SeekerHuawei Nova
So, what do we think of the Huawei Nova? While it’s good on paper, it’s slightly underwhelming in real life. The processor isn’t quite as quick as the competition, the graphical capabilities aren’t great and the quality of low-light photography is less than expected, even for a mid-range smartphone. What is good is the design – it’s sleek, gorgeous and is extremely comfortable to use, and definitely doesn’t look like a ~£300 smartphone. While it’ll suffice for the likes of Facebook, Snapchat and managing email, we wouldn’t recommend it for high-end gaming or for use as a replacement DSLR. With companies like OnePlus dominating the mid-range scene with high-end internals, it makes it hard to recommend the fairly average Huawei Nova.
-- As reviewed by TechAdvisor
Product details
- 6.26 inches All-View Display, 16.7 million colours, FHD+ 2340 x 1080, LCD, 97% Screen to Body ratio, 3750 mAh battery
- Memory: 6 GB RAM + 128 GB ROM, CPU: HUAWEI Kirin 980 Octa-core, GPU: Mali-G76 720 MHz, Card Slot: No, 3.5mm Jack: No, Radio: No
- Rear Camera: 48 MP (f/1.8, high resolution lens) + 16 MP (f/2.2, ultra wide angle lens) + 2 MP (f/2.4, bokeh lens) + 2 MP (f/2.4, macro lens), Front Camera: 32 MP (f/2.0, high resolution lens)
- 2G bands: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, 3G bands: HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100, 4G bands: LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 18(800), 19(800), 20(800), 26(850), 28(700), 38(2600), 40(2300), 41(2500)
- International Version - No Warranty in US. International Model Compatible with Most GSM Carriers like T-Mobile, AT&T, MetroPCS, etc. Will NOT work with CDMA Carriers Such as Verizon, Sprint, Boost
PROS
+ bright Full HD screen
+ high-quality build
+ USB Type-C port
+ fingerprint sensor
+ decent camera
+ long battery life
CONS
- no optical image stabilizer
- 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only
- hybrid dual-SIM only
- no App2SD
Related products
Expert reviews and ratings
By TechAdvisor on October 19, 2016
So, what do we think of the Huawei Nova? While it’s good on paper, it’s slightly underwhelming in real life. The processor isn’t quite as quick as the competition, the graphical capabilities aren’t great and the quality of low-light photography is less than expected, even for a mid-range smartphone. What is good is the design – it’s sleek, gorgeous and is extremely comfortable to use, and definitely doesn’t look like a ~£300 smartphone. While it’ll suffice for the likes of Facebook, Snapchat and managing email, we wouldn’t recommend it for high-end gaming or for use as a replacement DSLR. With companies like OnePlus dominating the mid-range scene with high-end internals, it makes it hard to recommend the fairly average Huawei Nova.
60
By NotebookCheck on January 13, 2017
Huawei has created a recommendable total package with its 5-inch Nova. The differences to the 80-Euro (~$85) more expensive Nova Plus are only marginal when disregarding the smaller screen.
86
By TrustedReviews on September 01, 2016
The Huawei Nova is basically a small, stripped-down version of the company’s 2015 Nexus 6P. So on paper, the Nova looks pretty awesome; the
70
By TrustedReviews on September 01, 2016
Camera tech is another area in which the Nova falls behind. The 12-megapixel rear camera isn’t terrible, but it just doesn’t match the performance of rivals, such as the
70
By TrustedReviews on September 01, 2016
The lack of a QHD screen isn’t just down to cost-cutting. The Snapdragon 625 CPU is at the top end of Qualcomm’s mid-tier mobile CPUs and focuses on power efficiency, over outright grunt. As a result, isn’t compatible with panel resolutions higher than 1080p.
70
By TrustedReviews on September 01, 2016
Battery life is one area where the use of a 620 CPU is a godsend. Huawei claims the 620 is 30% more power efficient than Qualcomm’s older, and more common, 615. Having used the Nova as my main phone for more than a fortnight, I believe it.
70