Holiday Gift Guide for This Christmas: Smartphone

Introduction

It’s the holiday season and Christmas is just around the corner! Thinking to get a smartphone for your loved ones, or yourself, but don’t really know what phone to get? We got you covered! Here we will be recommending you a few smartphones in different price ranges. Without further ado, let’s begin!

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post, we’re not sponsored to include any brands in the list. The prices of all smartphones might vary by the time you read this post, all prices are updated as of 13th December 2016.

Flash Plus 2

Price: RM479 (2GB RAM), RM589 (3GB RAM) [Buy Here]

The Flash Plus 2 is now even more affordable, thanks to the discounts on Lazada. The device has a 5.5-inch Full HD display, MediaTek Helio P10 processor, 2GB/3GB RAM, 16/32GB storage, 13MP rear and 5MP front cameras, fingerprint sensor, fast charging, and metal body.

Samsung Galaxy J2 Prime

Price: RM499 [Buy Here]

Launched last month, the Samsung Galaxy J2 Prime has a 5-inch qHD display, quad-core processor with 1.5GB RAM, 8MP rear and 5MP front cameras, and a front-facing LED flash as well. If you are planning to get your kid the first phone, this is the one!

Honor 5A

Price: RM599 (Black and White), RM629 (Gold) [Buy Here]

We recently reviewed the Honor 5A, it’s an affordable device with many good features. The device has a 5.5-inch HD display, Kirin 620 processor with 2GB RAM, 13MP rear and 8MP front cameras, and running on EMUI 4.1 based on Android Marshmallow.

Xiaomi Redmi 3S

Price: RM599 (2GB RAM), RM689 (3GB RAM) [Buy Here]

The Redmi 3S is Xiaomi’s most affordable smartphone currently available in Malaysia. The phone has a 5-inch HD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor with either 2GB or 3GB RAM, 13MP rear and 5MP front cameras, and a fingerprint sensor.

Honor 5C

Price: RM799 (Silver and Grey), RM849 (Gold) [Buy Here]

We once said the Honor 5C is one of the best smartphones below RM1,000 in our review, and it still is. The device has a 5.2-inch Full HD display, Kirin 650 processor, 2GB RAM, 13MP rear camera, and a fast fingerprint sensor.

ASUS ZenFone 3 Max

Price: RM799 [Buy Here]

If you are looking for a phone with great battery life, go for the ZenFone 3 Max! The device has a 5.2-inch HD IPS display, MediaTek quad-core processor, 3GB RAM and 32GB storage, and a huge 4,100mAh battery.

HTC Desire 628 Dual SIM

Price: RM799 [Buy Here]

The HTC Desire 628 Dual SIM is a good mid-range smartphone, as you don’t normally get a phone with 3GB RAM and 32GB expandable storage at this price point. The phone has a 5-inch HD display and the renowned HTC BoomSound. Read our full review here.

Samsung Galaxy J5 Prime

Price: RM899 [Buy Here]

Think that the Galaxy J2 Prime isn’t good enough? The Galaxy J5 Prime has a 5-inch HD display, quad-core processor with 2GB RAM, 13MP rear and 5MP front cameras, and a metal body.

Sharp M1

Price: RM899 [Buy Here]

Launched last month, The Sharp M1 features Japan DNA ID Design with curved 3D Gorilla Glass on its back. It has the same 5.5-inch Full HD LTPS display like the Z2 and is powered by a MediaTek MT6753 processor with 3GB RAM and 64GB expandable storage. Both front and rear cameras of the phone are a 13MP shooter, which claims that the device is able to capture sharp images even at night.

ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser

Price: RM999 [Buy Here]

The ZenFone 3 Laser is a mid-range device with ultra-fast laser auto-focus. The device has a 5.5-inch Full HD display, Snapdragon 430 processor with 4GB RAM, 13MP rear and 8MP front cameras, and a metal body.

LG X power

Price: RM999 [Buy Here]

The LG X Power is also a smartphone with great battery life. It has a 4,100mAh battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0.

Xiaomi Mi Max

Price: RM999 [Buy Here]

If you are looking a phone with a big screen, the Xiaomi Mi Max is a good choice. The device has a 6.44-inch Full HD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 processor with 3GB RAM, 16MP rear and 5MP front cameras, and a 4,850mAh battery.

OPPO F1s

Price: RM1,198 [Buy Here]

The OPPO F1s is a phone for selfie lovers. The device has a 16MP front-facing camera with Beautify 4.0 feature and a pretty fast fingerprint sensor. Read our full review here.

Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime

Price: RM1,199 [Buy Here]

The Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime is the top model in the J Series family. The device has a 5.5-inch Full HD display, an octa-core processor with 3GB RAM, 13MP rear and 8MP front cameras, and a metal body.

Sharp Z2

Price: RM1,199 [Buy Here]

The Sharp Z2 has a 5.5-inch Full HD LTPS display, MediaTek Helio X20 deca-core processor with 4GB RAM, 16MP rear and 8MP front cameras, and a fingerprint sensor.

Lenovo P2

Price: RM1,299 [Buy Here]

The Lenovo P2 just landed in Malaysia last week. The device has a 5.5-inch Full HD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor with 4GB RAM, 13MP rear and 5MP front cameras, and a 5,100mAh battery.

vivo V5

Price: RM1,299 [Buy Here]

The vivo V5 is another device for selfie lovers. The phone has a 20MP front-facing camera with soft light and Face Beauty Mode 6.0, which means the phone is able to take great selfies even under the low-light situations.

