Huawei Nova Plus Full Specs Pricing & ProsCons Revealed

Introduction to Huawei Nova Plus

The Huawei Nova Plus, introduced in September 2016, is a notable player in the mid-range smartphone market. With its elegant design and a strong focus on photography and performance, it aims to provide an impressive user experience. This article explores various features of the Nova Plus, focusing on its design, hardware capabilities, camera performance, battery life, and software experience.

Design and Build Quality

The Huawei Nova Plus showcases an elegant design with a metallic unibody structure that feels premium to the touch. It has dimensions of 151.8 x 75.7 x 7.3 mm and weighs 160 grams, making it comfortable to handle. The device is available in three colors: Prestige Gold, Mystic Silver, and Titanium Grey, each offering a sophisticated aesthetic appeal.

The front of the phone is dominated by a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display, offering a screen-to-body ratio of approximately 72.6%. The display features a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels, ensuring sharp and vibrant visuals with a pixel density of about 401 ppi.

Display Quality

The 5.5-inch IPS LCD screen of the Huawei Nova Plus provides clear and vibrant visuals. The display offers a nominal contrast ratio of 1281:1, guaranteeing deep blacks and bright whites. Under sunlight, the contrast ratio is 2.329, which, although not exceptional, ensures decent outdoor visibility. The display's 16:9 aspect ratio makes the Nova Plus suitable for media consumption and browsing.

Performance and Hardware

Under the hood, the Huawei Nova Plus is powered by the Qualcomm MSM8953 Snapdragon 625 processor. This octa-core CPU, clocked at 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53, is built on a 14 nm process technology, striking a balance between performance and energy efficiency. For graphics, the device uses the Adreno 506 GPU, which is adequate for casual gaming and daily tasks.

The phone comes with 3GB of RAM, which ensures smooth multitasking and performance in daily usage scenarios. Its internal storage capacity is 32GB, and it supports microSDXC cards, allowing users to expand storage capacity by using the shared SIM slot.

Camera Capabilities

The photography capabilities of the Huawei Nova Plus are among its standout features. The main camera is a 16 MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, equipped with phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and optical image stabilization (OIS), which helps in capturing stable and clear images even in less-than-ideal lighting conditions. The camera supports 4K video recording at 30fps and 1080p video at 30fps, providing users with high-resolution video capture capabilities.

The rear camera is complemented by a dual-LED dual-tone flash, enabling better color accuracy in low-light photography, along with features like panorama and HDR modes for advanced photography. The 8 MP front camera, with an f/2.0 aperture, supports 1080p video recording, enabling quality selfies and video calls.

Sound and Audio

For sound, the Huawei Nova Plus includes a mono loudspeaker, which provides decent audio output for calls and media playback. A 3.5mm headphone jack is present, allowing users to connect their preferred headphones. In terms of audio quality, the device performs well with noise levels at -70.7dB and crosstalk at -95.4dB.

Connectivity and Sensors

The Huawei Nova Plus offers a range of connectivity options including Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.1 with A2DP and LE, NFC, GPS with GLONASS, and FM radio. It facilitates data transfer and charging through a USB Type-C port.

The device features several sensors including a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, proximity sensor, and compass, enhancing user interaction and security.

Battery Life

A key strength of the Huawei Nova Plus is its battery life, powered by a non-removable Li-Po 3340 mAh battery. The device supports 18W fast charging, ensuring quick top-ups when needed. The endurance rating for the phone is about 79 hours, which should comfortably support a full day of moderate usage.

Software Experience

On the software front, the Huawei Nova Plus runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with Huawei's EMUI 4.1 overlay. While the software might feel slightly outdated, it offers a user-friendly interface with a variety of customization options and features designed to enhance the user experience.

EMUI enhances usability with features like integrated gestures and optimized battery use, although users should be aware that newer software updates might not be available due to the device's age.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Huawei Nova Plus stands out as a solid mid-range smartphone option, particularly for those interested in photography and design. Its combination of a premium build, capable camera system, and reliable performance make it an appealing choice for users who value these features in a smartphone. While it may not cater to high-end performance standards or the latest software, it delivers satisfactory day-to-day performance with a focus on style and usability.

As it has been discontinued, prospective buyers should consider the availability of software updates and support when assessing the Huawei Nova Plus. Nevertheless, its enduring strengths in design and battery life, along with a competitive price during its time of release, have left a positive impression in the market.