Ai+ Nova 2 Launched in Nepal: Still the Cheapest 5G Phone You Can Buy

Ai+ has had its ups and downs. On the up side, the Pulse and Nova offered genuinely good value, and that’s what put Ai+ on the map in the first place. But the downs came just as loud, with the brand facing serious backlash over its “Made in India” claims, alleged Chinese hardware and software links despite its patriotic marketing, and bloatware showing up on phones that were promoted as bloatware-free.

The Ai+ Pulse 2 arrived in Nepal right in the middle of all that controversy. And now, the Nova is also getting revised with the Nova 2. And I am pretty excited for it, mainly because the original Nova held the title of the cheapest 5G phone you could buy, so the Nova 2 has a lot to live up to.

ALSO READ: Redmi A7 Pro Price in Nepal (August 2026 Updated)

Sure, the brand has had its fair share of controversies. But at the end of the day, I’d still take a smartphone that offers good value over one that’s simply affordable but underwhelming.

More importantly, the Nova 2 continues the legacy of its predecessor by remaining the cheapest 5G smartphone officially available in Nepal in 2026, and that alone makes it worth paying attention to.

Ai+ Nova 2 Overview

Just like the Pulse 2, which looked nothing like the original Pulse, the Nova 2 also takes a completely different design direction from its predecessor.

The Nova 2 doesn’t carry any hint of the prior Nova’s design. Instead, it’s got a camera module reminiscent of the Redmi Note 15 series. The only difference is that the camera module here sits on the top left of the phone instead of the center, like we’ve seen on the Redmi Note 15.

Personally, I would have liked the horizontal stripe with the matching color accent that we saw on the original Nova. But this time, there’s nothing eye-catching or particularly noteworthy about the Nova 2’s design. It’s not a dealbreaker by any means, just a bit of a downer.

Being a budget phone, the build is entirely plastic, though it does come with an IP64 rating, an upgrade from the previous IP54. It also comes in a new Blue color variant, on top of the Purple, Green, Black, and Pink options that were already available on the Nova.

The display remains identical to last year’s, with an HD+ resolution on a 6.74-inch LCD panel and a 120Hz refresh rate. Nothing impressive here, as it’s the same go-to setup we see on most, if not all, entry-level smartphones.

The camera is usually the weakest point on any budget smartphone, and the Nova 2 is no exception. The rear camera remains unchanged from the Nova, with a 50MP main sensor. However, the selfie camera has been upgraded to 8MP from the 5MP sensor on the previous Nova. Last year, the Pulse and Nova shared the same camera setup, and it looks like this year, the Pulse 2 and Nova 2 are following the same pattern.

ALSO READ: Infinix Smart 20 Price in Nepal (August 2026 Updated)

Performance is where things get interesting. The Nova 2 is powered by the UNISOC T8200, which is essentially a rebranded version of the UNISOC T765. While the chipset itself isn’t exactly new, it does support 5G connectivity, allowing the Nova 2 to once again claim the title of Nepal’s most affordable 5G smartphone in 2026.

For memory, the phone comes in 4GB RAM with 64GB storage or 6GB RAM with 128GB storage. There’s also a dedicated microSD card slot, supporting expansion of up to 1TB, which is always nice to have in this segment.

So far, most of the hardware has stayed fairly similar to the previous generation. The biggest upgrade comes in the battery department. The Nova 2 packs a 6,000mAh battery, up from the previous generation, while retaining 18W USB-C charging. Larger batteries have become increasingly common, but in the entry-level segment, this is still a meaningful improvement that should translate into excellent endurance.

On the software side, the phone ships with Android 16 alongside nxtQ OS. Ai+ previously promoted a cleaner, bloatware-free software experience, but given everything that’s happened around the brand since then, it’s probably best to keep expectations realistic. Like many budget smartphones today, you may still come across pre-installed apps or promotional software out of the box.

ALSO READ: Best Phones Under 25000 in Nepal (August 2026 Updated)

ALSO READ: Samsung Galaxy A07 Price in Nepal (August 2026 Updated)

The Nova 2 is a tricky one to sum up. On one hand, the controversy surrounding Ai+ isn’t something to brush aside. Between the questions over its “Made in India” claims and the bloatware issues that contradicted its own marketing, there’s a real trust gap that the brand still needs to close.

But on the other hand, purely as a phone, the Nova 2 still makes a solid case for itself. At Rs. 22,999, it remains the cheapest 5G option in Nepal, and the bigger 6,000mAh battery is a genuine upgrade that budget buyers will notice in daily use. Compared to other phones in the same price bracket, it still holds its own on raw performance and value.

So if you can look past the brand’s baggage, the Nova 2 is hard to ignore on specs alone. But if trust and transparency matter more to you than saving a few thousand rupees, it’s fair to wait and see how Ai+ handles things going forward.

What are your thoughts on the Ai+ Nova 2? Let us know in the comments below!