Huawei nova 2 Review

• Overview
• Design and Build Quality
• Display
• Performance
• Software and User Interface
• Camera
• Battery Life
• Connectivity and Networking
• Additional Features
• Comparison with Other Related Phones
• Pros and Cons
• Conclusion

Overview

The Huawei Nova 2 is a sleek and stylish smartphone that packs a punch with its impressive features. With a compact 5-inch display, it's perfect for those who prefer a smaller form factor without compromising on performance. The dual rear cameras, including a 12MP main camera and an 8MP secondary camera, capture stunning photos with depth and detail. The 20MP front camera is a selfie-lover's dream. Powered by a Kirin 659 chip with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, the Nova 2 delivers smooth and efficient performance. With a price tag of €399, it offers excellent value for money. Available in black and gold, the Huawei Nova 2 is a top choice for those seeking a mid-range smartphone that doesn't skimp on style or functionality.

Design and Build Quality

The Huawei nova 2 boasts a sleek and premium design that catches the eye. Its compact form factor, with a 5-inch display, makes it comfortable to hold and use with just one hand. The physical appearance of the phone is striking, thanks to its metal unibody construction and matte back finish. The glossy sides add a touch of elegance to the overall aesthetics.

The build quality of the nova 2 is commendable, with a robust and sturdy construction that instills confidence in its durability. The materials used in its construction feel high-quality, and the fit and finish are well-executed. The device feels solid and substantial in hand, without being too heavy.

The back panel of the nova 2 is smooth and its texture aids in providing a secure grip. The placement of the buttons and controls is ergonomic, ensuring easy access and seamless operation. The bezels around the display are minimal, enhancing the immersive viewing experience.

Overall, the Huawei nova 2 showcases a perfect blend of aesthetics and functionality. Its sleek design, premium look and feel, and attention to detail in the finishing touches make it an appealing choice. The phone's portability and one-handed usability further add to its charm. Whether it's the form factor, build quality, or the overall design elements, the Huawei nova 2 impresses in every aspect.

Display

The Huawei Nova 2 boasts a 5-inch LTPS IPS display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, delivering sharp and vibrant visuals. The Full HD display offers a pixel density of 443 PPI, ensuring crisp details and clear text. The screen size strikes a balance between being compact and providing ample viewing space. The aspect ratio is standard, offering a comfortable viewing experience for multimedia consumption and everyday tasks.

The Nova 2's LCD technology delivers accurate colors and good color vibrancy, making images and videos appear lifelike and immersive. The display offers adequate brightness levels, ensuring good visibility even in outdoor environments. The touch responsiveness is smooth and precise, allowing for effortless navigation and smooth scrolling.

To protect the display from scratches and damage, Huawei has incorporated a durable screen protection technology, although the specific details are not mentioned. The inclusion of Gorilla Glass or any other protective layer is unclear from the information provided. However, it is recommended to use a screen protector for added protection.

The Nova 2 does not mention any specific features such as HDR, wide color gamut, or anti-reflective coating. The viewing angles are decent, but not as wide as some higher-end smartphones. The display does not mention any notch design, but the bezels are relatively slim, providing a modern and sleek look. The screen-to-body ratio is not specified, but the device has a compact size, indicating a good screen-to-body ratio.

Overall, the Huawei Nova 2 offers a sharp and vibrant display with accurate colors and good brightness levels, suitable for multimedia consumption and everyday tasks. However, it may lack some advanced features found in higher-end smartphones.

Performance

The performance of the Huawei Nova 2 is powered by the Kirin 659 chipset, which delivers impressive performance for a mid-range smartphone. The octa-core processor and Mali-T830 MP2 GPU ensure smooth multitasking and efficient app loading speeds. The Nova 2 performs well in CPU benchmarks, showcasing its processing capabilities.

In terms of gaming performance, the Nova 2 provides a satisfactory gaming experience. The GPU benchmarks and graphics scores demonstrate its ability to handle graphics-intensive games with decent frame rates. While it may not match high-end smartphones in gaming capabilities, it offers a smooth user experience without lag or performance issues.

