HMD Arc 2 in Nepal at Rs 20,999: What Else Rs 21,000 Buys
HMD's fourth phone in Nepal is here: the Arc 2, launched this month at Rs 20,999 for the single 4GB/64GB variant, available through authorized HMD retailers nationwide. The honest summary is complicated. On paper this is a weak phone for 2026. But the phones it competes with have all climbed above it through repeated price hikes, which changes the buying math more than HMD's spec sheet does. Here is the full picture, as of October 19, 2026.
What You Get for Rs 20,999
The Arc 2 is a cosmetic refresh of the original Arc (which never reached Nepal): a new pill-shaped camera module on a textured plastic back, IP54 splash resistance, Navy Blue and Golden Beige colors. Inside, nothing moved. The same Unisoc SC9863A chipset (a 28nm part with eight Cortex-A55 cores), the same 4GB RAM and 64GB storage with microSD expansion, the same 13MP rear and 5MP front cameras, the same 5,000mAh battery with 10W charging, and Android 14 Go Edition. The 6.52-inch LCD runs at 576 x 1280 resolution and 60Hz, below even HD+, with a dated waterdrop notch.
The Honest Problem
Judged on specs alone, the Arc 2 is outclassed at its own price. TechLekh's launch coverage points out that the similarly priced Blackview Wave 7C offers a sharper 720p display and a 32MP camera, and that the Redmi A7 runs the much newer Android 16 Go Edition at about the same money. A 28nm chipset and a sub-HD screen are hard to defend in late 2026, and the 4/128GB variant sold elsewhere is not coming to Nepal, so 64GB is your only option.
The Twist: Everything Else Got More Expensive
Here is where it gets interesting. The Galaxy A07 4/64GB launched in Nepal at Rs 15,999 and now costs Rs 25,499 after successive hikes, per GadgetByte's October 9 update. The Tecno Spark Go 3 4/64GB launched at Rs 18,999 and now sits at Rs 21,999 after its own increase. Both phones beat the Arc 2 on paper, but both now cost more, Rs 4,500 more in Samsung's case. Below Rs 21,000, brand-new, authorized, with warranty, the shelf has gotten thin. That is the only reason the Arc 2's launch price makes any sense: HMD slipped in under a floor that kept rising.
What to Actually Do
If your budget is a hard Rs 21,000, see the Arc 2 in person before deciding. Check the display with your own eyes, because 576 x 1280 on a 6.52-inch panel is the compromise you will notice every day, and confirm the Android Go experience feels acceptable for your apps. If you can stretch Rs 1,000 further, the Spark Go 3 at Rs 21,999 buys meaningfully better hardware. If you can stretch more, the picture changes again. Either way, buy from an authorized retailer so warranty and MDMS registration are non-issues. We stock both the Samsung Galaxy A07 and the Tecno Spark Go 3 in our smartphone catalog if you want to compare prices directly, and our best phones under Rs 30,000 guide maps the next tier up.
The Verdict
The HMD Arc 2 is not a good phone rescued by a good price; it is a dated phone made relevant by everyone else's price hikes. At Rs 20,999 it is the default answer to "what is the cheapest new phone from a known brand with warranty," and not much more. Know that going in.
Prices above are the official or widely reported Nepal figures as of October 19, 2026, per the linked sources. Confirm the day's price with the seller before buying; this segment's prices move often.
Sources: TechLekh - HMD Arc 2 Price in Nepal, GadgetByte - Galaxy A07 Price in Nepal, GadgetByte - Tecno Spark Go 3 Price in Nepal, GSMArena - HMD Arc 2