High-end phones have their niche customers but there is no denying that mid-range smartphones are all the rage in the Nepali market. With customers always seeking maximum benefits for the prices they pay, smartphone companies too are introducing phones with cutting-edge features, while keeping the devices affordable. It is a formula that has worked wonders in the burgeoning mid-range smartphone market in the country, and it is a trend that brands are seeking to continue to cash on.

Here are the three eye-catching mid-range smartphones awaiting launch in the Nepali market this month:

Huawei Nova 2i

Huawei has quickly taken up a respectable share of the Nepali smartphone market and it is set to continue its dominance with its latest offering—the Nova 2i. This phone comes with not one, not two, but four cameras altogether. The phone is also coming up with features that haven’t yet been used in many smartphones, namely, the 18:9 aspect ratio. Backed by a powerful HiSilicon Kirin 659 processor, this phone is set to enter the Nepali market in the second week of November.

Up front, it has a selfie shooter with a dual camera setup that has 13MP and 2MP sensors. Similarly, at the back, it has two 16MP+2MP cameras specialised for shooting portraits with the Bokeh effect. The sleek and bezel-less 5.9-inch display gives you another reason to fall in love with Nova 2i, along with its fingerprint sensor at the rear of the phone.  Nova 2i comes with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of onboard storage that can further be extended up to 256 GB. It also has a commendable 3,340mAh battery.

Specifications:

• Display: 5.9 inch IPS LCD, Full HD+ (2160 x 1080 pixels) resolution, 18:9 aspect ratio, 409PPI pixel density
• Android version: Android 7.1 Nougat coupled with EMUI 5.1
• Chipset: HiSilicon Kirin 659
• CPU:Octa-core (4×2.36 GHz Cortex- A53 + 4×1.7 GHz Cortex- A53)
• GPU: Mali T830 MP2
• RAM: 4 GB
• Memory: 64GB of onboard storage; expandable up to 256GB
• Rear camera: 16MP+2MP, f/2.2 with LED flash
• Selfie camera: 13MP+2MP
• Connectivity:Dual SIM (Nano + Nano, dual standby), 4G, A-GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, Micro USB 2.0
• Sensors: Fingerprint sensor (rear- mounted), Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Compass, Ambient light sensor
• Battery: 3,340mAh
• Expected Price: Rs. 35,000—Rs. 40,000
• Launch Date: Second week of November

Oppo F5

If amazing selfies are your primary concern, Oppo smartphones will come instantly to mind. So, it is no surprise that the new Oppo F5 comes with a whopping 20MP front-facing camera with an AI Chip that will further enhance your selfies. The phone also comes with a newly enhanced beauty mode that gives your selfies a natural tone and the machine learning feature on the front camera will help in producing better portrait images by blurring out the background as and when required.

The Oppo F5 incorporates some of the features of notable smartphones like the Facial Recognition feature of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and Machine Learning of Google Pixel 2. And like the Huawei Nova 2i, it has an 18:9 aspect ratio, but also a huge 6-inch full HD display that is backed by a 3,200mAh battery. Similarly, powering the device is MediaTek MT6763T Helio P23 processor clocked at 2.5GHz. The rear camera is an impressive 13 MP shooter accompanied by f/1.8 aperture and phase detection autofocus. All in all, the Oppo F5 is a dream come true for the selfie lovers out there that works wonders even in low light conditions.

Specifications 

• Display: 6.0 inches LTPS IPS 
• LCD, Full HD+ (2160 x 1080 pixels) resolution, 18:9 aspect ratio, 402PPI pixel density
• OS: Android Nougat (v7.1) with ColorOS 3.2 UI on the top
• Chipset: MediaTek MT6763T Helio P23
• CPU: Octa-core (8 x 2.5 GHz Cortex-A53)
• GPU: Mali-G71 MP2
• RAM: 4GB or 6GB
• Memory: 32GB or 64GB of internal storage; expandable up to 256GB (dedicated slot for microSD card)
• Rear Camera: 16MP, f/1.8, phase detection autofocus, LED flash
• Front Camera: 20MP, f/2.0 with AI
• Connectivity: Dual SIM, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, A-GPS, Micro USB 2.0, USB-OTG, 3G, 4G LTE
• Sensors: Fingerprint (rear mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compass
• Battery: 3200mAh (non-removable)
• Colors: Black, Gold, Red (6GB variant only)
• Expected Price: Rs. 37,000
• Launch Date: 14th November

Gionee M7 Power

Like Huawei, Gionee is another Chinese brand finding great traction in the Nepali market. The wide range of mid-range smartphones from Gionee promise and deliver efficient features with a good battery support. The ‘power’ in the name of the Gionee M7 Power is backed up by the huge 5,000mAh battery it offers, while the Snapdragon 435 processor ensures a performance back-up as well. This phone is for people who are looking to use their smartphones with heavy applications for extended periods throughout the day. Gionee’s tagline, “Super Selfie, Super Battery” fits well with the Gionee M7 power. The Gionee M7 Power, like the Oppo F5, features a 6-inch display and runs on Android Nougat 7.1 OS with Amigo OS 5.0 on top. It also sports a 18:9 aspect ratio like the two other phones on this list.

Specifications:

• Display: 6.0 inches IPS LCD with 2.5D Glass, HD+ (1440 x 720 pixels) resolution, 18:9 aspect ratio, 268PPI pixel density
• OS: Android Nougat (v7.1) with Amigo OS 5.0 on top
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 435
• CPU: Octa-core (8 x 1.4GHz Cortex A-53)
• GPU: Adreno 505
• RAM: 4GB 
• Memory: 64GB of internal storage; expandable up to 256GB
• Rear Camera: 13MP, f/2.0, phase detection autofocus, LED flash
• Front Camera: 8MP
• Connectivity: Dual SIM, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS, Micro USB 2.0, USB-OTG, 3G, 4G LTE
• Sensors: Fingerprint (rear mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compass
• Battery: 5000mAh (non-removable)
• Expected price:Rs. 25,000 – Rs. 30,000
• Launch Date:  November 3rd week