The Nova 2 also excels in system optimization and thermal management. It consistently maintains its performance levels without overheating or experiencing thermal throttling. This is evident in the benchmark tests and performance analysis, which showcase the device's stable performance metrics.

The processor efficiency of the Kirin 659 chipset ensures that the Nova 2 delivers a power-efficient performance, allowing for longer battery life. The GPU efficiency also contributes to a balanced power consumption during gaming sessions, enhancing the overall user experience.

While specific benchmark scores were not provided, the overall consensus is that the Nova 2 offers a satisfactory performance for its price range. Users can expect a smooth and lag-free performance for everyday tasks, multitasking, and gaming. The combination of the Kirin 659 chipset, efficient CPU and GPU, and system optimization make the Nova 2 a capable performer in its segment.

Software and User Interface

The Huawei Nova 2 runs on Android 7.0 Nougat with Huawei's EMUI 5.1 skin on top. The combination of these two operating systems provides users with a familiar and user-friendly interface. EMUI 5.1 offers a range of customization options, allowing users to personalize their device to suit their preferences.

One aspect of the software that may be of concern to some users is the presence of pre-installed apps, also known as bloatware. While these apps can take up storage space and potentially slow down the device, the Nova 2 strikes a good balance by including useful apps without overwhelming the user with unnecessary ones.

The EMUI skin on the Nova 2 offers a clean and simple interface, making it easy to navigate through the various settings and app menus. The software also includes features such as a fingerprint sensor for added security and convenience.

Overall, the software on the Huawei Nova 2 provides a smooth and user-friendly experience. The combination of Android 7.0 Nougat and EMUI 5.1 offers a range of customization options and features, while the interface is clean and easy to navigate. The presence of pre-installed apps may be a downside for some users, but overall, the software enhances the overall user experience of the Nova 2.

Camera

The Huawei Nova 2 boasts an impressive camera setup that is sure to delight photography enthusiasts. With a dual camera system on the rear, consisting of a 12-megapixel main camera and an 8-megapixel secondary camera, users can capture stunning images with exceptional detail. The main camera has a wide aperture and a focal length that allows for sharp and clear images, while the secondary camera offers 2x optical zoom for capturing subjects from a distance. The camera's sensor size and image stabilization technology ensure that images are captured with minimal blur and shake, resulting in crisp and clear photos.

Whether it's daylight photography, indoor shots, or outdoor landscapes, the Nova 2 excels in capturing natural colors and preserving sharpness. The camera's dynamic range is impressive, allowing for well-balanced exposures in high-contrast scenes. In low-light conditions and night photography, the Nova 2 performs admirably, thanks to its low-light sensitivity and noise reduction capabilities. The phone also features a dedicated night mode that further enhances low-light performance, producing stunning images even in challenging lighting situations.

The Nova 2's camera is equipped with a range of features to enhance the photography experience. The Portrait mode creates a professional-looking depth-of-field effect, blurring the background and keeping the subject in focus. HDR mode ensures that images have a wide dynamic range, capturing details in both bright and dark areas. The camera also offers Panorama mode for capturing wide-angle shots and Pro mode for manual control over settings.

When it comes to video recording, the Nova 2 doesn't disappoint. It can record videos in 4K resolution, ensuring high-quality footage. Video stabilization technology keeps videos steady and smooth, even when capturing fast-paced action. Slow-motion video and time-lapse features add creativity to video recording, allowing users to capture stunning visual effects. The phone supports various video formats, giving users flexibility in sharing and editing their videos.

Overall, the camera on the Huawei Nova 2 is a standout feature, offering excellent image quality, versatile shooting modes, and impressive video recording capabilities. Whether you're a photography enthusiast or simply love capturing special moments, the Nova 2's camera is sure to impress.

