Huawei nova 8i 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 8i is a captivating smartphone that combines impressive features with a sleek design. With its 6.67-inch IPS LCD display, you can enjoy vibrant visuals and immersive viewing experiences. The quad-camera setup, including a 64MP main camera, ensures stunning photos and videos. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 chipset and equipped with up to 8GB of RAM, this device delivers smooth performance and multitasking capabilities. The side-mounted fingerprint sensor provides convenient and secure unlocking. Additionally, the 66W wired charging allows for fast and efficient battery replenishment. Available in Moonlight Silver, Interstellar Blue, and Starry Black, the Huawei nova 8i offers style and versatility. With its affordable price tag, starting at €230.00, this smartphone is a great choice for tech enthusiasts on a budget.

Design and Build Quality

The Huawei nova 8i showcases a sleek and stylish design that exudes a premium look and feel. With its slim form factor and compact dimensions of 161.9 x 74.7 x 8.6 mm, it offers a great balance between portability and screen real estate. The device weighs in at 190g, which adds to its overall sturdiness and robustness.

The physical appearance of the Huawei nova 8i is enhanced by its well-crafted design elements. It features an IPS LCD display measuring 6.67 inches, with minimal bezels, resulting in an impressive screen-to-body ratio of around 89.4%. This allows for an immersive viewing experience and maximizes the usable display area. The back panel of the device is available in striking colors like Moonlight Silver, Interstellar Blue, and Starry Black, adding to its aesthetic appeal.

In terms of construction, the Huawei nova 8i is built with high-quality materials that ensure durability. The device is encased in a sturdy frame, offering protection against accidental drops and impacts. The back panel has a smooth texture, providing a comfortable grip while holding the phone. The fit and finish of the device are excellent, with no noticeable gaps or inconsistencies.

The Huawei nova 8i also excels in terms of ergonomics, with well-placed buttons and controls that are easily accessible. The fingerprint sensor is conveniently located on the side of the device, allowing for quick and secure unlocking. The USB Type-C port is positioned at the bottom, ensuring easy connectivity and charging.

Overall, the Huawei nova 8i impresses with its sleek design, premium look and feel, and robust construction. It combines aesthetics with functionality, making it a desirable choice for users seeking a stylish and reliable smartphone.

Display

The Huawei nova 8i features a 6.67-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 2376 pixels and a pixel density of approximately 391 ppi. The screen size provides an immersive viewing experience, making it ideal for multimedia consumption and gaming. With its 89.4% screen-to-body ratio, the display offers a large usable area, minimizing bezels for a more modern and sleek look. The LCD technology used in the nova 8i ensures good color accuracy and vibrancy, although it may not match the deep blacks and contrast levels found in OLED displays.

In terms of brightness levels, the nova 8i offers adequate visibility outdoors, ensuring that the screen remains visible even under direct sunlight. The display also supports touch responsiveness, allowing for smooth and accurate interactions with the device.

To protect the display from scratches and damage, Huawei has not specified the use of specific display protection such as Gorilla Glass. However, it is recommended to use a screen protector for added protection.

The nova 8i does not mention any specific features such as high refresh rate or HDR support, indicating that it may not excel in these areas. Nevertheless, it still provides a satisfactory viewing experience with wide viewing angles and an anti-reflective coating to reduce glare.

Additionally, the display does not have a notch design, offering a more traditional and uninterrupted viewing experience. The absence of a notch allows for a higher screen-to-body ratio, maximizing the usable display area.

While the nova 8i does not mention an always-on display feature, it does offer a blue light filter and adaptive brightness, enhancing user comfort in different lighting conditions. The screen calibration ensures that colors are displayed accurately and vividly.

Performance

The Huawei nova 8i boasts a Qualcomm SM6115 Snapdragon 662 chipset, which delivers solid performance for everyday tasks and casual gaming. The octa-core processor consists of 4x2.0 GHz Kryo 260 Gold cores and 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 260 Silver cores, providing a good balance between power and efficiency. In terms of CPU benchmarks, the device performs well in its category.

