Christmas rush shopping tradition has become a common practice among Filipino shoppers during the special season of gifting. This is largely due to the constant search for the best deals for the best gifts. We all love the idea of getting the best and smartest deals - especially when purchasing an item that would cost us our own hard-earned savings and bonuses, thus we are extra choiceful with what we buy for our loved ones or even for ourselves this Christmas.
Looking left and right, scrolling up and down, and even those unskippable ads that we see online are tons of special promotions and deals that seem quite hard to resist particularly if you are looking for a smartphone or a gadget for a tech upgrade that your lucky special someone deserves (can be for yourself, too). Temptations on purchasing what you see online are just hard to ignore, but we asked the Philippines’ favorite tech experts Peter Icogo of Gizguide, Liz Quimzo of LizTech, and the renowned events and celebrity photographer Magic Liwanag about the best gift recommendations to the last minute power Christmas shoppers who are looking for value-for-money gizmo deals.
The Tech Heads’ Top Picks: Smartphones & Other Gadgets
When buying some tech gifts for yourself or your loved ones, our tech heads have unanimously agreed to do the first rule: Research. According to Peter, two things you need to check before you hit that check out button: 1) Know your budget on up to how much you are willing to spend; 2) Research on what is the best you can get for a specific price range of the smartphone you desire. “Do not base on tech specs all the time, also consider the design, functions, and etc…like comfort, portability, and more,” he added.
Best Smartphone Picks For You
OPPO A12: Your Go-to Budget Friendly and Basic Smartphone
Top tech Youtube content creator Liz Quimzo picks the budget-friendly LTE smartphone, OPPO A12. “It is also slim and comfy to use, plus it has a huge battery capacity which supports extended use throughout the day,” she shares. This handset comes in two variants 3GB and 4GB (RAM) and priced at PHP5,990 and PHP6,990 respectively. Liz also mentioned the special prepaid bundle with Smart and TnT where you can get the LTE-enabled OPPO A12 for only PHP4,990 can save you some bucks.
OPPO Reno4: A Content Creator Must-have
Meanwhile, GizGuide’s Peter Icogo recommends the latest OPPO Reno4, “this is a solid mid-range all-rounder that offers a sleek and modern design, large and good quality AMOLED display, respectable overall performance, and one of the best cameras for photos and videos with plenty of functions that creatives will surely like for the price,” he said.
The OPPO Reno4 comes in three color variants Space Black, Galactic Blue, and the special limited edition colorway Nebula Purple. This latest handset retails at PHP18,990, a powerful yet affordable smartphone that houses camera-centric features such as the 48MP HD Quadcamera enabled with an advanced 960fps AI Slow Motion video, AI Color Portrait, Night Flare Portrait, and capable of taking photos in excellent details with the 108MP Image.
OPPO Find X2 Pro: Pioneering Flagship Smartphone
If you want to go all out on gifting, top photographer Magic Liwanag vouches for the latest flagship OPPO Find X2 Pro that sports pioneering flagship features perfect for the restless and relentless professionals like you. “It being the flagship of the OPPO smartphones, you have all the new features on the plus that “best in class” feels,” Magic said. The latest Find X2 Pro houses all the best features you can get in a smartphone from camera, design, and performance - a handful of things you can do in just one powerful device. Among other features of this flagship smartphone, Magic particularly likes the 120Hz refresh rate which gives a smoother screen display experience, the 10x Hybrid Zoom, and the Ultra Steady Video which gives a smarter video shooting in extreme action. This handset comes in two color variants Black and Orange, and retails at PHP65,990.
Other Gadget Picks For You
OPPO Enco W51: Noise Off. World On.
If you are looking for a gift for a music enthusiast, Peter’s top option for you is the OPPO Enco W51. According to him, OPPO Enco W51 is the most affordable TWS earbuds with noise-cancelling technology, “it is decent in every regard - from battery life, noise-cancelling quality, and audio reproduction. It also has some of the most comfortable for long hours of listening,” he stated. The OPPO Enco W51 is built with Bluetooth 5.0 for an improved connectivity with up to 20 hours of music playback with charging case, 4 hours without it.
OPPO Enco W31: Music Lovers’ Dynamic Bass-forward Audio Staple
Liz recommends the OPPO Enco W31, which for her and even her brother consider as nice, lightweight, skin-friendly and with a decent audio quality. The OPPO Enco W31 is built with an enhanced bass for a powerful sound that brings out bass-heavy rhythms. With OPPO Enco W31, you can enjoy your personal soundtrack all with up to 15 hours of music playback and 12 hours of call time with the charging case, 3.5 hours without it.
The OPPO Enco W31 and W51 retail at PHP2,990 and PHP3,990 respectively. Both wireless earphones are available in OPPO concept and online stores including the exclusive e-commerce partners Shopee and Lazada.
Making The Joy-Full Decision
The best piece of advice from Magic when buying tech gifts: “Always read reviews. I know it may be a lot, but as a tech person myself, I tend to read a lot of reviews before buying . First, tech is not cheap. Second, if you really want it before you buy it, understanding and learning what you are buying can really do.” When purchasing anything, one must be smart about their choices, as each spending is equivalent to a longer-term investment for your communication and connectivity needs. “Just always learn to maximize everything that certain gadget has, so you make the most out of your purchase,” he added.
With all of these considerations, OPPO is making the decision a lot easier for everyone - especially if you feel like you are running out of time and you need to decide right before those Christmas bells ring.
With the #OPPOJoyFullSale, everyone is up for generous treats this Christmas, in the spirit of celebrating the Yuletide season, you can enjoy lots of special freebies when you purchase any of OPPO’s best selling products: A12 (3GB/4GB), A52, A53, A92, Reno2 F, Reno3, Reno3 Pro, Reno4, and Find X2 Pro.
Treat yourself and your loved ones to devices with premium and greater-value-for-money features, and get special freebies too. Score a free OASE P10-L power bank or Rock Space P88 power bank with every purchase of smartphones priced PHP10,000 and above, or a free 64GB TF card for every purchase of A53.
This promo offer runs until December 31 and available in all OPPO concept and online stores nationwide, partner dealers, and exclusive e-commerce partners Shopee and Lazada.
To know more about the latest OPPO exclusive Christmas deals and events, visit the official website or via the official Facebook page at OPPO Philippines.