The mobile industry is getting increasingly more advanced with each passing year. Six years ago, consumers were going gaga over smartphones which toted around 2GB of RAM; today, we're witnessing an age that chases only the biggest. Leading brands such as Samsung, HUAWEI, and Xiaomi have all been pulling out all the stops to feature the biggest offerings in the RAM department. Whether its 6GB or the ridiculous 8GB, a true flagship of today can't be called as such if one isn't equipped with the most generous RAM.

Meanwhile, this same advancement has also brought about some perks, chief of which is that smartphone makers are now able to provide decent specifications to their budget iterations. This is quite a milestone for the industry as it can still cater to certain demographics like those who want to remain practical or just don't have the luxury to spend more on smartphones.

Yes, smartphones with 2GB RAM are still a thing. And for the thriftiest of Filipinos, these iterations are a priority to them. The same reason why most of the biggest mobile brands are still developing more-than-decent smartphones to accommodate those who value practicality above anything else. Have you ever thought why these firms are bringing out the big guns in markets like China and India?

Now, if you're in this spectrum, allow this list to help you narrow down your selection as we bring you the best smartphones with 2GB RAM under PHP 7,000 in the Philippines:

10. Cherry Mobile Flare S6, Cherry Mobile Selfie Two, Cherry Mobile Desire R7, Cherry Mobile Flare P1 Plus, and Cherry Mobile Flare S6 Deluxe

The true blue Pinoy mobile brand's throng of entries on this list is just a fraction of its successful infiltration in the budget-friendly segment. A majority of Filipinos is still on the lookout for the most reasonable of smartphones out there. Cherry Mobile thrives in this respect as it knows how to incorporate decent specs in devices that can still rival those premium mid-rangers in the industry. Ultimately, these smartphones are literally the cheapest alternatives in the competition now.

These Cherry Mobile units boast of mid-range offerings like FHD Displays, a dual-camera setup, MediaTek chipsets, fingerprint sensors, and massive batteries in tow.

9. Firefly Mobile AURII Razor Plus and Firefly Mobile AURII Magnum

Filipino-owned Firefly Mobile also happens to be Cherry Mobile's staunchest rival in the Philippine market under this pricing segment. The Firefly Mobile AURII Razor Plus and the Firefly Mobile AURII Magnum are two of its most recent iterations that cater to the tech savvy and socially-connected consumers in the country. Their highly affordable pricing is just a cherry on top.

Both sporting an IPS + OGS Screens, these variants also boast a diverse camera set up, and up to 128GB of internal storage. A vanilla Android 7.0 Nougat runs these devices out-of-the-box.

8. Blackview A10

The Blackview A10 has made some noise when it joined the brand's series of budget-friendly offerings, and for all the good reasons. The device comes with a simplistic aesthetic that should delight those who are minimalists. The 5-inch device sports an IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with an HD display and pixel density of 294 ppi. Atop these display offerings is a 2.5D curved glass screen that just makes the experience all the more immersive.

Meanwhile, the 2GB-equipped smartphone is powered by a budget MediaTek MT6580 and up to 32GB of expandable storage. On its photography front, the device comes with an 8-megapixel rear shooter and a 5MP selfie camera. A non-removable 2,800mAh battery juices the entire unit while an Android 7.0 Nougat runs the device.

7. CloudFone Thrill Plus 2

The entertainment-centric device from CloudFone was made official last year and ever since, Pinoy have come flocking in on the top-performing offering from the 4th best smartphone brand in the Philippines. CloudFone Thrill Plus' successor is armed with a 5.5-inch HD Full Lamination IPS display with 1280 x 720 resolution. It's powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6580, coupled with Mali-400 MP GPU. Its 2GB RAM is aided by a 16GB internal storage which is also expandable to up to 64GB through a microSD slot.

True to its marketing ploy as a go-to entertainment smartphone, the device packs dual front-facing speakers and a 5.5-inch display, akin to its predecessor. For its shooters, a 13MP rear camera and 8MP selfie camera are offered; both come with LED flash. Also thrown in the mix are USB OTG, a 2,800mAh battery, and Android 7.0 Nougat OS out-of-the-box.

6. Meizu M5c and Meizu M6

One of China's leading smartphone brands, Meizu is also noted for its foray under this pricing segment. Its latest, the Meizu M5c and the Meizu M6, are two of its prime offerings. And for those who are still on the fence about this Chinese brand, these two can also be of great devices to start with.

The humble Meizu M5c is equipped with a MeidaTek 6737 quad-core processor and a 16GB internal storage that can be expanded up to 128GB. It houses a 5-inch display that carries a 720p resolution and runs on Flyme OS 6 atop. This reasonably-priced device works with a 3,000mAh battery.

Meanwhile, the latest Meizu variant from the "M" series, the M6 is deemed as its premium offering for photography enthusiasts in this segment. An 8MP camera is situated up its front, which is huge enough under this fold. On the other hand, a bump-free 13MP shooter and a dual-tone flash can be found on its rear. Other inclusions are a fingerprint sensor and a non-removable 3,070mAh battery.

