GadgetByte Nepal

In this article, we’ve listed the absolute best smartphones you could buy in Nepal right now. There are official distributors of basically every major smartphone brand in Nepal, and a few of them bring their flagship devices as well. From Samsung’s Galaxy S series to the latest iPhones, there are a lot of premium phones you can buy in the country. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the best smartphones available in Nepal.

How to find the best flagship smartphones in Nepal?

When searching for the best smartphones to buy in Nepal, you’ll need a decent bit of research to help filter out the options. Considering the number of options available, it can be a bit overwhelming, but that’s exactly where we come in. We’ve tried our best to summarize the pros and cons of each device in this list of best smartphones in Nepal but make sure to check our full review for more details.

Anyway, if you’re team Apple all the way, then your buying decision gets a bit easier. Say you want the biggest, boldest, most expensive iPhone, then the iPhone 15 Pro Max is where it’s at. Or the regular iPhone 15 Pro if you want a similar experience on a slightly smaller form factor. Whereas if you don’t want to spend a whole lot, then the regular iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are great options.

On the other hand, you are absolutely spoiled with choices in the Android arena. Samsung definitely has the largest selection of flagship phones in Nepal, with all of them ranking among the best in the business. You can even go with Samsung’s foldable phones if you want! Similarly, brands like OnePlus, Xiaomi, and lately Honor have also been offering their latest flagship phones in the country. So when it comes to selecting the right device for you, it’s simply a matter of finding the one that ticks all your boxes.

Best smartphones to buy in Nepal:

5. Samsung Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+

The Samsung Galaxy S25 and S25+ have officially launched in Nepal, offering premium features at a slightly higher price point compared to international markets. The Galaxy S25 is priced at NPR 104,999 for the 12/128GB variant and NPR 114,999 for the 12/256GB variant, while the Galaxy S25+ is available at NPR 141,999 for the 12/256GB model.

Despite the higher cost, these devices stand out as the best compact flagship smartphones available in Nepal. Both models are equipped with the top-end Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, ensuring top-tier performance. The S25 features a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, while the S25+ boasts a larger 6.7-inch version, both with a 120Hz refresh rate and 2,600 nits peak brightness. The camera setups include a 50MP primary sensor, 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide lens, delivering exceptional photography capabilities.

In addition to their impressive hardware, the Galaxy S25 series supports seven years of software updates, ensuring longevity and up-to-date features. With AI-enhanced functionalities powered by One UI 7 and the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, these smartphones offer a seamless and intelligent user experience. For those seeking a compact yet powerful flagship device, the Galaxy S25 and S25+ are unparalleled choices in the Nepali market.

Samsung Galaxy S25 / S25+ Specifications

• Display:
  • S25: 6.2-inch 1080p+ LTPO OLED, 1-120Hz refresh rate
  • S25+ : 6.7-inch 1440p+ LTPO OLED, 1-120Hz refresh rate
• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
• RAM: 12GB
• Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
• Rear Cameras: 50MP (main), 10MP (telephoto), 12MP (ultrawide)
• Front Camera: 12MP
• Battery:
  • S25: 4,000mAh, 25W wired, 15W wireless
  • S25+: 4,900mAh, 45W wired, 15W wireless
• Build: Armor Aluminum frame, IP68 certified
• Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
• Check the full specifications of Samsung Galaxy S25 here
• Check the full specifications of Samsung Galaxy S25+ here
• Buy Samsung Galaxy S25 here
• Buy Samsung Galaxy S25+ here

4. Xiaomi 15 Ultra

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra stands out in 2025 not just for what it offers, but for how much it offers at its price. In a market where rivals like the Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max easily cost well over NPR 180,000, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra delivers a full-fledged flagship experience for significantly less. With a price around NPR 142,000, it undercuts premium competitors while matching—or even exceeding—them in several key areas.

Its Leica-powered quad 50MP camera system is a game-changer. The main 1-inch sensor, combined with two telephoto lenses (3.2x and 5x) and an ultra-wide, produces stunning results in any lighting condition. Detail, dynamic range, and color science are outstanding. This isn’t just “good for the price”—it’s among the best mobile camera systems out there, period.

The rest of the phone doesn’t fall short either. Its 6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED display is crisp, color-accurate, and hits 3200 nits peak brightness. Performance is top-notch thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite and Xiaomi’s smooth HyperOS. You also get excellent battery life, blazing fast 90W wired and 80W wireless charging, and premium build quality with IP68 rating and an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner.

Yes, it’s a bit heavy and the massive rear camera module may not be for everyone. But if you’re looking for the best balance of performance, photography, and value, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is in a league of its own. It’s a proper flagship that doesn’t demand a flagship-sized wallet.

