This just in: Realme will debut a new smartphone for the Philippine market next week.

(Update, February 1: Our review is up! Read Realme 5i review: Best all-around budget phone.)

(Update, January 29: And it’s official in the Philippines! Read Realme 5i budget phone launched in PH. Price, specs here.)

(Update, January 23: How is this budget phone in photography? See Realme 5i: Camera specs, sample pictures.)

The technology company’s local arm today announced that the Realme 5i will be launched January 29, promising that the device will set a “whole new standard in its price range.” The smartphone was first unveiled in Vietnam earlier this month.

Realme 5i TV commercial (in Vietnamese)

To recap, the Realme 5i is similar to the Realme 5, which is currently priced at P6,990 or around $137 here. Except the 5i has an 8-megapixel front camera instead of a 13-megapixel selfie shooter on the latter. The back of the handset is also different, with a rear panel made of textured plastic with a fancy finish that makes it look like it’s radiating light.

The 5i also features a quad-lens camera setup on the back consisting of a 12-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and 2-megapixel macro and depth sensors. It has a physical fingerprint reader as well and a 5,000mAh battery that supports reverse wired charging.

SEE ALSO: Realme Buds Air review: Good audio, even better price and Editors’ picks: The top phones that impressed us in 2019

The screen is 6.5 inches, with a resolution of 1,600 x 720, while the chipset under the hood is the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 seen in the Realme 5. The chip is coupled with 3GB or 4GB RAM and 64GB of built-in storage, but it’s unclear if the Philippines will get both configurations.

In Vietnam, the base model of the Realme 5i has a suggested retail price of ₫3,690,000 (P8,066 or $159), while the 4GB/64GB variant costs ₫4,290,000 (P9,377 or $185). Take note that in our neighboring country, the Realme 5 is more expensive; it starts at ₫4,000,000 ($8,750 or $172). So the 5i will probably be cheaper in the Philippines.

Realme 5i specs

• 6.5-inch HD+ LCD display, 1,600 x 720 resolution, Corning Gorilla Glass 3+
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor
• 4GB RAM
• 64GB/128GB expandable storage
• Quad rear cameras: 12MP (main), 8MP (ultra wide, 119 degrees field of view), 2MP (macro), 2MP (depth)
• 8MP front camera
• Fingerprint reader (rear-mounted)
• 5,000mAh battery with support for reversed wired charging
• ColorOS 6.1 based on Android 9.0 Pie
• Colors: Forest Green, Aqua Blue

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