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Huawei Nova

alaTest has collected and analyzed 93 reviews of Huawei Nova. The average rating for this product is 4.2/5, compared to an average rating of 4.0/5 for other Cell phones for all reviews. Opinions about the camera and size are generally positive. The battery and design also get good feedback, but there are some less positive opinions about the price.

performance, design, battery, size, camera

price

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Cell phones the Huawei Nova is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 94/100 = Excellent quality.

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Review analysis

(Based on 93 reviews)

Expert Reviews  

User Reviews  

Review Ratings

  (33% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews   (52% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews   (13% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews   (1% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews   (no reviews)
 

Features

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design
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battery
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camera
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price
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portability
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usability
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Showing 18 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews

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Showing 1 - 10 of 18 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (74)

Expert review by: Cam Bunton (pocket-lint.com)

Huawei Nova review: The mid-range muddler

 

Huawei has no shortage of phones on the market, ranging from its super-affordable Honor brand devices that punch well above their weight, to the high-end premium flagships like the P9 and P9 Plus .

Compact size, decent build quality, long-lasting battery life

EMUI continues to hamper Android, camera is lacklustre

The Huawei Nova is a decent small-scale Android phone. It sits in a place in the market where there's desperate need for quality without an overly hefty price tag.

Dec, 2016
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Expert review by: Andrew Wiliams (techradar.com)

Huawei Nova review

 

A mid-range phone that flirts with the high-end

High-quality aluminium build ; Decent battery life

Quite expensive ; Poor low-light camera performance ; Emotion UI needs manual tweaks

A well-made mid-range phone, but one a little too expensive given the competition at the price. You can get a similarly impressive phone with a better camera and CPU for the same cash.

Oct, 2016
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Expert review by: Gareth Beavis (techradar.com)

Huawei Nova+ review

 

Nova gonna give you up

Large display ; Cool design

Slower loading times ; Price unknown

The larger handset in Huawei's new Nova range, the Nova+ offers a sharp camera and decent design – if it comes in at an accessible price it could be a winner.

Sep, 2016
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Expert review by: (stuff.tv)

Huawei Nova review

 

Huawei's minimal mid-ranger looks like a Nexus 6P that shrunk in the wash

Familiar design adds a touch of class ; Snappy performance and decent battery life

There’s no escaping EMUI ; Camera quality is only average for the money ; Can’t beat the OnePlus 3 for value

Another mid-range marvel from Huawei, but the Nova can’t quite dethrone the OnePlus 3

Oct, 2016
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Expert review by: Nathan Spendelow (expertreviews.co.uk)

Huawei Nova review: A OnePlus 3 killer? Not quite

 

A mid-range smartphone, the Huawei Nova isn't exactly the OnePlus 3 killer Huawei wanted it to be

Great screen ; Speedy performance ; Long-lasting battery

Disappointing camera ; Emotion UI

The one advantage it holds is its more pocketable size, but at £335, I’m of the opinion that the slightly cheaper OnePlus 3 is the better buy, while the Nexus 6P is the better option if you’re after the best camera quality.

Sep, 2016
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Expert review by: Max Parker (trustedreviews.com)

Huawei Nova

 

Huawei has had a good year with its high-end phones, with both the Leica-engineered P9 and P9 Plus impressing both the press and the public. And now it's using IFA in Berlin to unveil a couple more affordable options.

Sep, 2016
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Expert review by: Chris Barraclough (recombu.com)

Huawei Nova Review: In Depth

 

Huawei Nova review: We've spent the week with Huawei's latest mobile, nicknamed the Nova. At under £400 can it compete with the likes of the OnePlus3?

Fantastic battery life ; Compact, attractive unibody ; Strong display

Glitchy software ; Occasional stutters

The Nova is a slick bit of hardware which boasts particularly impressive battery life, as well as offering a solid media experience. However, the software issues and glitches can make it quite a frustrating experience at times and performance is...

Sep, 2016
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Expert review by: Mark Peters (letsgodigital.org)

Huawei Nova Android smartphones

 

Huawei Nova smartphones presented at IFA 2016 : Huawei Mobile launched two new Android smartphones at the international fair in Germany. The new Nova smartphone series features a stylish multi-curve design and is made for today's dynamic consumers. The...

The new Nova smartphones are made for photography enthusiast. The Nova’s 12 megapixel rear camera with 1.25um larger pixel sports an enhanced wide-aperture lens and imaging sensor allowing it to capture photos in low-light conditions, while the Huawei...

Sep, 2016
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Expert review by: Robin-Leigh Chetty (techsmart.co.za)

Huawei Nova

 

A great mix of design, specifications and features, the Huawei Nova is a premium mid-range that certainly warrants a second look.

Well made design; Feels premium in-hand; Solid array of specs; Great all-round camera

Benchmarks a bit low

Getting your hands on a Nova will cost R6 999, as recommended by Huawei. At that price it is a solid R1k to R2k less than most of the premium mid-range phones it's going up against. When it comes to a competitive market like that, it's a decided...

Feb, 2017
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Expert review by: Thomas Wellburn (whatmobile.net)

Huawei Nova Review – Excellent Design but pricey

 

What Mobile is dedicated to bringing you the latest news and in-depth reviews in the world of mobile devices, everything from phones to tablets as well as apps and games. The new mid-range Huawei Nova smartphone ticks all the right boxes for design,...

