Huawei Nova 9 Review

Huawei’s phone trade is also embattled – to place it mildly – nevertheless it hasn’t stopped making new telephones. Maximum of them haven’t made it to Ecu shores on the other hand, with one notable exception: the Huawei Nova 9.

It’s now not transparent why, of all telephones, the Nova 9 is the only to achieve Europe – particularly after we’re nonetheless looking forward to the P50 Professional – nevertheless it truly embodies Huawei’s present state of affairs, with spectacular {hardware} hamstrung by way of acquainted tool issues.

Design and construct

• Textured end
• Curved exhibit & frame
• Twin ring digicam
• No waterproofing

Something you’ll’t fault the Nova 9 on is the way it appears to be like, particularly within the hero ‘Starry Blue’ color I’ve been checking out out, which additionally has a subtly grippy, textured again.

Whilst this can be a huge phone because of the 6.57in exhibit, it’s nonetheless skinny at 7.8mm and lightweight at 175g. That makes it really feel transportable and compact in spite of the huge display, and curved edges stay it at ease to carry too.

The one truly divisive part may well be the rear digicam module, which sees the principle lens ensconced in a single huge circle, with 3 extra shooters and the flash dropped in a 2nd circle beneath. I don’t love the glance, however you might – and also you undoubtedly couldn’t name it uninteresting.

Notice that unfortunately there’s no water or dust-resistant IP score for the phone, nor does it use Gorilla Glass at the exhibit, so it’s now not as tricky as some dearer gadgets.

The general factor that does want noting right here is this design is largely just like the Honor 50, additionally to be had in the United Kingdom and Europe, apart from for the collection of finishes. The telephones do fluctuate in any other respects – the Huawei has the easier digicam, whilst the Honor has the a very powerful good thing about Google tool – but when it’s the phone’s glance that stuck your eye then do a minimum of imagine the Honor too.

Show and audio

• Huge 6.57in exhibit
• 120Hz OLED with top color protection
• Non-stereo audio system

That is any other reasonably sturdy appearing for the Nova 9. The 120Hz OLED panel here’s a attractiveness, overlaying over 1000000000 colors and dealing with HDR very properly.

At 6.57in it’s a reasonably large display, although truly that’s moderate for Android nowadays. It’s curved, however now not extraordinarily – necessarily sufficient to make it at ease and glance sexy, however with out compromising utilization, so the ones frightened about curved displays shouldn’t have an excessive amount of to fret about.

There’s additionally an under-display fingerprint reader, which I’ve discovered to be speedy and dependable. Face liberate is to be had in the event you favor, although pushed solely by way of a unmarried selfie digicam, so it’s now not as safe as Apple’s implementation.

At the audio facet it’s sponsored up by way of a good sufficient speaker, although there’s no stereo give a boost to. That is nice for a phone, however not anything particular. As it’s possible you’ll be expecting, there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack both.

Specifications and function

• Mid-range Snapdragon 778G chip
• 8GB RAM and 128/256GB garage
• 4G solely

The Nova 9 is a firmly mid-range software, and so makes use of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 778G chipset. It’s paired with 8GB of RAM and both 128GB or 256GB of garage, with availability various a little by way of marketplace.

This isn’t the quickest or maximum tough phone in the marketplace, nevertheless it’s were given greater than sufficient energy for the typical person. It’s clean and fluid even if multi-tasking, and there’s sufficient oomph to run any fashionable smartphone recreation too.

Having a look at our benchmark effects, you’ll see that within the CPU-focussed Geekbench 5 the Nova 9 holds its personal towards all however probably the most tough flagship and gaming telephones, and doesn’t in reality lag too a long way in the back of the ones anyway.

There may be one large caveat looming over the Nova 9’s chipset although. One of the vital quirks of america govt’s industry restrictions on Huawei is that whilst the corporate can purchase smartphone chipsets from Qualcomm, it may possibly’t purchase 5G-enabled chips. That signifies that as tough as this phone is, it’s 4G-only. You would possibly not thoughts this, particularly in the event you are living in a slightly rural house or a rustic with restricted 5G uptake, nevertheless it surely hurts in the event you’re taking a look to futureproof your phone acquire.

