FLAGSHIP season is far from over, with Apple, Samsung, and other OEMs getting ready to lay all their cards on the table for a showdown worth keeping an eye out for.

As exciting as that sounds, however, their prohibitive pricing could — and would — snuff out all the collective enthusiasm consumers might have over their products. Which is fine. Flagships and their features may be worth the splurge, but they’re not necessarily practical. 

But flagships of years prior are a different story. They’re cheaper now than when they were first announced, in large part because they’re no longer the best available options around. And if you’re looking to score a dated but still excellent premium phone, you’ve come to the right place. Here are our top choices among those readily on offer in the Philippines, in no particular order.

Sony Xperia Z5

P9,900 or around $194 from Widget City. The Sony Xperia Z5 came out in 2015, and the 16GB of storage it comes with is laughably low for a flagship by today’s standards. But for P9,900, we’d be willing to make an exception and embrace the shortcomings. You probably will, too. The Z5 boasts a “still fast in 2017” Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor with 3GB of RAM and a sharp rear-firing camera, after all.

Getting it from Widget City, however, means you’ll forfeit any claim whatsoever to Sony’s official warranty. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

SEE ALSO: Complete specs of the Sony Xperia Z5

LG G5

P19,990 or $389 from Lazada and authorized sellers. LG may have given up on modular smartphones for now, but the G5 offers plenty of useful features, including a lovely, always-on display; a removable battery; and two rear camera lenses, the more interesting of which can fit more people, or more of the scenery, in one shot. 

Even better, this phone comes with manufacturer warranty, so assistance is guaranteed even after purchase. And if you can get the modules at a steep discount, too, then all the better.

SEE ALSO: Complete specs of the LG G5

Huawei P9

P23,990 or $467 from Lazada and authorized sellers. At launch, the P9 introduced an innovative camera system that was widely adopted not only by future Huawei models, but by other smartphones as well. It remains a powerful phone, and, objectively, its boxy metal design has aged well.

SEE ALSO: Complete specs of the Huawei P9

OnePlus 3T

P19,990 or $389 from Digital Walker stores. Last year’s OnePlus 3T improves on the original by offering faster hardware and longer battery life, all while coming in at an affordable price. It isn’t the flashiest of smartphones, but it is surprisingly thin — thinner than the pictures suggest.

If power is a top priority and you don’t have that extra cash to burn for a 2017 flagship, this is about as good as you can possibly get. We predict supplies won’t last that long, so get it now while you still can.

SEE ALSO: Complete specs of the OnePlus 3T

Xiaomi Mi 5s

P13,499 or $263 from Lazada via Hellotronics. Xiaomi hasn’t found its way back to the country, at least not yet officially. But if you’re willing to live with the possible repercussions, there are plenty of affordable but impressively specced Xiaomi models on offer on Lazada Philippines. To wit: The Mi 5s from 2016 is a great handset, bearing a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, 3GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage encased elegantly in a metal unibody casing. 

As with the Sony Xperia Z5 featured here, it doesn’t ship with the convenience of a warranty from Xiaomi, so think long and hard before hitting that “Buy” button.

SEE ALSO: Xiaomi’s Mi 5s, Mi 5s Plus offer ‘best’ specs at low prices

Honorable mention: Apple iPhone 6 Plus 16GB

P15,594 or $303 from Smart Communications, based on Plan 599 under a 6-month contract and P12,000 or $234 upfront payment. You can get the iPhone 6 Plus — by all accounts, still a perfectly fine big-screen choice — at an agreeable price from Smart. As a kicker, you’ll also enjoy 2GB of mobile data allowance, unlimited SMS to all networks, and discounted call rates throughout the contract period. The only downside to this deal is the paltry 16GB of fixed storage you get, which is all but guaranteed to fill up quicker than a mall during Christmas season.

SEE ALSO: Complete specs of the Apple iPhone 6 Plus

As always, do hit us up if you find other sweet offers, so we can update this post accordingly. Happy hunting, guys!

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