Unsurprisingly, the Google Pixel 6 range is getting all the attention right now, but these aren’t the only new phones on the block as the Huawei Nova 9 has just been unveiled as well.
Technically, this was actually revealed in September, but at the time it was only announced for China, while it is now getting a broader rollout. That said, while we’ll likely see it in the UK and possibly Australia, a US launch won’t be an option.
For those who can buy it, however, the Huawei Nova 9 has a lot of enticing tech inside – enough to even distract some buyers from the Google Pixel 6. The Huawei Nova 9 has a 6.57-inch 1080 x 2340 OLED screen with a refresh rate of 120 Hz, a mid-range Snapdragon 778G chipset, 8 GB of RAM and a choice of 128 GB or 256 GB of storage.
The phone also has a 4,300mAh battery with 66W fast charge, and there is a rear snapper with four lenses, a 50 MP f / 1.9 main sensor, an 8 MP f / 2.2 ultra-wide camera, a 2 MP f /2.4 macro camera and a 2MP f / 2.4 depth sensor. There is a 32MP f / 2.0 camera on the front.
These rear cameras are housed in a distinctive oval camera block with two large circles – a design similar to that of the Huawei P50. The rest of the design includes a glossy back in Starry Blue, Crush Green or Black and an all-screen front with a punch-hole camera.
They are promising specs – if the price is right, but unfortunately this detail has not yet been revealed, nor has the release date or availability, although, as mentioned earlier, we wouldn’t expect this in the US given the Huawei ban.
Analysis: A Pixel 6 rival with two major problems
Looking at these specs, the Huawei Nova 9 could do well with the Pixel 6 in many ways. It has a bigger screen with a higher refresh rate, more cameras, and faster charging – though its chipset is likely less and it has a slightly smaller battery.
The real problems the Huawei Nova 9 is facing, however, is first that it doesn’t include 5G, which is basically a standard feature in mid-range phones and above at this point.
An even bigger problem, however, is that the Nova 9 runs on Android (with Huawei’s EMUI 12 overlay), but does not have access to the Google Play Store or Google’s apps.
This is an issue Huawei phones have faced for years, and it’s harder to recommend – although there are alternative app stores that have lots of apps to be found.
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