Battery and charging

• Complete-day battery
• 66W stressed charging
• No wi-fi charging

Battery lifestyles isn’t precisely a power of the Nova 9 – nevertheless it’s under no circumstances a weak point both.

The 4300mAh battery this is sufficient for the phone to ultimate an afternoon’s use reasonably conveniently, however now not sufficient to stretch it to 2 days until you’re an exceptionally gentle person. Essentially that makes the battery lifestyles reasonably moderate for the trendy marketplace – you’ll simply to find telephones that last more, however that is a long way from the worst in the market.

It’ll do the process and ultimate the day although, and that’s truly what issues.

Charging is reasonably spectacular although, with 66W stressed speeds supported. In my checking out, that used to be sufficient to ship 38% rate in quarter-hour, and 75% throughout part an hour – which is almost definitely simply sufficient to ultimate a complete day in itself.

The disadvantage is that there’s no wi-fi charging in any respect, however in equity that’s to be anticipated at this value – you’d be expecting to spend a good bit extra to search out wi-fi charging give a boost to.

Digicam

• Superb 50Mp major digicam
• OK ultrawide
• Forged selfie shooter

If there’s one little bit of phone {hardware} that Huawei excels at, it’s the digicam. That is arguably the explanation there’s nonetheless pastime within the corporate’s flagship P50 telephones with out Google or 5G, as a variety of folks will make that sacrifice within the title of what may well be the most efficient phone digicam round.

To be transparent, the Nova 9 is not packing the most efficient phone digicam round. But it surely does have a truly succesful digicam, particularly in the principle lens – with diminishing returns past that.

The 50Mp major digicam, encased in its personal round housing, makes use of Huawei’s RYYB pixel association, which the corporate prefers particularly for low gentle efficiency – although frustratingly right here it is not mixed with optical symbol stabilisation (OIS) which is essential to truly superb night time images.

After all, footage right here widely galvanize. In sunlight the principle digicam is outstanding, with wealthy colors and vibrant element in a variety of stipulations. In darker lighting fixtures effects are excellent, however the loss of OIS does display – when the digicam will get it proper you can to find neatly uncovered, detailed night time mode footage with strangely correct color, however once in a while a shot will come again needless as a result of there simply fractionally an excessive amount of digicam shake and the phone’s digital stabilisation could not stay up.

At the rear you can additionally to find an 8Mp ultrawide and 2Mp macro and intensity sensors. Those are nice, however forgettable. The ultrawide will do the process in respectable lighting fixtures, however there is a marked drop intimately in comparison to the principle lens, and hues have a tendency to be washed out. The variation is much more marked in low gentle.

The 32Mp selfie digicam is beautiful respectable on the other hand, a slightly extensive f/2.0 aperture serving to it to carry its personal in a variety of lighting fixtures.

You’ll movie [email protected] video with the rear cameras, and there is additionally a devoted vlogging mode that permits you to document split-screen and picture-in-picture video with two lenses without delay, together with converting between them at the fly.

It is just honest at this level to flag that the digicam is one house the place the Nova 9 does indisputably best possible the Honor 50. Whilst the setups are most commonly equivalent, the 50Mp major digicam right here is obviously awesome to Honor’s 108Mp sensor, in spite of the decrease answer. Certainly Huawei’s distinctive symbol processing tool and algorithms play their phase too, however in the end the result’s that this can be a transparent edge for the Nova 9 if you’re looking to examine the 2 handsets.

Tool

• Runs EMUI 12
• Now not Android or HarmonyOS
• No Google Mobile Services and products

The extra issues alternate, the extra they keep the similar.

In a single sense, the Nova 9 provides a reasonably new tool revel in, in EMUI 12, however in any other there are some very acquainted Huawei issues right here.

This isn’t formally Android (although used to be to start with advanced from the Android Open Supply Venture), nevertheless it similarly isn’t formally HarmonyOS, the brand new multi-platform working machine that now ships at the corporate’s telephones in China, and on a few of its capsules and wearables international.

That mentioned, I’ve used HarmonyOS at the MatePad Professional, and EMUI 12 could be very equivalent. Uncannily so. Such a lot so, that it’s possible you’ll wonder whether that is truly HarmonyOS by way of any other title.

