I’m not here to do a head-to-head in terms of specs or which phone is better. Rather, I’m here to talk about two durable phones that recently launched in the Philippines this month: the HONOR X9d 5G and the REDMI Note 15 Pro+ 5G.
While you can’t really compare these phones directly, you can compare how the brands themselves market them. Both phones bring durability in the center of their marketing with All-Angle Ultra Defense and REDMI Titan Durability. It’s especially important in a year which we expect the current RAM shortage to heavily impact the smartphone market. While I could bring up other phones that also released this month, these two really stood out to me marketing-wise.
Being “Titan Tough”
With the REDMI Note 15 Series, I can see Xiaomi’s effort in needing to highlight its durability and other big features to justify price increases. For example, the P27,999 SRP for the 12GB+512GB model of the REDMI Note 15 Pro+ 5G is P3,000 more expensive than its predecessor (SRP of REDMI Note 14 Pro+ P24,999).
The brand touts its bigger 6500 mAh battery, multiple IP ratings (IP66/IP68/IP69/IP69K), upgraded performance with the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4, and a better 200MP main camera. You could say that the brand has justifications for the price increase and the brand has a limited-time discount during the pre-order period. However, we’re just not used to seeing this pricing on REDMI phones in the Philippines.
Being “The Toughest Phone”
Meanwhile, HONOR Philippines is consistent with bringing that durability message with the HONOR X9d 5G along with an alternate approach. Yes, we still got a price increase (P18,999 SRP compared to P16,999 for the X9c). However, HONOR Philippines brought up the fact that when converted to Philippine Peso, the X9d pricing is the lowest among its Southeast Asian peers. This includes Malaysia, where HONOR is hailed as NUMBER 1 in smartphones and tablets for Q4 2025.
For that price increase, the X9d 5G brings a massive 8300 mAh battery, better performance with the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 processor, and of course, better durability with up to an IP69K dust and water resistance rating.
I Didn’t Forget About You, POCO.
It wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t bring up Xiaomi’s other brand, POCO. That brand also had its newest phones come out: the POCO M8 5G and POCO M8 Pro 5G. While the M Series used to be the brand’s entry-level lineup, we now see it at a starting SRP of P12,999 compared to the P7,499 SRP for the POCO M7, though it didn’t have 5G.
Getting a 2025 Phone Isn’t a Bad Idea
If the two durable phones are any indication, all signs point to smartphones getting more expensive in 2026. While bigger phone makers can weather this storm, other brands aren’t so lucky and might not make it through the year. (Just ask ASUS.)
If you didn’t heed the warning from other media publications, now is probably the best time to buy any of last year’s phones before they run out. Unless you’re getting the latest flagship phones, you’re better off getting any of the midrange or “flagship killer” phones from 2025.
What are your thoughts on these durable phones? Would you get one in spite of what they could have been if not for the shortage? Sound off in the comments.