Smartphones just went through a crazy and wild ride that is 2017. We’ve seen a lot of trends converge into these current crop of flagship phones. Some use machine learning to enhance the capabilities of the phone. Some rely on two cameras to take better and more detailed photos. Most of them rely on the screen that we use so much. All I know is that these phones carry the flag of innovation that still remains. Without further ado, here’s my list of the best 2017 flagship smartphones!
Note: I will be listing down flagship phones that are OFFICIALLY available in the Philippines as of this writing (sorry Google Pixel 2) and tell you whom are the phones for. This list is also IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER.
Galaxy Note 8
Notable Specs: 6.3-inch Super AMOLED “Infinity Display” with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio, Exynos 8895 Octa (International) / Snapdragon 835 (US), 64GB storage, 6GB RAM, S Pen, Dual 12MP rear cameras with OIS, 8MP front camera, 3300mAh battery
PH Price: P49,990 (Samsung PH)
The flagship Galaxy phones can sometimes be ignored after a slew of new phones arrive. I think that the Galaxy Note 8 is still worth every peso you spend on it. The Note 8 has one of the best screens in a phone. It also helps that it has a single standout feature: the S Pen. The S Pen actually does more than ever with the Note 8. (I legitimately am jealous of the off-screen note writing. Wow.) It also helps that it’s the first rear dual-camera smartphone with OIS (optical image stabilization)!
Who is this phone for? It’s for the person who wants the biggest screen possible and does a lot with it! Whether it’s writing a lot of notes through the S Pen or taking better photos with its dual camera, you won’t go wrong with the Galaxy Note 8!
Galaxy S8/S8+
Notable Specs: 5.8-inch (S8) / 6.2-inch (S8+) Super AMOLED “Infinity Display” with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio, Exynos 8895 Octa (International) / Snapdragon 835 (US), 64GB storage, 4GB RAM, 12MP rear camera with OIS, 8MP front camera, 3000mAh (S8) / 3500mAh (S8+)
PH Price: P39,990 (S8) / P45,990 (S8+)
More than 6 months after its release, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ remain one of the best flagship phones of 2017! Although this phone isn’t exactly the first one with a bezel-less display, the Galaxy S8 made a prettier body for that display! Of course, we expect the best display that Samsung has to offer! The cameras on this phone is no slouch as well! Although it’s merely the second best camera in an Android phone (the Pixel takes the cake), you’ll really be happy with the photos you take!
Who is this phone for? It’s for people who want a near-equivalent to the iPhone in terms of hardware. The cameras on this phone are one of the best in the industry. Just don’t make them use Bixby. Please. (In my defense, I barely use Siri.) Get the S8+ if you find the Note 8’s S Pen useless.
iPhone 8 Plus
Notable Specs: 5.5-inch 1080p LCD display, Apple A11 Bionic chip, Qi wireless charging, 64/256 GB storage, 3GB RAM, Dual 12MP rear cameras, 7MP front camera, 2691mAh battery
PH Price: P51,490 (64GB) / P60,990 (256GB)
The iPhone 8 Plus is a familiar phone. It carries the same design that started with the iPhone 6 Plus in 2014. The main difference is the return to a glass back. That back enables Qi wireless charging which lets you charge without having problems with wires! The A11 Bionic chip enables machine learning and augmented reality (AR) capabilities! I would have recommended the iPhone 8 but it doesn’t have the rear dual-camera setup with Portrait Mode and Portrait Lighting.
Who is this phone for? This is for iPhone users who want a familiar but faster iPhone. Benefits like wireless charging and the A11 Bionic chip help make this is a better upgrade for iPhone 6s and older. If you’re looking for a smaller phone, I think you should just get an iPhone 7. There isn’t much difference between it and the 8. The 7 is a steal at P35,490!
iPhone X
Notable Specs: 5.8-inch OLED display (2436×1125 resolution), Apple A11 Bionic chip, Qi wireless charging, 64/256 GB storage, 3GB RAM, Dual 12MP rear cameras with OIS, TrueDepth front camera system (with 7MP front camera), 2716mAh battery
PH Price: P64,490 (64GB) / P73,990 (256GB)
After months of anticipation, the iPhone X is hitting Philippine shores on December 1st! What makes this iPhone stand out from other iPhones is its bezel-less display! Yes, the notch is there but it enables Face ID and Animojis! (Animoji Karaoke is really a thing, check this out.) The dual-camera setup at the back also has OIS giving it better overall photos! It also has the same Qi wireless charging support as the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.
Who is this phone for? This iPhone is for the hardcore Apple fan who is ready for the future. The gestures could take some time to get used to and Face ID may not be better than Touch ID. Those are just minor things for the Apple fan though. This phone is also for those who have the money to afford it.