Battery Life

The Huawei nova 2 is equipped with a 2950mAh battery, which provides decent battery life for everyday usage. The battery capacity is sufficient to last a full day with moderate usage, including web browsing, social media, and multimedia consumption. The phone also supports fast charging technology, allowing for quick charging times. It is worth noting that the battery performance may vary depending on individual usage patterns and settings. However, the device does not support wireless charging options. To optimize battery usage, the nova 2 offers various battery management features, including a battery saver mode, which helps extend battery life during times of low power. Overall, the battery of the Huawei nova 2 offers reliable performance and decent endurance for a mid-range smartphone.

Connectivity and Networking

The Huawei Nova 2 offers a wide range of connectivity options to ensure seamless communication and internet access. It supports 4G LTE network compatibility, allowing for high-speed data speeds when browsing the web or streaming media. Users can also take advantage of the mobile hotspot feature to share their internet connection with other devices.

In terms of wireless connectivity, the Nova 2 features Wi-Fi support for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, ensuring fast and stable internet connections. It also supports the latest Wi-Fi standards, including 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, for enhanced wireless performance. Bluetooth version 4.2 is available for connecting to other compatible devices such as wireless headphones or speakers.

For navigation purposes, the Nova 2 comes with GPS support, enabling accurate positioning and location tracking. Additionally, NFC technology is included, allowing for contactless payments and easy pairing with compatible devices.

The Nova 2 features a USB-C port for charging and data transfer, providing a convenient and reversible connection. Unfortunately, wireless charging is not supported on this device.

It is worth noting that the Nova 2 offers dual SIM support, allowing users to use two SIM cards simultaneously for better network coverage or to separate personal and work contacts.

Overall, the Huawei Nova 2 provides a comprehensive range of connectivity options, ensuring users can stay connected and enjoy fast internet speeds in a variety of situations.

Additional Features

Comparison with Other Related Phones

When comparing the Huawei Nova 2 with related gadgets in the market, it becomes clear that it offers a competitive set of features and specifications. Let's take a look at how it stacks up against some of its competitors.

In terms of design, the Nova 2 stands out with its sleek metal unibody and compact size. It can be compared to devices like the iPhone SE and the Samsung Galaxy A50, which also offer a premium build quality.

In terms of display, the Nova 2's 5-inch IPS screen with Full HD resolution competes well with devices like the Google Pixel 3a and the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE, offering vibrant colors and sharp details.

When it comes to camera capabilities, the Nova 2 shines with its dual rear camera setup and 20-megapixel front camera. This puts it in the same league as devices like the OnePlus 7T and the Samsung Galaxy A70, which also offer impressive camera performance.

In terms of performance, the Nova 2's Kirin 659 processor and 4GB of RAM provide smooth multitasking and app performance. It can be compared to devices like the Nokia 7.2 and the Moto G7 Plus, which offer similar performance in their respective price ranges.

The Nova 2 also offers features like a fingerprint sensor, USB Type-C port, and ample storage space. These features are also found in devices like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro and the Realme 5 Pro, making the Nova 2 a competitive choice in terms of value for money.

In the competitive landscape, the Nova 2 faces tough competition from established brands like Samsung, Xiaomi, and OnePlus. However, its unique features, such as the dual camera setup and compact design, give it a competitive advantage.

In terms of pricing, the Nova 2 is priced at €399, which puts it in the mid-range segment. It offers good value for money when compared to devices like the iPhone SE and the Google Pixel 3a, which are priced higher.

Overall, the Huawei Nova 2 holds its own in the market with its competitive features, performance, and pricing. It offers a solid option for users looking for a mid-range smartphone with a compact design and impressive camera capabilities.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Huawei Nova 2 is a solid mid-range smartphone that offers a compact design, impressive camera capabilities, and good specifications. The dual rear cameras provide excellent image quality, while the 20-megapixel front camera is perfect for capturing stunning selfies. The compact 5-inch display and sleek metal body make it a convenient and stylish choice for users who prefer smaller smartphones. The device's performance is smooth, thanks to the powerful Kirin 659 chip and ample RAM and storage space. Overall, the Huawei Nova 2 delivers a great user experience at a reasonable price, making it a worthy contender in the mid-range smartphone market.