Flagship smartphones that still make sense in 2024

The flagship market consistently grabs attention and headlines due to the remarkable strides in smartphone technology. With 2024 in full swing, we have seen flagship models from major companies, such as the OnePlus 12 and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Even though there are new and updated flagship smartphones every year, there are people still opting for budget flagships a few years older. Flagship smartphones launched a few years ago still have regular OS and security updates. The mid-range phones launched in the respective years get the chipset and hardware of flagship smartphones launched a couple of years ago. For instance, we can take the example of the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE. It has the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset in some markets, the flagship chipset of 2022.

There are a few flagship options like those that you can opt for in 2024. These smartphones can be found sold officially or in the second-hand market. While the official pricing of smartphones may be steep, the second-hand market offers the opportunity to acquire them at significantly lower prices. However, getting a second-hand set might be suspicious. So take notes of things before buying second-hand smartphones.

List of Flagship smartphones

1. Samsung Galaxy ZFlip 3 5G

Let us start the list with the trending flagship smartphones called the flip smartphones. The Samsung ZFlip 3 5G launched in 2021 was a big hype worldwide with the improvement. The smartphone is available in Nepal at a reasonable price delivering a flagship experience in a flip smartphone.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 has a 6.7-inch foldable dynamic AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a secondary 1.9-inch Super AMOLED display when closed. It features a plastic front, a glass back with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, and an aluminium frame. It is IPX8 water-resistant and equipped with a dual 12-megapixel rear camera setup and a 10MP front-facing camera, capable of 4K video recording.

It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and runs on Android 11 with One UI 3.1.1 from the box. It is supported by 8GB RAM and a storage option of 256GB. The 3,300mAh battery supports 15W fast charging, 10W fast wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. Connectivity options include 5G support, Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.1, and USB Type-C 3.1. The Samsung Galaxy ZFlip3 5G is available for Rs 89,999 in Nepal brand new.

2. Xiaomi 12 Pro

Launched at the end of 2021 globally, the Xiaomi 12 Pro made its way in the first quarter of 2022 in Nepal. The flagship offering from Xiaomi has a nice sleek design with the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset.

The Xiaomi 12 Pro has a sleek design with Gorilla Glass Victus protection on both the front and back, featuring a 6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a high resolution of 1,440 x 3,200 pixels, adaptable 120Hz refresh rate, and 480Hz touch sampling rate. It is equipped with a 50MP triple rear camera system and a 32MP selfie camera. From the box, it runs on Android 12 with MIUI 13. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, ensuring efficient performance and handling demanding tasks with a robust cooling system. With 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB internal storage, it lacks expandable storage options.

It has a 4600mAh battery with an impressive 120W superfast charging capability, supporting 50W fast wireless charging and 10W reverse charging. Connectivity features include dual 5G SIM support, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, and quad stereo speakers by Harman Kardon.

The Xiaomi 12 Pro is available brand new for a price of Rs 104,999 for the 8/256GB option and Rs 114,999 for the 12/256GB option.

3. Realme GT2 Pro

Realme’s first flagship smartphone came as the Realme GT2 Pro. The smartphone is still praised for its sleek design, features and specs. It is also one of the smartphones you can get for a reasonable price in Nepal for a flagship experience.

The Realme GT 2 Pro has a stylish design with a glass front and options for a glass or biopolymer back, featuring a rectangular camera panel. The 6.7-inch LTPO 2.0 AMOLED display uses the world-first 2K AMOLED flat display with LTPO, a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 1,400 nits. The camera setup includes a 50MP main sensor, a 3MP microscope, and a 150-degree FOV ultrawide camera.

It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset and it incorporates a stainless steel vapor cooling system. The device has 12GB of RAM, 256GB of internal storage, and a 5,000 mAh battery with a rapid 65W Super Dart charger, claiming a full charge in just 33 minutes. Connectivity features include dual 5G SIM support, Wifi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and an Antenna Array Matrix system for enhanced reception.

The price of the Realme GT2 Pro for a brand new option in Nepal currently is Rs 109,999 (12/256GB).

4. OnePlus 9 Pro

The OnePlus 9 Pro is one underrated flagship smartphone. The smartphone launched alongside the One Plus 9 and got quite a wide range of attention.