Huawei Mate 10
Notable Specs: 5.9-inch Quad HD display, Huawei Kirin 970, 64GB storage, 4GB RAM, Dual (20MP + 12MP) rear cameras, 8MP front camera, 4000mAh battery
PH Price: P32,990
Huawei has always been an innovator in terms of phone hardware. They were the first to take advantage of two cameras in a smartphone (in partnership with Leica)! Now, Huawei is bringing you a phone with AI in mind: the Mate 10!
It manages to look like a 2017 smartphone thanks to its bezel-less display. The Mate 10 also manages to shove in a fingerprint reader in the front as well. (I’m looking at you, iPhone X.) The Kirin 970 makes the Mate 10 one of the few phones with a dedicated AI processor (Huawei calls it the Neural Processing Unit or NPU).
Who is this phone for? This phone is for those who love big screens yet doesn’t want to spend around 45-50K pesos just for a big screen experience. The cameras are on par with the others here and the premium design makes it appealing.
Huawei P10
Notable Specs: 5.1-inch 1080p LCD display, Huawei Kirin 960, 3200mAh battery, 64/256 GB storage, 4GB RAM
PH Price: P28,990
I think this Huawei flagship phone is kind of underrated. Maybe the software isn’t that great but I really love the camera on this thing. This is the 2nd year of the partnership between Huawei and Leica on the camera of the P series. The P10 really shows how good the fruits of that partnership is. Sure, the display looks dated but this is good enough for small phone lovers.
Who is this phone for? This phone is for Huawei fans and don’t want a big phone to show for it. The camera is still as great as the ones on this list! The smaller phone will most likely fit in your pocket better than the bigger Mate 10.
There you have it! This was my list of the best 2017 flagship smartphones you can buy in the Philippines right now! I obviously missed some phones that are worthy to be here but I just can’t buy it easily here. Leave your comments and violent reactions down below! Hehe.
+1 for mentioning P10. Truly underrated phone of the year along with LG G6.
I do understand the struggle to find the best phone. With so many models its just not easy picking a winner!
Ooh! Thanks for this! Super informative and helpful! I’m so not a techy so I rely on techies like you for information. i’ve always been partial to apple just because i find it easy to use. But i’ve never really been much of a phone person- i only change phones when my current one conks out. I also don’t get excited over new releases. That was until I read your review on the iphone 8. Dude. You had me at wireless charging! It is riduculous the number of wires i’ve destroyed this year. I would definitely definitely splurge on this for sure. Thanks again for the review!
I am a Samsung fan, I have the S7 Edge which is an amazing phone. It I wasn’t on a contract I would have already bought the new S8 or the Note8. I think the standard is very high these days for mobile phones. They are like computers now and calling is just a secondary function. Who knows what the future will bring!
Each of them look amazing with their own unique features.
But seriously who keeps buying phones every other day. Again if such excellent models are launched every other day anybody will get the urge to replace theirs 😉 I am NOKIA fan.
Sucks that the Nokia we have now is just a shell of what it once was.
I think I am so biased in terms of phones that I have always used Samsung ever since Nokia Days. I actually stopped checking other models if they are not from Samsung. hahaha!
These are good to know but I am leaning towards trying an Iphone soon. 🙂
A nice run down of mobile phones this year. Today, owning a mobile phone is more of a necessity than just to look cool. And would all boil down to one’s needs. Having said that, I really miss typing on a real keypad than just a screen! But I guess it’s all screens.
This is a very comprehensive summary of the best phones out in the market now. I have been a Samsung fan because I absolutely loved my Note 2 and I miss using it and the S Pen on occasions. I would love to own a Note 8 if I could, but I am more partial now to Huawei for their Leica dual cameras. These are the ones I am eyeing in case I need to replace my old unit.
Iphone X is incredibly expensive. I don’t think I can ever such smartphone because as clumsy as I could get, I probably would break or misplace or do something stupid to it. Good thing to know that there are other affordable options to choose from. Thanks for including the detailed comparison in your post! Very helpful for us indeed!
It is so nice that Huawei phones are getting better and better. I have read so many great reviews with Huawei P10 especially with its camera features and the impressive image quality! I might consider switching to Huawei soon… Samsung however is still a great phone.. been an avid user ever since
i’m not that techy. one qualification I am looking for a phone isnits great camera. That’s it. I love the unbiased comparison, though.
Before Oppo or Vivo, I only knew to buy Samsung. Haha, but I stopped buying too expensive phones if I could do with the less expensive but decent ones. Thank goodness for them. LOL. S8 looks really sleek and so is iPhone 8. I am awaiting the release of Nokia android and see what they can offer. I heard they’re on the works.
I’m now rather curious as to what’s next to smartphones? will it be AR/VR?
Neither AR nor VR will prove to be an edge when it comes to smartphones. Let’s see what Apple (ARKit) and Google (ARCore, Daydream) will do with those technologies.
Great pick! I would also choose these phones. They have their own pros and cons. but over-all, I loved the list. (Y) Same taste Jullian. HAHA..