 1.4GHz processor and faster 14.4 Mbps HSDPA connectivity. The LG Optimus Black with its 4-inch 700 nit displayand ultra thin 9.2mm case.

The HTC Desire S sittingat just Php19,000 is looking a bit on the expensive side, but it does offerHTC Sense 3.0, premium build quality with its aluminum unibody case and inour opinion the most likely to see an upgrade to Android 4.0 IceCream Sandwich.

You won't get arecommendation from us, any of these four offerings is a great dealat the asking price.

If you are tired ofAndroids, you have the HTC Mozart at Php14,800 and the HTC Radar atPhp18,200. The Mozart is upgradeable to Windows Phone 7.5, the Radarcomes with Windows Phone 7.5 out of the box. Between a Mozart and aRadar, the Radar has a front camera and a better, though lowermegapixel camera.

So there you have it. Sixvery decent phones with 3.7-inch of larger high resolution displays,1GHz or more of processing power and decent cameras. These are allvery competent smartphones, and anything more is really a optionalluxury.