The OnePlus 9 Pro features a premium design with a glass front and back protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, along with an aluminium frame. It boasts a 6.7-inch LTPO Fluid2 AMOLED display with a resolution of 1,440 × 3,216 pixels, achieving a 90.3 per cent screen-to-body ratio and a peak brightness of up to 1,300 nits. It is equipped with a 120Hz refresh rate and an under-display optical fingerprint sensor.

The collaboration with Hasselblad elevates its camera capabilities, featuring a quad-camera setup with a 48MP primary camera, 50MP ultrawide camera, 2MP depth sensor, and an 8MP telephoto lens with 3.3x optical zoom. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor powers the phone. It has a 4,500mAh non-removable battery supporting 65W fast charging and a 50W fast wireless charging capability, charging from 1-100 per cent in just 43 minutes. It is available in 8/128GB and 12/256GB variants and supports dual nano-SIM cards, 5G connectivity, Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.2, and USB Type-C 3.1.

The OnePlus 9 Pro brand new costs Rs 119,990 for the 8/256GB option and Rs 129,990 for the 12/256GB option in Nepal.

5. Samsung Galaxy ZFold 3

Another innovative and tech-loaded flagship smartphone is the Samsung Galaxy ZFold 3. The smartphone is still a favourite amongst the ones willing to buy a foldable smartphone in Nepal.

The Samsung Galaxy ZFold 3 features a glass front when folded and a plastic front when unfolded, with a glass back and aluminium frame protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. It has an IPX8 certification and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. The massive 7.9-inch foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X display offers a 120Hz refresh rate and peak brightness of 1,200 nits, while the cover display is a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen. The camera setup includes a 12MP triple rear camera system and front-facing 4MP under-display and 10MP cover cameras. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset and runs on Android 11 with One UI 3.1.1 out of the box.

The 4400mAh non-removable Li-Po battery supports 25W fast charging, 11W fast wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. Connectivity options include nano SIM support, Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.2, NFS, and USB Type-C 3.2. The Samsung Galaxy ZFold 3 costs Rs 161,999 for the 12/512GB option which is a huge price cut from when it was first launched in Nepal.

6. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is already making headlines for being the best smartphone for 2024. The S22 Ultra when launched also got the same kind of praise. The smartphone is still a really good option for those looking for a flagship experience.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G inherits design elements from the Galaxy Note series with a glass front, glass back, and a robust aluminium frame. It features durable Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the front and back, along with an aluminium frame and is IP68 dust/water-resistant. It has a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, HDR10+ display with a peak brightness of 1,750 nits. The quad-camera setup includes a 108MP main camera, dual 10MP telephoto lenses, and a 12MP ultrawide sensor, while the front has a 40MP selfie camera.

It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and runs on Android 12 with One UI 4.1 out of the box. It features a 5,000 mAh battery supporting 45W fast charging, 15W fast wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The connectivity features include 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and USB Type-C 3.2.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G is surely a smartphone to look after if you are looking for a flagship smartphone. The smartphone costs Rs 169,999 for the (12/256GB) option brand new.

7. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

A smartphone listicle without Apple would be incomplete. The iPhone 13 series is one of the most popular Apple smartphones currently in the second-hand market. The iPhone 13 Pro stands out as a really good option with tons of features and specs.

The iPhone 13 Pro Max features a design similar to its predecessor, the iPhone 12 Pro Max with a glass back, glass front, and stainless steel frame. It has a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a dynamic refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The IP68 water resistance certification, adaptive refresh rate, and peak brightness of 1,200 nits contribute to the display. The camera system features a 12MP triple rear camera setup and a 12MP front camera.

The A15 Bionic chipset powers the device, running on iOS 15 from the box. The battery life sees an upgrade with up to 22 hours of video playback and 95 hours of audio playback, supported by 20W fast charging and 15W wireless charging capabilities. Storage options include 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB, with 8GB RAM. The smartphone supports nano-SIM cards, 5G connectivity, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and USB 2.0 via Lightning port.

The iPhone 13 Pro Max is priced at Rs 191,990 for the 128GB variant, Rs 208,990 for the 256GB variant, Rs 242,990 for the 512GB variant, and Rs 277,990 for the 1TB variant.