When it comes to graphics performance, the Adreno 610 GPU ensures smooth visuals and decent gaming capabilities. The GPU benchmarks showcase its ability to handle graphically demanding games with ease. Users can expect a satisfactory gaming experience with stable frame rates and responsive controls.

The Huawei nova 8i also excels in terms of thermal management, ensuring that the device remains cool even during extended gaming sessions. This is crucial for maintaining peak performance and avoiding any lag or slowdowns. The system optimization implemented by Huawei further enhances the overall user experience, resulting in a smooth and lag-free performance.

In terms of multitasking performance, the device's 6GB or 8GB of RAM provides ample memory for seamless switching between apps and smooth app loading speeds. Users can enjoy a snappy and responsive interface, allowing them to navigate through various tasks effortlessly.

The performance of the Huawei nova 8i is further highlighted by its benchmark scores. Synthetic benchmarks consistently show the device performing well, reflecting its strong processor efficiency and GPU efficiency. These scores demonstrate that the device can handle intensive tasks and deliver a reliable performance across different usage scenarios.

Overall, the Huawei nova 8i offers a commendable performance package. Its chipset and GPU deliver solid performance in everyday tasks and gaming, while its multitasking capabilities and system optimization contribute to a smooth user experience. The device's thermal management ensures that performance remains consistent even during extended usage. With its competitive benchmark scores and efficient processor and GPU, the Huawei nova 8i is a reliable choice for users seeking a mid-range smartphone with impressive performance metrics.

Software and User Interface

The Huawei nova 8i runs on the Android 10 operating system with EMUI 11, but it does not come with Google Play Services. This means that users won't have access to the Google Play Store and its vast library of apps. Instead, Huawei provides its own app store, which may not have the same variety and selection as Google's store. However, the EMUI 11 interface offers a user-friendly experience with its intuitive layout and easy navigation. Users can customize the interface to their liking, with options to change themes, wallpapers, and icon styles.

In terms of pre-installed apps, the Huawei nova 8i comes with a range of essential apps, including a file manager, calculator, and weather app. Additionally, Huawei includes its own suite of apps, such as Huawei Health for fitness tracking and Huawei Music for streaming music. While some users may appreciate these pre-installed apps, others may consider them bloatware if they prefer using alternative apps.

Overall, the software on the Huawei nova 8i provides a smooth and user-friendly experience, although the absence of Google Play Services may be a drawback for some users who heavily rely on Google apps and services. However, Huawei's app store and pre-installed apps offer alternatives for users to fulfill their basic needs and entertainment requirements.

Camera

The Huawei nova 8i boasts a powerful quad-camera setup that offers versatility and excellent image quality. The main camera features a 64-megapixel sensor with a wide f/1.9 aperture and a focal length of 26mm, allowing for crisp and detailed shots. The 8-megapixel ultrawide camera with a 120˚ field of view is perfect for capturing expansive landscapes or group photos. For close-up shots, the 2-megapixel macro camera provides the ability to focus on intricate details. Additionally, the 2-megapixel depth sensor enhances portrait shots by creating a natural bokeh effect.

The camera excels in daylight photography, capturing vibrant and sharp images with accurate colors. The dynamic range is commendable, ensuring that both highlights and shadows are well-preserved. Indoor and outdoor photography is also impressive, thanks to the camera's ability to handle different lighting conditions effectively. The low-light performance is notable, with the camera offering good low-light sensitivity and minimal noise, especially when utilizing the dedicated night mode.

The Huawei nova 8i offers various camera features such as HDR, panorama mode, and pro mode, allowing users to experiment with different shooting styles and settings. The AI scene recognition automatically adjusts the camera settings for optimal results based on the detected scene. Video recording is also a strong suit of the device, supporting 4K video capture with good detail and clarity. Video stabilization ensures smooth footage, and slow-motion and time-lapse options offer creative possibilities. The camera app supports various video formats, providing flexibility for different editing and sharing needs. Overall, the camera of the Huawei nova 8i delivers impressive performance and a wide range of features, making it a compelling choice for photography enthusiasts.