Excellent build quality ; Camera is good in daylight ; Solid battery life

More expensive than competition ; Slightly underpowered ; Not the best in low light

Dec, 2016
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Product Specifications

Battery

Battery Capacity:3020
Battery technology:Lithium Polymer (LiPo)
Standby time (2G):380
Standby time (3G):400
Standby time (4G):420
Talk time (3G):33

Call management

Call divert:Y / Yes
Call hold:Y / Yes
Call timer:Y / Yes
Call waiting:Y / Yes
Caller ID:Y / Yes
Conference call:Y / Yes
Speakerphone:Y / Yes
Speed dialing:Y / Yes
Vibrating Alert:Y / Yes

Camera

Auto Focus:Y / Yes
Built-in Flash:Y / Yes
Face detection:Y / Yes
Front Camera:Y / Yes
Front camera resolution (numeric):8
Geotagging:Y / Yes
Maximum frame rate:30
Rear camera resolution (numeric):12 / 13
Rear camera type:Single camera
Smile detection:Y / Yes
Video recording:Y / Yes
Video recording modes:720p, 1080p, 2160p / 720p,1080p,2160p
Zoom capability:Y / Yes

Design

Brand colour:Mystic Silver / Prestige gold / Titanium grey
Colour of product:Black, Gold / Black, grey / Gold / Grey / Pink / Pink gold / Silver / Silver, White
Fingerprint Reader:Y / Yes
Form factor:Bar

Display

Aspect Ratio:16:9
Contrast ratio (typical):1500:1
Display brightness:450
Display diagonal:12.7
Display number of colours:16 million colours / 16.78 million colours
Display Resolution:1920 x 1080
Display Type:IPS
Orientation sensor:Y / Yes
Pixel density:443
Screen shape:Curved edge screen / Flat
Second display:N / No
Touch screen type:Capacitive
Touch technology:Multi-touch
Touchscreen:Y / Yes
Touchscreen Type:Capacitive

Ergonomics

Accelerometer:Y / Yes
Ambient light sensor:Y / Yes
Gyroscope:Y / Yes
Proximity sensor:Y / Yes

Memory

Internal RAM:3

Messaging

Chat:Y / Yes
E-mail:Y / Yes
Instant messaging (IM):Y / Yes
MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service):Y / Yes
Short Message Service (SMS):Y / Yes

Multimedia

Audio formats supported:3GP, AAC, AMR, FLAC, M4A, Mid, MP3, MP4, OGG, WAV / AAC, AMR, FLAC, M4A, MID, MP3, MP4, OGG / AAC, AMR, FLAC, MID, MP3, MP4, MPA, OGG, WAV
Speakers:Mono
Video formats supported:3GP, MKV, MP4, WEBM / 3GP,MKV,MP4,WEBM

Navigation

Assisted GPS (A-GPS):Y / Yes
BeiDou:Y
Electronic compass:Y / Yes
GLONASS:Y / Yes
GPS: Yes
GPS (satellite):Y / Yes
Position location:Y / Yes

Networking

2G standards:GSM
3G:Y / Yes
3G standards:UMTS
4G:Y / Yes
4G standard:LTE
4G standards:LTE
Bluetooth:Y / Yes
Bluetooth version:4.1
SIM card capability:Dual SIM / Single SIM
SIM card type:NanoSIM
Tethering (modem-mode):Y / Yes
Wi-Fi:Y / Yes
Wi-Fi standards:IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n / IEEE 802.11b,IEEE 802.11g,IEEE 802.11n

Packaging Content

AC adapter included:Y / Yes
Cables included:USB
Headset included:Y / Yes
Quick start guide:Y / Yes

Performance

Flight mode:Y / Yes
Graphics adapter:Adreno 506
Microphone mute:Y / Yes
Personal info management (PIM):Alarm clock, Calculator, Calendar, Events reminder, Notes, To-do list / Alarm clock, Calculator, Calendar, Notes
Personalization:Icons, Menu, Shortcuts
Support for contact groups:Y / Yes
Themes:Wallpapers
Video call:Y / Yes

Ports & interfaces

Headphone connectivity:3.5 mm
USB connector type:MICRO-USB / USB Type-C
USB port:Y / Yes

Processor

64-bit computing: Yes
Coprocessor:Y / Yes
Coprocessor architecture:ARM Cortex-A53
Coprocessor cores:4
Coprocessor frequency:2
Processor architecture:ARM Cortex-A53
Processor boost frequency:2
Processor Cores:4 / 8
Processor family:Qualcomm Snapdragon
Processor frequency:2
Processor lithography:14
Processor Model:625

Software

Operating system installed:Android
Operating System Version:6.0 / 6.0 (Marshmallow)

Storage

Compatible memory cards:MicroSD (TransFlash) / MicroSD (TransFlash),MicroSDHC,MicroSDXC
Internal RAM:3 / 3072
Internal RAM clock speed:933
Internal RAM type:LPDDR3
Internal storage capacity:32
Maximum memory card size:128
RAM capacity:3
RAM Type:LPDDR3
USB mass storage:Y / Yes
User memory:22

Subscription

Subscription type:No subscription

Weight & Dimensions

Depth:7.1
Height :14.1 / 141.2
Weight:146
Width:6.91 / 69.1 / 69.7 / 9.1
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