There are two trends that dominated the smartphone industry this past year. One involved the camera, where dual- and quad-camera systems were introduced. At the center of the other trend was the screen. The wider it is, the better.

One smartphone we saw online — the 5.5-inch Leagoo M9 — has both: four cameras (8MP + 2MP rear and 5MP + 2MP front) and an 18:9 display. And the best thing about it is its price. It costs only P3,866, or roughly $76 on Lazada Philippines.

The Leagoo M9, as seen on Lazada Philippines

Huawei’s Nova 2i quad-camera phone with 18:9 screen, on the other hand, sells for P14,990 or $294. Local brands Cherry Mobile and Cloudfone jumped on the bandwagon, but while they have brought the prices down to a more affordable level, their Flare S6 Plus and Next Infinity Quattro, respectively, retail at P9,999 ($196) and P12,999 ($255).

SEE ALSO: The cheapest 10-core smartphone just got more affordable

Then again, we all know there are downsides to getting the M9. The Shenzhen, China-based Leagoo has not entered the Philippines, so the unit featured here is from the gray market. Good luck if and when the time comes that you need to avail yourself of official warranty. Also, we don’t know its quality, as we haven’t used the smartphone yet.

READ ALSO: Doogee Mix 2 with 18:9 display, 4 cameras now available in PH

However, if you want to risk it, know that the Leagoo M9 is powered by an MT6580A chipset paired with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory. It has a 2,850mAh battery, and it’s based on Android Nougat.

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Alora Uy Guerrero

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Editor-in-chief: Alora Uy Guerrero is a 24-year media veteran who has survived the newsrooms of giants like Yahoo and a high-stakes detour into OPPO's digital marketing. She eventually returned to her journalism roots to helm REVU. A strict advocate for quality over quantity, Alora lives by a family-first philosophy — mostly because her babies are the only bosses she can't negotiate with. When she isn't chasing kids or deadlines, she's probably traveling, shooting, or passionately over-analyzing her favorite bands, films, and basketball teams.