As the demand for smartphones continues to surge in the country, domestic smartphone dealers are looking to cash in by introducing new models.

Major smartphone brands such as Samsung, Huawei, Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi are planning to ignite Nepal’s fledgling smartphone market by launching new devices at various price points.

Of the plethora of smartphone brands in the country, Samsung is probably the most popular with Nepali customers. Their J2 and J4 series of smartphones were the fastest and highest selling models in 2018, said Bikash Gadia, business head at Integrated Mobility Solutions (IMS) Group, the authorised distributor of Samsung mobile phones in the country.

Oppo Find X

“Brand value and right price were the two main reasons that our smartphones saw success in 2018,” he said, “The company has been offering smartphones at affordable rates for customers looking for a Samsung device.”

Samsung J2 Refresh is priced at Rs10,690, J2 Ace at Rs13,190 and J4 at Rs15,490.

Similarly, Call Mobility, the authorised distributor of Huawei smartphones in the country said that the Nova 3i was their best selling phone in 2018. Introduced six months ago, the company sold 2,000 units of Nova 3i within two hours of the launch, said Miraj Gurung, training and product manager at Call mobility.

Nova 3i features the world’s first AI-equipped four camera system along with a sizeable 128 GB internal memory. The phone became an instant hit with customers due to its affordable price. The company is selling the Nova 3i for Rs35,900.

The company plans to update the Y7 Pro and Y series in 2019, he said. Similarly, the company also plans to launch the Nova 4 series in 2019, he said. After launching the P20 in 2018, the company is planning to launching the P30 this year.

Oppo is another smartphone brand that made waves in 2018. Sales of the F9 went through the roof when it launched in the country. Tele Cell, the authorised distributor of Oppo smartphones in Nepal, attributed the state-of-the-art design, affordable price, dual rear cameras for the F9’s success in the country. “The F9 also features VOOC flash charge, gradient colour design, advanced mobile technology and is priced at a comparatively affordable Rs41,590,” said Suraj Maharjan, public relation head at Oppo Nepal.

Oppo smartphones are specially designed for youths, he added. The company also launched one of the most awaited phone last month, the R17 Pro, which is priced at Rs89,990.

Xiaomi MI 8 Lite

And the company is looking to expand its success in Nepal by launching the Oppo Find X in Nepal, a smartphone that has redefined the bezel-less smartphone market globally. According to Maharjan, the company is also planning to update their F series of smartphones this year.

Vivo Nepal also saw strong sales thanks to its V9 model. Features such as its massive 6.3-inch screen, notched display,

4GB of RAM combined with 64GB of storage were some of the main reasons why customers opted to buy the V9, said Saugat Dhungana, brand executive at Vivo Nepal. The V9 is priced at Rs34,640.

Apex and Cellucity, national distributor of Vivo smartphones, plans to introduce Vivo Y91, Y91i and Y95 at the end of this month.

Likewise, Abhishek Singh, regional sales manager at Vatsal Impex, national distributor of Xiaomi mobile phones in the country revealed that the Note 5AI was their best selling phone in 2018. The solid camera, processor and battery backup proved attractive to customers. The company recently launched the Mi 8 Lite at Rs32,000.