Xiaomi 15 Ultra Specifications

• Dimension : 161.3 x 75.3 x 9.4 mm
• Weight: 226 g
• Display: 6.73-inch WQHD+ AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate
• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite, 3nm process
• Rear Cameras: 50MP (wide) + 50MP (telephoto) + 200MP (periscope) + 50MP (ultrawide)
• Front Camera: 32MP
• Memory: 12G/16GB
• Storage: 256GB/512GB
• Battery: 5410mAh, 90W wired, 80W wireless charging
• Software: Xiaomi HyperOS 2.0 (Android 15)
• Connectivity: WiFi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC, USB-C 3.2 Gen 1
• Read out full review of Xiaomi 15 Ultra
• Buy Xiaomi 15 Ultra here (Hukut store)

3. iPhone 16 Pro Max

Third place for our smartphones is probably the most popular and in-demand smartphone—iPhone 16 Pro Max. But while the hype is massive, the reality is a bit more mixed. The much-talked-about camera button is honestly my biggest disappointment this year. It sounds smart—press lightly to adjust tone or zoom—but in actual use, it’s awkwardly placed, uncomfortable, and ends up shaking the camera more often than helping. Especially for someone with small hands, it’s a struggle. I even had to remap it to a double-press just to stop launching the camera by accident. Maybe once Apple Intelligence fully rolls out, it’ll be more useful—but most of those features aren’t even available yet in our region.

That aside, it’s still very much a premium iPhone. The design is refined but safe, with only the new Desert Titanium color standing out. The 6.9-inch display is one of the best I’ve used—ultra-bright, responsive, and with rich Dolby Vision support. Thinner bezels, improved touch latency, and sharp detail make it ideal for media consumption. It’s brighter than the S24 Ultra and gets dim enough at night, though the 480Hz PWM might bother flicker-sensitive users.

Despite the larger battery and size, the phone feels light and well-balanced. Battery life is excellent—8 to 11 hours of screen time easily. It’s the best battery life I’ve ever seen on an iPhone. Charging is still slow at 29W, but at least MagSafe now supports 25W. Performance-wise, the A18 Pro isn’t a huge leap in daily use, but it runs cooler and sustains performance better than before. Gaming is super smooth with zero frame drops or overheating—this is arguably the best gaming phone right now.

Still the best at videos

The cameras, though, are pretty incremental. There’s a new 48MP ultrawide and slightly better macro, but the core photo and video experience feels very familiar. 4K 120fps slo-mo is a nice touch, and Apple’s processing still delivers natural, detailed shots, but don’t expect anything revolutionary. Portraits are good, but not class-leading, especially with competition from Vivo and Xiaomi. However, the videos are still leagues above everyone else.

iPhone 16 Pro Max Specifications:

• Colors: Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium
• Dimensions: 8.25mm thickness
• Weight: 225 grams
• Display: 6.9-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz ProMotion, 1328 x 2878 pixels,
• Chipset: Apple A18 Pro
• Storage: 256GB (base), up to 1TB
• Main Camera: 48MP Sony sensor with stacked design and Digital Gain Control
• Telephoto Zoom Lens: 12MP 5x optical zoom,
• Ultrawide Camera: 48MP, improved low-light performance
• Battery: 4676mAh, MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W with 30W adapter or higher
• Connectivity: 5G, WiFi 7, USB Type-C, NFC, GPS, satellite connectivity
• Read our review of the iPhone 16 Pro Max 
• Buy iPhone 16 Pro Max with freebies here

2. Vivo X200 Pro

Sorry iPhone users, but the second place for the best smartphone of the year goes to Vivo X200 Ultra. The real highlight of the Vivo X200 Pro is its camera (particularly its portrait camera). Last year’s X100 Pro impressed me with portraits, and the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s 3x floating lens was stunning. But the X200 Pro narrows the gap between Chinese brands and Apple/Samsung even further.

This year, Vivo brings a new 200MP 3.7x periscope zoom lens, a big step up from the typical 5x 48/50MP seen on competitors. The 85mm focal length is ideal for portraits — close enough without stepping back — and the massive resolution means you can zoom up to 135mm (6x) and still get crisp results. It’s flexible, fast (f/2.67), and perfect for street photography. Thanks to Vivo’s ongoing Zeiss partnership, portraits shine with beautiful bokeh and sharp edge detection. The skin tones are brightened a bit — very social-media-ready — and the variety of bokeh flares and B/W modes are a fun touch.