ASUS ZenFone 3

Price: RM1,499 (5.2″), RM1,699 (5.5″) [Buy Here]

The ASUS ZenFone 3 for sure is a good choice. It’s the most beautiful ZenFone ever made by ASUS, read more in our review. The device is available in two variants — 5.2″ and 5.5″.

Honor 8

Price: RM1,699 (32GB), RM1,899 (64GB) [Buy Here]

The Honor 8 is another beautifully made device. The device has a dual-camera setup, much like the Huawei P9 — one RGB sensor and one monochrome sensor. Read our review here to find out more.

Moto Z Play

Price: RM1,799 [Buy Here]

The Moto Z Play is a pretty unique smartphone as it comes with Moto Mods. The phone has a 5.5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor with 3GB RAM, 16MP rear and 5MP front cameras, and a 3.5mm audio jack (the Moto Z doesn’t have).

Apple iPhone SE

Price: RM1,949 (16GB), RM2,199 (64GB) [Buy Here]

If you are looking for a compact iPhone, the iPhone SE is a good choice. The device is pretty much similar to the 5s, but with a faster processor, better camera, and a new Rose Gold color.

Sony Xperia X Compact

Price: RM1,999 [Buy Here]

If you are looking for a compact Android device, the Sony Xperia X Compact is a pretty good choice. The device is a compact version of the original Xperia X. It has a 4.6-inch HD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 processor with 3GB RAM, 23MP rear camera with PDAF, laser auto-focus and RGB-IR sensor (for color sensing), and a brand new loop surface design.

ZTE Axon 7

Price: RM1,999 [Buy Here]

The ZTE Axon 7 is a device that comes with good speakers. The phone has a 5.5-inch QHD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with 4GB RAM, 20MP rear and 8MP front cameras, Quick Charge 2.0, and dual front-facing stereo speakers.

Huawei P9

Price: RM2,099 [Buy Here]

The Huawei P9 is the first phone co-engineered with Leica Camera AG. The device comes with two 12 MP rear cameras with Leica SUMMARIT lenses — one RGB sensor and one monochrome sensor. The company recently also released the P9 Rose Gold Edition, but only 999 units available.

ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra

Price: RM2,599 [Buy Here]

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra is a phablet with 6.8-inch Full HD IPS display. It is the world’s first smartphone with a dedicated display processor like those found in the latest 4K UHD TVs. If you often watching videos or movies on your phone, you should get this one.

ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe

Price: RM2,599 (64GB), RM3,299 (256GB) [Buy Here]

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe is the first phone in the world to be powered by a Snapdragon 821 processor. However, only the 256GB variant is powered by this processor, the 64GB variant is powered by a Snapdragon 820 processor. The device also has a 21MP rear camera with laser auto-focus.

Huawei Mate 9

Price: RM2,699 [Buy Here]

The Huawei Mate 9 is the company’s latest flagship device. The device has a new Kirin 960 octa-core processor with 4GB RAM, the second-generation Leica camera with a dual-camera setup — a 20MP f/2.2 monochrome and 12MP f/2.2 RGB sensors, and a 4,000mAh battery with SuperCharge technology charged by a 5A charger.

Samsung Galaxy S7

Price: RM2,699 [Buy Here]

The Samsung Galaxy S7 launched two months after the Galaxy S7 edge. The device has a 5.1-inch QHD Super AMOLED display, an Exynos 8890 processor, 4 GB RAM, 32 GB expandable storage, 12MP camera with Dual Pixel technology, and IP68 rating.

HTC 10

Price: RM2,799 [Buy Here]

We did mention that the HTC 10 is a good flagship device we’ve been waiting for from HTC in our review. If you are more on audio, the 10 definitely is the one for you, not to forget that it has a pretty good camera as well, and the build quality is superb.

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge

Price: RM3,099 [Buy Here]

Even though the Galaxy S7 edge is a little bit old, but it’s still one of the best phones you can get right now. The device has the same specs as the Galaxy S7 besides the screen — an Exynos 8890 processor, 4 GB RAM, 32 GB expandable storage, 12MP camera with Dual Pixel technology, and IP68 rating. Few months after its official launch, Samsung Malaysia also introduced new color variants for the Galaxy S7 edge — Pink Gold and Blue Coral.

Apple iPhone 7

Price: RM3,199 (32GB), RM3,699 (128GB), RM4,199 (256GB) [Buy Here]

If you or your loved ones are an iOS user and you have the money to spend, then getting the iPhone 7 is the right choice. For the first time, the iPhone 7 is IP67 water and dust resistant, and it doesn’t have an audio jack. The device has a redesigned home button, new 12MP f/1.8 rear camera with OIS, 7MP front camera, and a faster A10 Fusion chipset with a quad-core processor.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus

Price: RM3,799 (32GB), RM4,299 (128GB), RM4,799 (256GB) [Buy Here]

If you have more money to spend and you want a bigger iPhone, then just get the iPhone 7 Plus. The iPhone 7 Plus is same as the regular iPhone 7, but with a bigger screen, bigger battery and an additional 56mm telephoto lens.

Final Words

Well, you might be asking why the certain phones like the Google Pixel and OnePlus 3 aren’t on the list. All phones we listed all come with official local warranties, the Google Pixel isn’t available in Malaysia at the moment and the OnePlus 3 is out of stock now, probably won’t be available anymore. We hope that this gift guide can help you to purchase the right phone for you or your loved ones. Happy Shopping!

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