I will’t talk to the supply code, however I will ascertain that this options touches just like the iOS-esque keep watch over centre and Huawei ecosystem give a boost to this is present in HarmonyOS. Without reference to what that is at a technical degree, in sensible phrases that is an especially equivalent tool revel in to HarmonyOS.

Sadly, that incorporates some weaknesses. The similar industry restrictions that save you Huawei the use of 5G Qualcomm chips additionally forestall the corporate from together with Google Mobile Services and products on its telephones. That implies now not solely that the Nova 9 can’t set up Google apps like Gmail or Google Maps, but in addition that there’s no Play Retailer so you’ll’t set up many different Android apps.

Huawei has labored arduous over the previous couple of years to paintings round this drawback, and there are some artful answers. For those who’re coming from a prior Android software you’ll switch a lot of your apps over to the Nova 9, and the corporate’s Petal seek engine does a excellent process of discovering .apk information that assist you to set up extra apps too.

That is all neatly and excellent, however in spite of Huawei’s best possible efforts there stay some apps you merely can’t set up, and others that may set up however now not run as a result of they depend on Google’s servers. Others have stranger quirks – WhatsApp will run, however can’t get right of entry to any Android (or iOS) chat backups, so that you’ll be ranging from scratch.

Updating apps may be a headache, as Google handles computerized updates. So for any apps put in thru phone cloning or Petal seek, you’ll must manually replace them – which isn’t just a headache, but in addition a possible safety chance.

It is a clean, sexy OS that’s simple to navigate and packs a variety of customisation choices. But it surely’s just a viable possibility for individuals who are technically minded sufficient to paintings round its obstacles.

Value and availability

The Nova 9 is to be had now in Europe, the place it prices €499 for the 128GB type, and €549 for the 256GB variant. You’ll purchase it immediately from Huawei, or from Amazon and different outlets.

Huawei has obviously labored to hit an competitive value level right here to fight scepticism in regards to the phone’s inherent deficiencies. The result’s that this provides some of the higher cameras at this value, along side aggressive specifications.

Nonetheless, will have to you spend this a lot for a phone that’s 4G-only, and doesn’t give a boost to Google apps? Most definitely now not. An insignificant €30 extra will get you the Honor 50, an differently almost-identical phone that fixes the ones two flaws. Sure, the Honor’s digicam can’t somewhat compete with the Nova 9, nevertheless it’s nonetheless forged, and this phone will likely be a greater purchase for most of the people.

There are different mid-range telephones to imagine. The OnePlus Nord 2 is any other sturdy competitor, with a good digicam and superb specifications for lower than the Nova 9, whilst you don’t must spend that a lot more to get the Google Pixel 6 for a fair higher digicam. And sure, the Google phone does after all run Google.

Verdict

There’s so much to love in regards to the Nova 9. It appears to be like nice, the exhibit is sharp, and the principle digicam is an actual triumph for the associated fee – even though the accompanying ultrawide isn’t a lot to put in writing house about.

However that’s nonetheless now not sufficient to make this phone value it for the typical person. And not using a 5G networking and no give a boost to for the Google Play Retailer, the Nova 9 merely doesn’t upload up for most of the people, particularly within the fiercely aggressive mid-range marketplace.

Rival gadgets – particularly the Honor 50 – be offering similar specifications with out affected by those primary compromises.

At a far cheaper price the Nova 9’s obstacles may well be extra forgivable, however as it’s that is most commonly a curio for the devoted, whether or not that’s fans of Huawei {hardware} or the ones intrigued by way of the corporate’s efforts to carve out its personal tool house.

For the remainder of us, there are merely higher telephones in other places.

Specifications

Huawei Nova 9: Specifications

• 6.57in 120Hz curved Complete HD+ (2340×1080) OLED exhibit
• All the time-on exhibit capability
• In-display fingerprint sensor
• 50Mp major digicam, f/1.9, PDAF, EIS
• 8Mp ultrawide digicam, f/2.2, 120° FoV
• 2Mp macro digicam, f/2.4
• 2Mp intensity sensor
• 32Mp hole-punch entrance digicam, f/2.2
• USB-C
• Twin SIM
• 4300mAh battery
• Stressed charging as much as 66W
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 4G chipset
• 8GB RAM
• 128/256GB garage
• EMUI 12
• WiFi 6
• Bluetooth 5.2
• NFC
• 175g
• 160 x 73.8 x 7.8mm