With so many smartphones coming out in the market, it can be hard for an average consumer to pick the best device for them. What’s the best phone for my budget, which one gives me the best camera performance, do I get a premium gaming experience from this device, and yada-yada-yada are some of the queries one might have. But fear not, for we at GadgetByte Nepal have compiled an updated list of the best smartphones you can buy at every price range, no matter your budget. We guarantee an optimal smartphone experience for you with our handpicked catalog of devices at every price range.
Best Smartphones Under Rs. 15,000
Redmi 12C (3/32GB): Rs 13,499
The Redmi 12C is currently one of Xiaomi’s most affordable handsets in Nepal. It comes with a sizeable 6.71-inch IPS LCD display with a waterdrop notch. Since it is a budget device, you only get an HD+ resolution screen here, and a higher refresh rate screen is also out of the question.
In terms of design, the rear camera module of the 12C extends to form a square which also houses the capacitive fingerprint sensor. The square camera module houses a 50MP primary lens followed by a 2MP depth sensor. For selfies, you get a 5MP lens on the front.
Similarly, the smartphone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 chipset, which should be more than adequate for daily tasks. However, you should not expect good performance in demanding tasks such as gaming. The SoC is combined with up to 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. However, only the 3/32GB and 4/64GB variants of the device are priced under Rs. 15,000 in Nepal. All of this is powered by a 5000mAh battery with 10W fast charging support. The only downside, as far as the charging goes, is it comes with a micro USB port.
Best Smartphones Under Rs. 20,000
Redmi 12
Redmi 12 is the prolly the most hot and happening phone in the midrange phones under 20,000 rupees. Powered by a Helio G88 SoC, the phone packs fairly adequate power for those looking for a day-to-day device. The display stretches 6.79-inch diagonally and bears a 90Hz refresh rate and Full HD+ resolution.
You get a triple camera setup here with a 50MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultrawide unit, and a 2MP macro camera. The inclusion of an ultrawide unit here is pretty commendable as it has gone astray from other phones in this price range. Likewise, there is a 5000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support. On the software side, there is MIUI 14 skin built on top of Android 13.
Realme Narzo N53
Another contender making to this list is Realme Narzo N53. This budget phone is the slimmest Narzo phone and it bears “Mini Capsule”, Realme’s own version of Dynamic Island. Running the show on the core is a Unisoc T616 processor, providing enough horsepower for casual users. Memory-wise, you get two variants: 4/64GB and 6/128GB in Nepal.
Talking of the display, you get a 6.74-inch IPS LCD panel with an FHD resolution, 90Hz refresh rate, and a waterdrop notch. Likewise, the phone sports a dual camera setup: 50MP + 2MP unspecified AI lens. Fueling the smartphone is a 5000mAh battery with 33W SuperVOOC fast charging support. Realme has advertised it to fill up to 50% in 34 minutes. Furthermore, the phone boots on the Realme UI T version built on top of Android 13.
Best Smartphones Under Rs. 30,000
Redmi Note 12 (6/128GB): Rs. 23,499 (4G) | Rs. 28,499 (5G)
Still, if you’re looking for a competent multimedia consumption device in Nepal for less than Rs. 30,000, you should definitely consider the Redmi Note 12 4G and Note 12 5G. Both devices flaunt a Full HD+ AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and a stereo speaker setup, which results in an excellent content consumption experience. The screen also has a brightness of 1200 nits, so outdoor visibility on these phones is not an issue.
However, its cameras are rather average. You do get a 50MP triple-camera setup on the 4G variant and a 48MP triple setup on the 5G one. But the photos are on the pretty average side. On the CPU side, it is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 685 chipset while the graphics are handled by Adreno 610 GPU on the Note 12 4G. Whereas, the Note 12 5G features a more powerful Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 SoC. The devices are backed by a 5000mAh battery with 33W fast charging. Not to forget, there is also an IP53 rated for dust and water resistance.
- Check out the full specs of the Redmi Note 12 4G here.
- Check out the full specs of the Redmi Note 12 5G here.
Samsung Galaxy A24
The Galaxy A24 from Samsung is also here in our list of best smartphones under Rs. 30,000. Boasting a universal design approach as its flagship siblings, this guy features a contemporary floating rear camera. But you are still getting a waterdrop notch on the front side. It is available in four color options: Black, Silver, Burgundy, and Lime Green.
Talking of the display, the phone houses a 6.5-inch Samsung-made Super AMOLED display with a Full HD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. Powering the things from the core is a Mediatek Helio G99 chipset, a 6nm fabbed SoC with two Cortex A76 and six Cortex-A55 clusters. Likewise, it boots on OneUI 5.1 based on Android 13 with 4 years of OS and 5 years of security updates promise.
