HMD Crest 5G arrives in Nepal: A Phone You Can Fix At Home!

HMD Crest 5G is a budget-friendly phone with high repairability, an OLED display, a 5G processor, and a 50MP camera on both the front and the back. Given that, it is one of — if not THE BEST — smartphones under Rs. 20,000!

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

The HMD Crest 5G price in Nepal is Rs. 18,999 for the sole 6/128GB variant. The phone arrived rather silently in February 2025 and has been doing very well in the market.

While being creators of Nokia phones might have helped HMD to some extent, it is too good of a deal to look over — even with its pricing. Picture this, this phone goes for INR 14,499 in India, which converts to over 23,000 Nepali rupees. And here we are with a price tag under Rs. 20,000.

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.

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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 5G the only phone under Rs. 20,000 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. The only real competitor in its price range is the OnePlus Nord N30 SE 5G.

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 boots on 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, it is unclear if the parts and kits have arrived in Nepal so far.

HMD Crest 5G Price in Nepal and Availability

The HMD Crest 5G launched sometime in February 2025 in Nepal and its price is Rs. 18,999 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 under Rs. 20,000.

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