The Huawei nova 3 will definitely be mistaken for a flagship device, especially when you learn it has the same chipset as the P20 Pro.
Dubai - It's not a flagship - but it has the looks and stuff in it to put it in the conversation
Published: Thu 9 Aug 2018, 1:40 PM
Updated: Thu 9 Aug 2018, 5:18 PM
I was talking up the blessing that is the mid-range smartphone segment to some friends recently, telling them that we should really be thankful that we have choices when it comes to mobile devices and we don't have to spend that much.
Until the Huawei nova 3 came along. Seriously, our friends from China could lead us to a point that mid-rangers will be at par with flagships.
I don't usually start with how much it'll cost you, but I think this is a good time to do so: the nova 3's price tag is Dh1,799, which, for me, is quite polarising, depending from where you're looking from.
On one hand, it may not fit the 'mid-range' tag because, in principle, no one expects to spend a couple grand for that segment. On the other, for more or less Dh1k, you'll be able to get your hands on actual flagships, including those from Apple, Samsung, Sony Mobile, LG and Huawei itself.
Well, Huawei seems to have justified this. Have a look at the nova 3's specs compared to its predecessor, the nova 3e:
TALE OF THE TAPE
| | nova 3e | nova 3 |
| Processor | Kirin 659 | Kirin 970 with AI |
| Display | 5.84" FHD+, 2280 x 1080, 19:9 | 6.3" FHD+, 2340 x 1080, 19.5:9 |
| RAM | 4GB | 4GB |
| Storage | 64GB | 128GB |
| Camera | Main: 16MP + 2MP; front: 16MP | Main: 24MP + 16MP; front: 24MP + 2MP |
| Battery | 3000mAh | 3750mAh |
| Features | Light fusion portrait | AI scene recognition, GPU turbo, 3D Qmoji |
| Price | Dh1,199 | Dh1,799 |
Several bump-ups are seen above. But here's what really drives things up: the nova 3's processor is a Kirin 970. Now if that sounds familiar to you, it's because it's the same thing found in Huawei's most recent flagship, the three-lens-eyed camera monster that is the P20 Pro, showing that they're keen to bring its built-in AI capabilities into its lower tier of devices.
It still has the same metal-frame-plus-rear-glass build as the nova 3e, albeit with a bigger 6.3-inch screen and a ratio that's a hairline thinner at 19.5:9 - but will still serve you up a hearty serving of fingerprint smudges. However, given its bigger profile, the nova 3 has an even more premium look. To the right are the volume rocker and power button, while on the left is the card tray. Below you'll find a USB C port, along with our ol' friend, the 3.5mm audio jack. I think the reason Huawei decided to retain everyone's favourite audio port is because, being a mid-range device, headsets with this connector are more abundant and are, in principle, more affordable, going along with the value proposition they want to evoke.
The fingerprint sensor is back on its usual rear spot in the centre, and - oh! - there's that notch again on top of the display. (Honestly, that notch initially irritated me when the iPhone X started it all, but ever since it's grown on me; I find it cute now.) But the nova 3 has, again, the option to whether or not you want that notch hanging up there, or just entirely black out that entire strip to give it an even look. And speaking of evenness, I don't like the fact that the bezel below is thicker than those on the side and on top; it makes the display look a bit, well, uneven.
Oh yes, we almost forgot about arguably the most important thing: its camera. Just like its more affordable li'l brother, the nova 3i, the nova 3 has four cameras: two each on the front and back. And as you'd expect from Huawei, they have no intentions of letting you down when it comes to snapping away.
And aside from a quartet of lenses, Huawei also blessed the nova 3 with its AI powers. To cut it short, the cameras can recognise which scenario you are in, and there are eight of them in general: blue sky, plant, flower, beach, snow, night, room and stage performance - even text. Once the camera system detects the scene, it applies filters to enhance the final result (get used to the "Sharpening the photo. Please steady your device" message, because it'll appear a lot).
You'll notice that the AI shots have richer, more vibrant colours. This scene, though, wrangled with 'plant' and 'overcast' detection; the shots on the right are those with AI enabled:
The same scene at 2x zoom:
Notice the difference in how the plant was treated with AI filters:
Decent even at night, but with some understandable grain and noise:
This one's at its max of 10x zoom; understandable:
Meanwhile, low-light shots still give decent results, albeit with some graininess and noise especially without the flash:
And if you think that the AI feature is reserved only for the main camera, you're wrong: it's also in the dual front snappers. The results are similar to those above and are pretty impressive even in not-so-bright situations. Huawei says the AI in it makes the phone a 'Selfie Superstar'. now where have we heard that before.
Anyway, in a nod to the industry squabbling over who's camera is better, Huawei's front shooters also come with augmented reality capabilities. Take your pick - effects, backgrounds, 3D objects or Huawei's answer to Apple's Animoji, 3D Qmoji:
Oh, there's a penguin fishing for its meal floating on my screen.
They're cute, but I have a particular bone to pick with 3D Qmoji: when you record a video with it, the result isn't as accurate as your facial movements, particularly with the mouth. At least the face recognition system to unlock the device is quick to respond, even in complete darkness - though I've noticed that sometimes it takes a little time to recognise me if some of my long hair gets in the way. The fingerprint sensor, as usual, reacts quickly, and you can also use it for other stuff, such as answering calls, taking snaps, drawing out the notification panel and browsing photos. This is a neat feature as you can truly control the phone with one hand - and you don't have to enroll a fingerprint to use these extra stuff.
The bokeh effect on portrait mode works well, though stage lighting may need some work; try to see the hair near my shoulders:
The nova 3 is also the first Huawei smartphone that dons the revamped EMUI 8.2. I don't find anything fancy, but I can say it has a simpler and lighter look, which actually complements the 'premium-ness' Huawei is trying to evoke in this segment. No annoying bloatware around, just Huawei's usual add-ons to an Android 8.1 Oreo OS.
There's more battery in here as well. In our standard one-hour YouTube-at-full-brightness run, 14 per cent was flushed out. That's a good number of any day, which is, again, flagship-material. Spending days with it, I never did have a problem getting home without any juice left, despite using the nova 3 for equal parts of everything for an entire day. During low-usage days, it was able to hold up until early afternoon the next day.
AND SO...
So is this a mid-range phone or a borderline flagship? From my point of view, I think it's the latter. Huawei's done a good job of incorporating some top-end stuff into the nova 3, and I guess this is as far as we could go for mid-rangers for now.
GOODIES: AI capabilities, smooth operation, good battery life
BADDIES: AR Qmoji/portrait mode needs some fixing, face recognition inconsistent, a bit expensive for a mid-ranger
EDITOR RATING: 9.0/10
- alvin@khaleejtimes.com
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