These days, you need a smartphone that can do it all. It should be more than fast to keep up with the world’s speed. It must have an advanced camera for capturing life’s greatest moments. And it must have expansive storage space for your important files.
If you have some cash to spare, it’s wise to check out the best flagship phones this 2025.
But first, what is a flagship phone? A flagship phone is the company’s most modern and most advanced product. It boasts and represents the maker’s engineering capabilities and technology.
Don’t know which flagship phone to get? Here are your choices:
Read more: Smart Smartphone Choices: Best Phones Under ₱15,000 Worth Checking Out
Best Flagship Phones This 2025
Whether you’re an iOS loyalist or an Android fan, you’ll find interesting candidates for your new smartphone below:
iPhone 16 Pro Max
Source: Apple website
Price: Starts at ₱84,990
The iPhone is one of the most popular smartphones in the world,[1] thanks to its sleek design, reliable performance, and seamless integration with other Apple devices. This year, the iPhone 16 Pro Max embodies the said ethos.
One of the best flagship phones of 2025, the iPhone 16 Pro Max boasts the A18 Pro chip, which delivers fast and efficient performance. It makes advanced photo and video mechanisms, like Camera Control, possible. Moreover, it’s designed to produce immersive graphics for AAA gaming.
Its body features Grade 5 titanium, which makes the unit durable yet light. For the camera, the iPhone 16 Pro Max can capture videos in 4K 120 fps Dolby vision. It also features a 48MP ultra wide lens for capturing landscapes.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Source: Samsung PH website
Price: Starts at ₱84,990
If you’re looking for a smartphone with a superior camera, check out the Galaxy S25 Ultra, the flagship phone of Samsung. This handset comes with various lenses designed to capture different moments. One of its most notable features is its zoom, which allows you to see further into your captured image up top 100x.
For performance, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. This translates to 37% faster processing and 30% improved graphic performance.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is designed for the AI era. You can complete your tasks without needing to switch between apps through the help of Google Gemini.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
Source: Samsung PH website
Price: Starts at ₱87,990
As Samsung describes it, having a Galaxy Z Fold6 is like having a personal computer in your pocket. It suits both executives on the go and avid gamers.
For executives and salarymen, the Galaxy Z Fold6 lets you summarize notes through Note Assist, which transcribes recordings and turns them into notes. If you’re closing a deal with a foreigner, the phone’s Live Translate feature gives real-time translation when you’re on a call.
Gamers, on the other hand, will love the bigger screen for their quests. The visuals are complemented with the robust performance of the Snapdragon Gen 3 chip.
HUAWEI Mate XT
Source: Huawei PH website
Price: ₱199,999
This HUAWEI flagship phone is for those who take elegance and business seriously. This tri-fold unit gives you three panels, which means a bigger screen compared to that of other foldable phones. The phone’s body, on the other hand, is graced with red vegan leather for a premium feel.
Once you unfold the HUAWEI Mate XT, you’ll get a 10.2-inch screen with 3K ultra-high resolution for an immersive user experience. This flagship handset also comes with an advanced camera equipped with 5.5x optical zoom and 50x digital zoom.
The HUAWEI Mate XT is outfitted with 16GB RAM and the Kirin 9010 octa-core processor. This makes for faster and more reliable performance.
Read more: 10 Budget Gaming Phones to Gift Your Loved Ones (or Yourself!)
HONOR Magic V3
Source: Honor PH website
Price: ₱86,399 on HONOR’s official Lazada store[2]
Foldable phones can be slim, too. That’s what the HONOR Magic V3 has successfully executed. While only 9.22 millimeters when folded, it’s actually packed with advanced features.
First on the list is its Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip that ensures fast and reliable performance. It also enables certain AI capabilities, making the completion of in-phone tasks efficient.
The Magic V3 uses the HONOR Falcon Camera System, which includes the following cameras: 50MP periscope telephoto camera, 50MP wide angle camera, 40MP wide angle camera, and 20MP front camera. With HONOR AI Motion Sensing Capture, you can capture moving subjects and turn them into clear images.
Xiaomi 15
Source: Xiaomi PH website
Price: Starts at ₱45,999 on Xiaomi’s official Lazada Store[3]
A flagship phone that won’t exceed ₱50,000? That’s possible with the Xiaomi 15.
This flagship phone of Xiaomi will surely excite photographers with its excellent camera features co-engineered with Leica. It’s built with the Summilux optical lens that has a large aperture. This means your phone can capture enough light–even in low-light environments–and deliver clear and vivid images.
The Xiaomi 15’s 60-millimeter floating lens, also designed by Leica, lets you capture the details of your subjects, whether you’re doing portraits or macro photography.
Under the Xiaomi 15’s hood is the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. This increases the CPU’s performance by 45% and the AI performance by 105%.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
Source: Google website
Price: ₱48,099 on Kimstore
Stylish, powerful, and reliable are the best words that describe the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. This is also a great device for those who are into photography.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL comes with a 50MP main camera that can take clear photos even in low-light conditions; a 48MP telephoto lens that can zoom up to 30x; a 48MP ultra-wide lens for macro photography; and 42MP front camera for high-definition selfies. Its Video Boost feature, on the other hand, can enhance your video up to 8K resolution.
When it comes to technical specifications, the Pixel 9 Pro XL comes with 16GB RAM and Google Tensor G4, both of which make for efficient performance.
How to Afford a Flagship Phone
To afford the flagship phones this 2025, you need to strategize. You can use your credit card’s deals and promos. Check out the following:
HSBC’s 0% Installment at Samsung
This comes with the following spend requirements:
- 3 months: minimum of ₱3,000
- 6 months: minimum of ₱12,500
- 12 months: minimum of ₱30,000
- 24 months: minimum of ₱45,000
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HSBC’s 0% Installment at HUAWEI SM Megamall
This payment scheme has the following spend requirements:
- 3 months: minimum of ₱3,000
- 6 months: minimum of ₱3,000
- 12 months: minimum of ₱6,000
- 24 months: minimum of ₱12,000
- 36 months: minimum of ₱18,000
HSBC’s 0% Installment at Power Mac Center (Including Online)
This installment scheme has the following spend requirements:
- 3 months: minimum of ₱6,000
- 6 months: minimum of ₱6,000
- 12 months: minimum of ₱20,000
- 24 months: minimum of ₱50,000
- 36 months: minimum of ₱50,000
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HSBC’s 0% Installment at Beyond the Box (Including Online)
This promo has the following spend requirements:
- 3 months: minimum of ₱3,000
- 6 months: minimum of ₱6,000
- 12 months: minimum of ₱6,000
Read more: Apply for a Credit Card via Moneymax and Enjoy Gifts and Freebies!
Final Thoughts
The flagship phones this 2025 may have hefty price tags. But you’ll get what you pay for–a sturdy body, a superfast chipset, an advanced camera, and generous storage space.
Don’t worry about the starting cost, as there are various ways to afford them. You may consider buying an older flagship model, as it’s much cheaper. And as mentioned above, you can use your credit card’s 0% installment feature.
Sources:
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