Interestingly, the sensor used is Samsung’s own ISOCELL HP9, which isn’t even in Samsung’s own phones. Compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, I actually prefer the X200 Pro’s portraits for their focus and background separation. You also get portrait video, 10-bit Log, and 4K 120fps slow-mo, making the X200 Pro one of the most feature-packed camera phones on the market.

Vivo’s latest flagship phone packs a massive 6,000 mAh silicon-carbon battery. Pair that with a super-efficient LTPO AMOLED display and a super-efficient 3nm chip, you can easily get like 7 hours of screen time even under a heavy usage pattern. This thing has even lasted me more than 10 hours on days when I wasn’t doing much of anything. And with the 90W power brick included inside the box, the X200 Pro goes from 0 – 75% in just 32 minutes. While a complete refill takes only 45 minutes.

Now talking about the performance, the Dimensity 9400 is surely no Snapdragon 8 Elite, but this chipset is more than capable of performing any resource-intensive tasks at ease. As for the software, this guy boots up on Android 15 with Vivo’s new Funtouch OS 15. And I must say this new version of Funtouch OS has much better-looking icons, animations, and transitions which makes things like app-opening and multitasking super fast and intuitive. There are a bunch of AI features baked in as well, while Vivo also commits to 4 major Android upgrades and 5 years of security updates for the X200 Pro.

Vivo X200 Pro: Specifications

• Design and Build: 162.36 x 75.95 x 8.20 – 8.49 mm, 223 – 228 gm, IP68 + IP69 rating
• Display: 6.78-inch AMOLED panel, 1.5K resolution, 120Hz refresh rate
• Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 9400 5G (3nm mobile platform)
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR5X RAM, 512GB UFS 4.0 storage (non-expandable)
• Software & UI: Android 15 with Vivo Funtouch OS 15.0 on top
• Rear cameras: Triple (50MP primary, 50MP ultrawide, 200MP periscope)
• Front camera: 32MP sensor (hole-punch)
• Security: Fingerprint sensor (ultrasonic in-display)
• Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C, NFC, 5G
• Sensors: Accelerometer, Ambient light, Color temperature, E-compass, Flicker, Gyroscope, Infrared, Laser focusing, Multispectral, Proximity
• Battery: 6,000 mAh with 90W fast charging (90W power adapter inside the box)
• Price in Nepal: NPR 184,999 174,999 (16/512GB)
• Check the full specifications of Vivo X200 Pro here
• Check the full review of Vivo X200 Pro here

1. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Just like in 2024, Samsung has once again taken the top spot in 2025. With the launch of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, it’s hard to deny that this is the best smartphone your money can buy right now.

The design has seen some changes — the S25 Ultra now features more rounded corners, moving away from the traditional boxy look. But Samsung made a strange move this year: they removed the battery and gyro sensor from the S Pen. That means no more using the S Pen for remote photo capture or air gestures. On the upside, the phone is noticeably lighter despite its large form factor. One of the biggest upgrades is in the software department. Samsung’s new One UI 7 is a major leap forward, and the promise of 7 years of updates sets a new industry standard — something most Chinese brands can’t match at this point. In terms of AI features too, Samsung remains ahead of the curve, arguably offering more practical tools than both the iPhone and its Chinese competitors. Battery life is also excellent. You can easily expect 8+ hours of screen-on time with typical usage. Powering the phone is the Snapdragon 8 Gen Elite chip — possibly the best you can get right now — delivering top-tier performance with minimal heating.

The 6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display is another highlight. It’s incredibly bright, features DX anti-reflection coating, and is protected by Gorilla Glass Armor 2. Camera-wise, the S25 Ultra remains a reliable all-rounder. You can even shoot in log video mode for serious content creation. However, it’s not the absolute best in every category — the Vivo X200 Pro edges it out slightly in photo quality, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max still leads in video. Still, as an overall package, the S25 Ultra stands out as the most complete flagship phone you can buy in 2025.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Specifications:

• Display: 6.9″ QHD+ 120Hz (LTPO, 1-120Hz)
• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
• RAM: 12GB/16GB LPDDR5X
• Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 4.0)
• Cameras:
  • Rear: 200MP (Wide), 50MP (Telephoto 5x), 10MP (Telephoto 3x), 50MP (Ultrawide)
  • Front: 12MP (Wide)
• Battery: 5000mAh with 45W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless
• Software: One UI 7 (7 years of updates)
• Colors: Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Silver Blue, Titanium White Silver
• Check the full specifications of Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra here
• Read our Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review
• Buy Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra here

Summary list of best smartphones in Nepal (2023)

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Do you agree with our choice of the best smartphones in Nepal, or do you want to add something to the list? Have your say in the comments section.