Philippine market starts embracing 5G phones

While we wait for things to go back to normal in the Philippines amid the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, let us recall Fifth Generation (5G) phones that are set to dominate the Philippine market.

The ultra-premium Mate Xs 5G

As dominant telco players have been boosting their networks to make them 5G-ready, smartphone manufacturers have long revealed their plan to introduce 5G phones for Filipinos.

Although Globe Telecom has been leading the 5G race in the country after launching its services for home subscribers, both Globe and PLDT are on a wait mode for 5G phones to reach the masses. 

But telecoms around the globe are targeting to tap mobile subscribers for 5G services by the third quarter of 2020.

We list the first 5G phones that have landed in the local market:

Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G

1. Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G -The device boasts the 5G version of the Kirin 990 octa-core chip. It is a chip based on the advanced 7nm+ EUV process with higher clocked cores and a big-little Triple NPU for AI.

For 5G, it uses the built-in Balong 5000 5G modem with NSA/SA (Non-stand-alone and stand-alone) 5G with up to 2.3 Gbps download and 1.25 Gbps upload speeds.

It is the very first 5G phone in the country priced at PHP 55,990.

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2. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra - The Galaxy S20 Ultra, on the other hand, goes big in every segment as it sports a massive 6.9-inch 2K Dynamic AMOLED screen, 12GB or 16GB LPDDR5 RAM, up to 512GB storage, and 5,000mAh battery.

For its optics, the device offers a monster camera sertup with a 108MP + 12MP ultra-wide + 48MP 10x periscope zoom + ToF quad-cam that can do up to 10x. 

In terms of connectivity, the Galaxy S20 Ultra is the second smartphone in the country to have 5G connectivity. The 12GB/128GB version of this device is priced at PHP 69,990.

Huawei Mate Xs

3. Huawei Mate Xs - The Huawei Mate Xs, claimed to be the industry's fastest 5G foldable phone yet, flaunts a high strength flexible OLED panel, the Falcon Wing Mechanical Hinge, and 7nm Kirin 990 5G SoC with multi-mode modem chipset Balong 5000. It offers a 4,500mAh battery capacity with 55W Huawei SuperCharge. It is priced at PHP 139,999.

Huawei P40 Pro

4. Huawei P40 and P40 Pro - Huawei P40 is the lower-end model between the two packed with a 6.1-inch OLED screen with 32MP dual punch-hole, Kirin 990 5G SoC, 8GB RAM, 128Gb storage, and 3,800mAh battery with USB-C 22.5W wired charging.

It sports an Ultra Vision Leica Triple Camera using the new 50MP RYYB f/1.9 OIS Ultra Vision Wide camera, 16MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera, 8MP f/2.4 3x Optical Telephoto Camera and a Color Temperature Sensor.

On the other hand, the P40 Pro is the beefier and more attractive phone between the two. It goes with a curved ceramic body with IP68 water resistance, 6.56-inch 90Hz AMOLED  Quad-Curve Overflow Display with dual punch-hole, Kirin 990 5G SoC, 4,200mAh battery with 40W SuperCharge, 27W Wireless SuperCharge, and 5W Wireless Reverse Charge.

At the back, it comes with an Ultra Vision Leica Quad Camera with a 50MP f/1.9 RYYB camera with OIS, 40MP f/1.8 ultra-wide camera, 12MP f/3.4 RYYB 5x optical telephoto camera, and a 3D ToF sensor.

Huawei P40 Pro is priced at PHP 36,990. Huawei P40 Pro retails for PHP 50,990.

OnePlus 8 Pro

5. OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro - The vanilla OnePlus 8 is the more affordable OnePlus flagship. But, it still packs quite a punch. The device is equipped with a 6.55-inch 20:9 FHD+ AMOLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate, 7nm Snapdragon 865 SoC, 8GB RAM LPDDR4X, 128GB UFS 3.0 storage, and 4,300mAh battery with USB-C 30W fast charging. It also sports a 48MP + 16MP + 2MP triple-cam and a 16MP selfie cam.

OnePlus 8 Pro is the company's very best yet. It is packed with a game-changing 6.78-inch QHD+ punch-hole display with MEMC and 120Hz refresh rate, the same Snapdragon 865 SoC, up to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM, up to 256GB UFS 3.0 storage, and 4,510mAh battery with USB-C 30W Warp Charge 30, 30W Wireless Charging, and 3W Reverse Wireless Charging.

This handset also has a customized 48MP + 48MP + 8MP + 5MP quad-cam at the back.

Both phones are equipped with the Qualcomm X55 5G modem.

OnePlus 8 is priced at PHP 35,990 while the OnePlus 8 Pro starts at PHP 45,990.

Chinese firm realme also recently teased that it would bring its 5G device here in the Philippines. 

We just hope that this health crisis would reach its end, so telcos could continue working on their network infrastructure. 

Are you excited to experience the 5G mobile speed? Let us know in the comments!