Moving on, you get a triple camera setup headlined by a 50MP main sensor (OIS), 5MP ultrawide, and 2MP macro units. Upfront, there is a 13MP selfie snapper.
Best Smartphones Under Rs. 40,000
Poco X5 Pro (6/128GB): Rs. 37,999
Now, the first phone on our list of best ones under NPR 40000 in Nepal is the newly launched POCO X5 Pro. This phone shares a lot of similarities with the POCO X4 Pro from last year, including the camera setup which consists of a 108MP HM2 primary, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 2MP macro sensor.
But thanks to the updated ISP of the Snapdragon 778G chip and further camera optimizations, the POCO X5 Pro takes really eye-pleasing photos. With lively colors and punchy contrast. We would’ve liked it more if POCO had given OIS this time though. Anyway, this phone’s performance is reliable through and through. And Snapdragon 778G is not going to disappoint you in your everyday chores or even in something like gaming.
We did notice performance throttling on high-fps-ready games like Injustice 2 and Mech Arena, but it’s not a big deal. Build quality also sees a slight downgrade here since POCO has used a plastic back this time instead of glass. At least it’s still IP53 dust/splash resistant so there’s that. POCO X5 Pro is fueled by a big 5000mAh battery with 67W charging support. Coming to the front, the phone has a nice 6.67″ 120Hz OLED display protected by Gorilla Glass 5.
Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G
Although Xiaomi took quite some time to introduce Redmi Note 12 series in Nepal, we must say the wait was well worth it. Compared to the international market like India, Redmi Note 12 Pro has been priced quite aggressively here. Compared to its predecessor, Xiaomi has brought notable upgrades on all fronts this time.
Starting with… performance. Xiaomi has gone with MediaTek’s Dimensity 1080 chip this time, which brings a notable performance boost compared to the Snapdragon 695 on the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G. Both in terms of CPU and GPU. So besides everyday usage, the Note 12 Pro has got quite capable gaming chops too. But since Xiaomi has slightly compromised on the cooling front to make room for the phone’s slim profile, thermals have taken a slight hit here.
Anyway, although the jump from 108MP to 50MP camera might seem like a downgrade, its cameras are pretty great in both daytime and lowlight conditions. The 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro unit are just average though. Redmi Note 12 Pro’s 10-bit 120Hz OLED display deserves equal praise. It gets quite bright and is comfortable enough for outdoor visibility. The battery backup on this thing is also pretty great thanks to a big 5000mAh cell.
Best Smartphones Under Rs. 50,000
Samsung Galaxy A34
Let’s start with the Galaxy A34 for the best phones under NPR 50000. As the name implies, it is the successor to the Galaxy A33 5G.
That starts with the design itself. Samsung has experimented with a universal design approach with almost all its smartphones in 2023. That means whether it’s a budget phone like the Galaxy A14 5G, a midrange one like the Galaxy A34 5G, or flagships like the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+, they all share similar design principles. This consists of a minimalistic camera layout with protruding lens, flat sides, and curved edges.
As a result, design-wise, the Galaxy A34 5G punches above its weight to give you a relatively premium experience. It does have a plastic back and frames, but its hands-on feel is quite nice for a phone under 50K. For a more durable wear-and-tear in the long run, Samsung also offers IP67 dust and water resistance on this phone; which is something no other brands have managed in this segment. If only it has a hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera instead of a notch!
Realme 11 Pro (8/256GB): Rs. 47,999
The Realme 11 Pro is an upper mid-range phone from Realme this year. Since this is the third ‘Pro’ smartphone in their lineup, the company carries a special emphasis on the camera department and design. You get a big circular camera module this time and three color options: Astral Black, Sunrise Beige, and Oasis Green.
On the back is a 100MP primary sensor with OIS and a not-so-useful 2MP macro unit. Similarly, its performance with the MediaTek Dimensity 7050 5G chipset is adequate for your everyday chores and even for light to medium gaming. Apart from this, it has a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 5000mAh battery with 67W SuperVOOC charging.
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite (8/128GB): Rs. 41,999
The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite is the midrange offering from the company with an all-plastic build. It boasts an 8.3mm flat frame with curved edges and a cleaner camera module. Available in Pastel Lime and Chromatic Gray shades, the phone is powered by a Snapdragon 695 5G chipset on the core. So, the performance of this two-year-old silicon is not that extravagant although, it’s good to go for a normal user. Memory-wise, you get two variants: 8/128GB and 8/256GB.
