We’ve gotten an early look at the Huawei Nova, the newest handset from the company to land in South Africa; is this device a star in the making?
Huawei have had a blockbuster 2016, rising from strength to strength first with the reveal of the Huawei P9, and later with the assault on the market that was the Mate 9. While the company’s flagship contenders battle it out on the ground, there’s another handset we’re turning our attention to today; it’s attempting to break the atmosphere, and its name is Nova.
Arriving in South Africa at the start of 2017, the Nova looks to contest the developing mid-range of the smartphone market; one that is increasingly moving either upwards in price with the offer of quality, or downwards in price with the promise of contentment.
Read: Huawei‘s upcoming P10 could be one of its most expensive devices yet
With the likes of Xiaomi and Samsung now eagerly contesting the mid-range, can Huawei carve out another frontier for its brand, or is the Nova destined to fade away as just another star in the night?
Design
The Huawei Nova’s name alone triggers connotations of space and a pioneering spirit, and that’s a good thing – when holding the device in one’s hand, it’s difficult not to admire the space-age lines and curves that gently caress the corners and curves of the handset.
There’s something remarkably 50s-esque about the Nova; whether it be the black camera module on the rear that we first saw aboard the Google Nexus 6P or the effortless slope on the back panel, there’s a lot to lose oneself in. So before we begin on a space odyssey, let’s ask ourselves – what brings the Huawei Nova back to Earth?
For starters, there’s the fact that the Nova is a cut above what we’ve previously seen in Huawei’s mid-range; on looks alone, the device effortlessly outclasses prior efforts such as the Huawei G8.
Specifications
Of course, that also implies there are some healthy specs to back that claim up. The Nova benefits from a Snapdragon 625 SoC, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of native storage, and Android 6.0 Marshmallow to boot. A primary 12-megapixel primary and 8-megapixel secondary camera completes the setup in addition to a sizeable 3,020mAh battery.
Early performance notes
Early indications are that the Nova will be an interesting beast to tame. .The 1080p screen that adorns the Nova is standard fare, and while offering acceptable detail fails to offer the same wow-factor other mid-range Huawei handsets have offered in the past.
Camera performance is equally intriguing; colours and detail strike in dazzling display, but the Nova somewhat suffers when pushed to the test in dim lighting; something we’ll be sure to test more in comparison to the Huawei P9’s dual-camera setup which aced low-light scenarios.
Battery life too is another indicator we’ll be watching; a quick drain after boot-up raised our concerns early on, and considering that battery life is considered to be one of Huawei’s core strengths, we’ll be sure to keep an eye on this.
In positive news, the Nova remains speedy throughout; apps chug along with aplomb while Huawei’s default camera app fires quickly and records on the double. Could this be Huawei’s best peforming mid-ranger yet?
The competition
For the recommended retail price of R6999 ZAR, the Nova would seem perfectly positioned in South Africa’s upper mid-range to take on the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy A series and Apple’s iPhone SE; to do so, however, might be a moonshot for Huawei considering the burgeoning popularity and relatively low price points of its flagship handsets such as the P9 or Mate 9.
Read: Huawei turns back the clock to reveal the 2017 P8 Lite
Stay tuned for the full review!
The Huawei Nova arrives at a make-or-break time in South Africa underneath the flagship Mate 9. Can this device succeed in carving out a final frontier for Huawei, or will it crumble into stardust under the weight of its flagship sibling? Be sure to stay tuned for the full review!
Follow Bryan Smith on Twitter: @bryansmithSA
