You don’t need to spend a lot to enjoy mobile gaming
If you’ve suddenly been doing mental gymnastics thinking of where to get the money to buy ASUS’ recently announced ROG gaming phone when it’s officially launched in the Philippines, you can join the club. That utterly insane gaming device is the holy grail for people who like gaming on the go, but unfortunately not everyone will have enough dough to fork over cash for one, and not everyone is willing to wait for a few months to get one.
Thankfully there’s a bunch of decent, affordable alternatives already available or are soon to be available in the market if you’re the sort that likes mobile gaming. The phones in this list will at a minimum have batteries that are above 3000mAh, hardware that’s able to run most Android games at medium and high with few or no stuttering, and have price tags under 20K.
1. ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1
It’s not surprising that this phone is in this list, as ASUS is positioning their newly launched device as a capable mid-range gaming phone aside from being a “battery king”. With a Snapdragon 636 processor, 3GB of RAM and more importantly, a massive 5000mAh battery, the ZenFone Max Pro M1 is a phone that’ll be able to handle most games that’s available on Google Play without any issues. It’ll also only set you back Php 9,995 when it drops on June 25.
ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 Unboxing, First Impressions: The Comeback Continues
2. Xiaomi Redmi Note 5
Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 5 is the ZenFone Max Pro M1’s bitter rival, as the two phones have similar specs and hardware running the show. Xiaomi’s offering is just a touch more expensive than their Taiwanese rival at Php 11,990 and has around 1,000 less mAh, coming in at 4000mAh.
But the Redmi Note 5 makes up for that with 1GB more RAM plus more storage, and theoretically a better camera. It’s also available to buy now if you don’t want to wait to purchase this affordable gaming phone.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 (Global Version) Review: You’d Be Crazy Not To Buy This
3. Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
While most of the entries in this list sport Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processors and greater, the Redmi 5 Plus and its Snapdragon 625 chipset bears consideration thanks to its larg-ish 4000mAh battery. At Php 9990 it’s pretty easy on the wallet as well, and its 4GB/64GB configuration gives users enough space to download a bunch of Android games without having to worry about their storage getting capped.
4. OPPO F7 and F7 Youth
Obviously when you talk gaming phone, a phone from a company that’s the “selfie expert” isn’t exactly the first thing that enters your mind, BUT hear us out. MediaTek’s Helio P60 processor in the OPPO F7 is surprisingly capable, and is able to go up against Qualcomm’s offerings when it comes to graphical number crunching. While battery is on the low-ish side at just 3,400mAh, the F7 has a great pair of cameras on it on the front and back, which allows it to take decent photos aside from being able to play your mobile games with decent frames.
If you can’t afford the Php 17,990 price tag for the F7, the lower-priced F7 Youth priced at Php 13,990 may just be for you.
5. ASUS ZenFone 5
While the ZenFone 5 is the most expensive phone in this list, it’s easily the prettiest one. The all-glass front and back of the device makes it stand out from the mostly metal-backed entries previously. Aside from having a relatively powerful hardware and large storage capacity, the ZenFone 5 also has a pretty good camera, capable of taking good photos in challenging conditions.
Sure you’ll have to drop quite a bit of money on it compared to other phones in this list because of its Php 19,995 price tag, but the phone is ultimately worth it for what you’re getting.
