PRICE HIKE: HMD Crest 5G, Cheapest OLED Phone Just Got Expensive

When it launched, the HMD Crest turned a lot of heads with its OLED display, 5G processor, and aggressive pricing. Even after the recent wave of smartphone price hikes, where the Crest also saw a slight bump, it still stands out as one of the best, if not the best, smartphones at the Rs. 20,000 price range.

What is the Price of HMD Crest 5G in Nepal?

The HMD Crest 5G price in Nepal has now been bumped to Rs. 19,999 for the sole 6/128GB variant. The phone arrived rather silently in February 2025 at the price of Rs. 18,999, and now the price has been bumped by Rs. 1,000.

While being the creators of Nokia phones might have helped HMD to some extent, it is too good a deal to overlook, even with its higher pricing.

I have already highlighted a few attractions of this phone; let’s take a more detailed look at the HMD Crest 5G in this article.

ALSO READ: Benco V92 Price in Nepal (February 2026 Updated)

HMD Crest 5G Overview

Design

Design-wise, the phone does not look all that amazing. It’s not like it’s bad or anything, but it looks very generic. It has a squircle camera island on the top corner with two camera cutouts and a flash at the side of them right between them.

The frames and the display are flat here, while the back panel is slightly curved. It is available in Midnight Blue, Lush Lilac, and Royal Pink colours and is IP52-rated.

Its low tolerance against water exposure can be attributed to its repairable design, which will get into later on.

Display

Meanwhile, let’s take a look at the display. We get a 6.67-inch OLED panel on the front — yes, OLED! This makes HMD Crest the only 5G phone at the Rs. 20,000 range that has OLED for its screen.

Furthermore, you get FHD+ resolution spanning 1,080 x 2,400 pixels and a smooth refresh rate of 90Hz. While an OLED panel usually opens up the road for an in-display fingerprint reader, HMD has decided to stick it on the power button.

Offering an OLED panel at such a low price point might have you believe that HMD Crest 5G has compromised on performance… NOPE!

Hardware

It’s powered by the UNISOC T760 processor, built on a 6nm process with a peak clock speed of 2.2GHz. Now, you might be thinking, it’s just UNISOC… but don’t underestimate it! Performance-wise, it holds its own against OGs like the Helio G99 Ultra — and it’s 5G-ready.

This also means the HMD Crest 5G can go toe-to-toe with the Redmi Note 14 4G, despite that being in a higher price bracket.

Beyond the chipset, you’re getting 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage — the only configuration available. However, you can virtually double the RAM, and the storage is expandable up to twice the internal capacity, maxing out at 256GB.

Keeping it all running is a 5,000mAh battery, with support for 33W fast charging.

Cameras and OS

In the optics department, you get a 50MP unit on the front as well as the back. The rear snapper on the back is complemented by a 2MP depth sensor, which is a placeholder more than anything. In the meantime, the selfie camera doubles down as a face scanner too.

HMD also offers a nifty software magic on the Crest 5G, allowing users to take hands-free selfies. You can show or pose with various gestures like the V sign, thumbs up, and single or double-handed heart to snap photos.

Talking of the software of the phone itself, it runs Android 14 and does not seem to receive any future updates. However, it is set to receive quarterly security updates for two years since the device’s global launch, so until July 2026.

Repairability

Lastly, let’s talk — repairability! It is HMD’s main gimmick after all.

HMD smartphones, including Crest 5G, are designed so that you can repair them at home. You could replace the screen, charging port, battery, and back panel yourself, and you don’t need to be or take it to the repair professional to change them.

HMD’s website has the phone’s repair guide, and they sell replacement parts and kits independently. However, the kits are not officially available in Nepal so far.

HMD Crest 5G Price in Nepal and Availability

The HMD Crest 5G launched sometime in February 2025 in Nepal, and now in 2026, its price is bumped to Rs. 19,999 for the sole 6/128GB trim. It is available for purchase at various retail stores across the country.

The HMD Crest 5G comes with an easily repairable design, a 90Hz OLED screen, 50MP cameras, and a decently powerful chipset. Considering all the things the phone brings to the table, it is easily one of, if not the best, choice at the Rs. 20,000 price range.

What do you think about the HMD Crest 5G? Do let us know in the comments!