5. OPPO A71 (2018)

Settling on the 5th slot is the OPPO A71 (2018). Touted as one of the better choices among consumers who look for budget-friendly, game-centric devices, the refreshed A71 device also comes with a more powerful processor, courtesy of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450. Equally competitive is its camera offerings with a 13MP rear-facing sensor leading the way along with an f/2.2 aperture. Meanwhile, a snappy 5MP selfie camera with f/2.4 aperture also does wonders in its photography front. Enhancing these sensors are the phone's PDAF, LED flash, touch focus, face detection, and HDR.

The 5.2-incher OPPO A71 (2018) also sports a 282 ppi density with 720 X 1280 pixels in a 16:9 ratio. A non-removable 3,000mAh battery juices the entire front while its proprietary Color OS 3.2 and Android 7.1 Nougat work on its display and OS.

4. Motorola Moto C Plus and Motorola Moto e4

One of Motorola's entry-level smartphones is the Motorola Moto C Plus. Touted as the second cheapest offering after its Moto C offering, the Moto C Plus sports a 5-inch HD display, coupled with a resolution of 1280 X 720 and a 294ppi. It's powered by a MediaTek quad-core processor which is clocked at 1.3 GHz and is also paired with a staple Mali-T720 MP2 aided by the 2GB worth of RAM and a 16GB internal memory which can be expanded to up to 32GB.

For its shooters, the Moto C Plus sports an 8MP camera with f/2.2 aperture while its selfie camera carries a 2MP sensor. Both cameras come with LED Flash. The device runs an Android 7.0 out-of-the-box while a massive 4,000mAh battery juices the unit.

Meanwhile, the Motorola Moto e4 gets its job done decently across all platforms. The brand's sturdiest handset to-date comes with Snapdragon 427 quad-core processor, a 13MP rear camera, a regular Android 7.1 Nougat, and a colossal 5,000mAh battery which is a first in this segment.

3. LG K10 (2017)

With its 2.5D curved glass and metal frames, one would think that the LG K10 (2017) comes from a premium mid-range lineup. The mid-budget device from the South Korean smartphone maker comes with an overhauled design, way better than its predecessor.

Encased in a 5.3-inch HD in-cell display, this sleek smartphone is equipped with a decent MediaTek MT6750 octa-core processor and 16GB storage space. It boasts 13MP rear and 5MP selfie shooters and is juiced by a 2,800mAh battery. A vanilla Android 7.0 Nougat OS runs the device out-of-the-box. Other notable inclusions are a fingerprint sensor, an expandable storage that can support up to a whopping 2TB in size, and a USB on-the-go.

2. Nokia 3

Perhaps the most aesthetically-pleasing entry on this list is the latest from HMD Global, the Nokia 3. From the get-go, one might think that the device comes with premium offerings due to its design that just exudes a top-grade experience. The device boasts of a 5-inch 720p display with a squarish and rounded corners, akin to the company's previous Lumia design.

Under the hood, the Nokia 3 is powered by MediaTek MT6737 processor that is clocked at 1.3 GHz. On its photography front, the device comes with 8MP shooters, both on its rear and front sections. Meanwhile, a 2630mAh battery juices the unit. Its notable specifications can be found on its software offerings: a stock Android software and Android 7.0 Nougat.

1. Xiaomi Redmi 5 and Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A

The Redmi series of the Chinese tech behemoth Xiaomi will always wind up on a list that categorizes the best cost-effective smartphones in the world. Its current budget offerings, the Xiaomi Redmi 5 and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A come with all the necessary inclusions such as the bigger, 18:9 displays, that distinctive Xiaomi design, the trendy minimal bezels, bigger batteries, the latest chipsets under this segment, and the value for money, of course.

The list above exemplifies a selection that comes with just about the right balance of RAM and other pertinent specifications under a budget-friendly segment, a set of entries that should definitely suit the needs of the most practical of consumers out there.

And while they may not hold water against the truest of flagships from your trusted brands, the smartphones we have enlisted should provide you a more-than-decent performance. No-frills, no bells and whistles, just a smooth and typical budget-centric Android experience.

Do you think we got the list right? Do you have any contenders that deserve a spot on this list? If you have anything to add, share, or ask, please don't hesitate to sound them off on the comment section.

Best 2GB RAM Smartphones Under PHP 7K in the Philippines 2018

• Xiaomi Redmi 5
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A
• Nokia 3
• LG K10 (2017)
• Motorola Moto C Plus
• Motorola Moto e4
• OPPO A71 (2018)
• Meizu M5c
• Meizu M6
• CloudFone Thrill Plus 2
• Blackview A10
• Firefly Mobile AURII Magnum
• Firefly Mobile AURII Razor Plus
• Cherry Mobile Flare S6 Deluxe
• Cherry Mobile Flare P1 Plus
• Cherry Mobile Desire R7
• Cherry Mobile Selfie Two
• Cherry Mobile Flare S6

DISCLAIMER: Availability of the given prices may change over time.