Talking of the optics, OnePlus has provided a triple camera setup with a 108MP primary sensor and a 2MP+2MP macro and depth combo. Over on the front, there is a 16MP selfie shooter. Likewise, fueling the phone is a 5000mAh battery with 67W SuperVOOC charging support. On the display side of things, you don’t get an AMOLED panel here sadly. It’s a 6.72-inch FHD+ LCD panel with a 120Hz refresh rate instead.
Best Premium Midrange Smartphones:
Samsung Galaxy A54
Commencing the list of the best premium midrange phones in Nepal is the Samsung Galaxy A54. Like all other Galaxy phones to go official this year, the Galaxy A54 follows the same design language as the flagship S23 series. Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protects both the front and back of the phone.
Not only this, the phone comes with IP67 dust and water resistance, which is the best you can get in this price range. Moreover, the phone ships with the latest Android 13 with the revered One UI on top. On top, Samsung promises 4 years of OS updates and 5 years of security updates.
Coming to the camera, the Galaxy A54 flaunts a triple camera setup. However, only the primary camera is worth your time. It uses a 50MP sensor against 64MP in its predecessor, which does a good job. Everything from colors and brightness levels of the 6.5-inch AMOLED is also great.
The phone is powered by Samsung’s in-house Exynos 1380 chip. It’s a 5nm chip with an integrated 5G modem. It also scores well in CPU benchmarks. That said, Samsung has not optimized the phone well. Thus it does leave something to be desired still.
OnePlus Nord 3 (8/128GB): Rs. 69,999
The Nord 3 brings a significant upgrade over last year’s Nord 2. It comes with a bit different design, more similar to the Nord CE 3 Lite. Available in Misty Green and Tempest Gray color options, the phone secures an IP54 rating.
The processor has been upgraded from the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 to Dimensity 19000 5G— a much-needed performance boost. So, gaming and handling the daily chores is going to be as smooth as silk on its 6.74-inch AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. In terms of cameras, you get an OIS-powered 50MP Sony IMX980 primary lens, 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro sensor on the back, and a 16MP lens on the front.
Honor 90 (12/256GB): Rs. 58,990
Closing off the list of our best premium midrange phones, the newly launched Honor 90 is most suitable for those who value an attractive design above everything else. Although we would’ve liked it more if Honor had managed to provide some sort of IP rating and Gorilla Glass protection, the Honor 90’s design is still pretty impressive.
So is its display. You’re looking at a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and curves on both sides. But the biggest highlight of this display is definitely its incredible 3,840Hz PWM dimming. That means if you’re someone who gets headaches, nausea, and the like when using a phone at low brightness levels, that’s not gonna be a problem here.
Honor 90’s primary 200MP camera and the 50MP selfie shooter are quite impressive too. Optical image stabilization could’ve taken it a step further but that’s nowhere to be found here.
As for performance, Honor has gone with the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 “Accelerated Edition” chip from last year and mixed it with plenty of RAM and storage. While the memory side of things leaves no room for complaint, this is definitely the most powerful processor for the price. Similarly, a single speaker setup on a phone that costs almost NPR 60000 is pretty embarrassing to see as well.
Best Budget Flagship Smartphones
OnePlus 10T (12/256GB): Rs. 114,999
The OnePlus 10T is a budget flagship phone from 2022. Powered by a powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, the phone is available in a sole 16/256GB variant in Nepal. To keep the thermals in check, OnePlus has also provided an ultra-thin vapor cooling system, covering a surface area of 5,177.46 mm², 68% larger than the previous 10 Pro.
Talking of the display, the phone features a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel with a Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. This 10-bit panel also houses an indisplay fingerprint scanner. Likewise, you get a triple camera setup here: 50MP primary (OIS), 8MP ultrawide, and 2MP macro units. For selfies and video calls, there is a 16MP snapper on the front. Besides that, the phone is powered by a 4800mAh cell with 1150W fast charging support.
Currently, you can get not just one, but two freebies: the OnePlus Buds Z2 and Ultima Nova smartwatch, if you purchase this smartphone from our affiliate partner, Hukut.
iPhone 12 (128GB): Rs. 106,990
The iPhone 12 was a significant launch from Apple in 2020. This vanilla variant brought the flat frame design with a Ceramic front cover. It features a 6.1-inch OLED display which Apple prefers to call, a Super Retina XDR screen. The refresh rate stays at 60Hz static, like the entire iPhone 12 lineup.
