Why Buying a New Phone in Nepal May Not Make Sense Right Now

If you are thinking of buying a new smartphone right now, you will probably go to a website like ours, check the latest prices, and realize one thing: phone prices have gone up a lot.

A phone that used to cost around NPR 20,000 is now slowly moving toward NPR 30,000. A good NPR 50,000 phone is now reaching NPR 70,000. In many cases, prices have increased by roughly 25–30%. And if you are not aware, one big reason behind this is the rising use of AI.

AI companies need a lot of RAM and SSD-related components for their servers and data centers. Because of this, a large portion of the global RAM and SSD supply is being bought by AI companies. So when RAM and SSD prices went up, the prices of smartphones, laptops, tablets, and other similar products have also gone up.

New Phones Are Getting Expensive, But the Upgrades Are Not Always Big

Let’s take smartphones as an example. Right now, new models are launching at much higher prices compared to their previous generations. But the actual upgrades are not that big. You may get a slightly newer chip, a slightly bigger battery, a refreshed design, or small camera improvements, but the price jump is much bigger than the upgrade itself.  

That is why I personally feel that buying a new phone right now does not make sense unless you absolutely need one. If your current phone is broken, very slow, has terrible battery life, or you need a new phone for work, then yes, you should buy one. But if your phone is still working fine, I think it is better to wait.

Your Current Phone Is Probably Still Good Enough

Usually, people change their smartphones every two to three years. So if you bought a good NPR 40,000 phone in 2024, you might now be thinking of upgrading. But the problem is that, in today’s market, if you want to feel a proper upgrade from that NPR 40,000 phone from 2024, you may now need to spend NPR 80,000, NPR 90,000, or even close to NPR 1 lakh.

If you again buy a new phone in the NPR 40,000–50,000 range, the difference may not feel that big. Yes, the new phone will have some improvements, but in normal day-to-day use, you may not notice a huge difference.

So if you are using a decent phone from the last two years, the phone you are carrying right now might still be the right product for you.

Budget and Mid-range Phones Are Affected More

This price increase is especially affecting budget and mid-range phones. In flagship phones, brands usually have higher gross margins. So even if the component cost goes up, they have some room to absorb that cost. That is why flagship phone prices may not increase as drastically.

But in budget and mid-range phones, brands do not have huge margins. So when the cost of RAM, SSD, and other components goes up, brands are more likely to increase the final price. That is why budget and mid-range buyers are feeling the price hike more.

Before Buying a New Phone, Try These Three Things

If your current phone feels slow or old, there are a few things you can do before buying a new phone.

• First, you can replace the battery from an official service center. If your phone is two or three years old, the battery has probably degraded. A battery replacement usually costs much less than buying a new phone, and it can make the phone feel much more reliable again.
• Second, you can get your phone cleaned and serviced. If the phone heats up a lot or feels slow during gaming or heavy use, cleaning, adding a new thermal paste and servicing may help improve performance and thermals.
• Third, you can back up all your important photos, documents, and files, and then reset the phone. Over time, phones collect unnecessary apps, cache, and software clutter. A full reset can make your phone feel smoother again.

So before spending a lot of money on a new phone, maybe try these three things first.

Second-hand Phones Are a Better Deal Right Now

If you really need to buy a phone and you are okay with second-hand phones, then I think the second-hand market makes a lot more sense right now.

You can check second-hand platforms like Hamrobazar, trusted retailers, or stores that sell used phones. But make sure you properly inspect the phone before buying. Check the bill, warranty, IMEI, battery health, display condition, repair history, and whether the phone is genuine or not.

If you are careful, second-hand phones can offer much better value than many new phones right now.

For example, the Honor 600 Pro (256GB) has launched at NPR 1,30,000. Last year’s Honor 400 Pro (512GB) was launched at NPR 88,488. That is a huge price increment. But the upgrades are quite minimal. You get a new chip, a slightly bigger battery, and a newer design, and that’s about it.

Paying around NPR 1,30,000 for a premium mid-range phone does not feel worth it to me. At that price, you might be able to get a sealed pack Galaxy S25 Ultra. That will offer a much better overall experience, especially in terms of camera, software, build quality, and long-term value.

Similarly, you might also find phones like the iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or Vivo X200 Pro, Xiaomi 15 Ultra in the second-hand market at a much better price. These phones can provide a better experience than many new premium mid-range phones.

Even if you do not want to spend that much, you can simply get a second-hand Honor 400 Pro at a much lower price instead of spending so much on the newer model.

This is just one example. If you look at other phones too, the story is similar. The Vivo V70 has also become quite expensive from Rs 83,999 to Rs. 102,999. And when phones start touching the NPR 1 lakh range, you have to ask yourself whether buying a brand-new premium mid-range phone really makes sense, or whether a second-hand flagship is a better deal.

Don’t Fall for the EMI Trap

Another thing I want to talk about is EMI. You might go to a shop or check an online store and see offers like 0% EMI or only 40% down payment. And yes, EMI makes expensive phones look easier to buy.

But I do not think EMI should become the reason for buying an expensive phone. At the end of the day, a phone that costs NPR 1 lakh is still a NPR 1 lakh phone, even if you are paying it in monthly installments. The monthly amount may look small, but the total amount is still big.

And honestly, a phone is not something that will drastically improve your lifestyle. For example, if you are upgrading from a two-wheeler to a car, that is a real lifestyle upgrade. It improves comfort, safety, family travel, and convenience. But upgrading from a NPR 40,000 phone to a NPR 100,000 phone will not improve your lifestyle in the same way.

Yes, the display may be better. The camera may be better. The phone may feel faster. But for most people, the difference will not be life-changing. So do not buy a phone just because EMI makes it look affordable. Buy it only if you really need it.

Maybe It Is Better to Wait

Right now, the whole RAM and SSD situation is uncertain because of the AI surge. Prices have gone up because AI companies are buying a lot of these components.

But we do not know what will happen in the next few months. The AI bubble that people keep talking about might slow down. The market might become stable. There are also reports that China is expanding memory production, so if supply improves in the future, RAM and SSD prices might go down or at least stabilize.

So as of now, I think it is better to wait for six to nine months if you can. Use your old phone if it is still working fine. If needed, replace the battery, service it, or reset it. If you really need another phone, look for second-hand deals or older stock.

Final Thoughts

As someone who reviews phones, I love new smartphones. I love testing new cameras, new displays, new chipsets, and new features. But as a consumer, I also have to be practical. Right now, phone prices are high, and the upgrades are not always big enough to justify the price increase. 

So if you absolutely need a new phone, buy one carefully. Compare properly and think about long-term value. But if your current phone is still working fine, maybe it is better to wait. Because in the current market, the smartest phone-buying decision might be not buying a new phone at all.