Getting to the optics, the iPhone 12 greets you with a dual camera setup: 12MP main and 12MP ultrawide cameras. Likewise, there is a 12MP selfie shooter, placed alongside the 3D face scanner in the notch. Powering the core is Apple’s A14 Bionic chipset with a 16-core Neural engine. Currently, you only get a 128GB model as the 64GB and 256GB trims have been discontinued.
Best Flagship Smartphones
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (12/256GB): Rs. 191,999
Now let’s move on to the flagship arena on this list. Starting with the S23 Ultra, it is a standout device in the company’s latest flagship lineup. There is no visual difference between the S23 Ultra and its predecessor. You get a built-in S-pen compatibility which works flawlessly with Samsung’s default note-taking apps.
The display on the S23 Ultra is also worth a look. In place of the standard sAMOLED panel found on Samsung’s mid-range phones, the S23 Ultra features a Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O display protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The screen has a WQHD+ resolution screen with Vision Booster, which allows you to increase the peak brightness to a whopping 1750 nits, making it the brightest phone on this list.
This phone’s build quality is also top-notch, with Gorilla Glass Victus2 on the back, an IP68 rating, and aluminum frames. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset is at the core of this smartphone, a customized version of the standard 8 Gen 2.
The software update policy on Samsung’s latest flagship phone is also the best in class. Here, the company has promised four years of major OS upgrades and an additional year of security updates. It’s almost as good as iPhones and even better than Google.
Anyway, the cameras on the Galaxy S23 Ultra are another highlight. It yields quite pleasing photos with almost no additional editing required before uploading to social media. Finally, the 5000mAh cell combined with the energy-efficient LTPO screen can provide 7 hours of screen time on typical usage. You can charge the phone either via a 45W wired medium or a 15W Qi wireless charging.
OnePlus 11 (8/128GB): Rs. 129,999
Another option for the best flagship smartphone in Nepal is the OnePlus 11. It’s a bit expensive at Rs. 129,999, but it comes with all the features you’d expect from a flagship smartphone. Well, most of it anyway. For starters, it features a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, LPDDR5 RAM, and UFS 3.1 storage. And it comes with the OxygenOS interface based on the latest Android 13 which provides a polished software experience. Not to mention, the classic alert slider is also present on the 10 Pro.
In addition, you get a 6.7-inch 120Hz QHD+ AMOLED display with LTPO 2.0 backplane technology. This time around, OnePlus has also included a slightly larger 5000mAh battery that supports 100W wired and 50W wireless charging.
As for the cameras, the OnePlus 11 includes third-generation Hasselblad cameras for mobile, 50MP primary + 48MP ultrawide + 32MP telephoto lens. The OnePlus 11 Pro’s cameras can deliver good results, but it is nowhere near the mainstream flagships of 2023. Anyway, it has an in-display fingerprint scanner for biometrics.
Honor Magic 5 Pro (12/512GB): Rs. 164,990
Honor is finally back on the flagship scene with the Magic 5 Pro in Nepal. Inspired by a black hole, the phone houses “Eye of the Muse” with a 50MP primary sensor, 50MP telephoto lens, and 50MP ultrawide unit. Over the front, the pill-shaped notch contains a 12MP camera and a 3D ToF sensor for 3D face scanning.
On the core, you get the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset running the show. This 4nm flagship silicon is accompanied by an Adreno 740 GPU. It is paired with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 internal storage. Fueling the Magic 5 Pro is a 5000mAh battery with 66W fast charging support.
Other features of the smartphone include 5G, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and USB 3.1 for connectivity. There is an X-axis linear motor for haptics, an under-display fingerprint reader for biometrics, and Dolby-powered dual speakers.
iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max (Coming Soon)
Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max are the Titans of Silicon Valley with a titanium build. This flagship duo brings the latest and greatest specs to the table. Why not start with the Apple A17 Pro chipset? Fabbed under a 3nm process, it brings a 20% improved GPU performance over the A16 Bionic.
Both have an OLED panel with a Ceramic Shield for extra protection. For their build, Apple has used aluminum frames with a glass back. The Pro and Pro Max both have the same display technology and protection.
Talking about the cameras, the iPhone 15 Pro sports a 48MP primary camera, a 12MP ultrawide sensor, and a 12MP telephoto with 3X optical zoom. The Pro Max variant shares the same setup but its telephoto can do 5X optical zoom. And there’s a LiDAR scanner too. The primary camera of the entire lineup includes sensor-shift OIS stabilization from Apple for stable videos.
- Check out the full specs of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