Battery Life

The Huawei nova 8i is equipped with a Li-Po 4300 mAh non-removable battery, which offers a decent capacity for daily usage. The device supports 66W wired charging, allowing for quick replenishment of the battery. It boasts an impressive charging speed, with the ability to reach 60% charge in just 17 minutes and fully charge in 38 minutes according to the advertised specifications. This fast charging capability ensures that users can spend less time plugged in and more time using their device. Although the device does not support wireless charging, the rapid wired charging compensates for this. The battery performance of the Huawei nova 8i is commendable, offering a good balance between power consumption and endurance. It provides a satisfactory screen-on time and standby time, allowing users to use their device for extended periods without worrying about running out of battery. The device also incorporates battery optimization features, ensuring efficient power usage and enhancing the overall battery life. Overall, the battery of the Huawei nova 8i delivers reliable performance and is well-suited for the average user's needs.

Connectivity and Networking

The Huawei nova 8i offers a wide range of connectivity options to keep users connected on the go. It supports various network compatibility, including GSM, HSPA, and LTE, ensuring reliable connectivity and fast data speeds. With its dual SIM capability, users can easily switch between two different SIM cards for added convenience.

In terms of wireless connectivity, the nova 8i supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, allowing users to connect to both 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks. This ensures seamless internet browsing and streaming experiences. The device also features Bluetooth 5.0 with A2DP and LE support, enabling fast and stable connections to compatible devices such as headphones, speakers, and smartwatches.

While the Huawei nova 8i does not have NFC functionality, it compensates with other connectivity features. It is equipped with a USB Type-C 2.0 port, allowing for fast data transfer and charging. Additionally, the device supports GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, and BDS for accurate positioning and navigation.

For those who need to share their internet connection, the nova 8i supports mobile hotspot functionality, allowing other devices to connect and utilize its data connection. The device also features a 3.5mm headphone jack, making it convenient for users to connect their wired headphones or external audio devices.

Overall, the Huawei nova 8i provides a comprehensive range of connectivity options, ensuring users stay connected and enjoy fast data speeds whether they are browsing the web, streaming content, or connecting with other devices.

Additional Features

Comparison with Other Related Phones

The Huawei nova 8i is a mid-range smartphone that competes with several other devices in the market. When comparing it to related gadgets, we can look at its specifications, features, performance, and pricing to understand its market positioning and competitive advantage.

In terms of specifications, the Huawei nova 8i offers a 6.67-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 2376 pixels. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 chipset and comes with 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The device features a quad-camera setup with a 64MP main camera, an 8MP ultrawide camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, it has a 16MP selfie camera. The nova 8i also packs a 4300mAh battery with 66W fast charging support.

When comparing it to other related phones in the market, the Huawei nova 8i competes with devices like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro, Samsung Galaxy A52s, and Realme 8 Pro. These devices offer similar specifications and features in the mid-range segment. However, the nova 8i stands out with its 66W fast charging support, which is faster than what most competitors offer.

In terms of pricing, the Huawei nova 8i is priced at around €230, making it a relatively affordable option in the mid-range segment. Its pricing strategy positions it as a value-for-money device, offering a good balance between features and affordability.

In terms of performance, the Huawei nova 8i performs well for everyday tasks and offers a smooth user experience. However, it may not be as powerful as some of its competitors that have higher-end chipsets.

In conclusion, the Huawei nova 8i competes with several related gadgets in the mid-range smartphone market. It offers competitive specifications, features, and pricing, making it a viable option for consumers looking for a value-for-money device. While it may not have the most powerful chipset, its fast charging support gives it a competitive advantage.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Huawei nova 8i offers a compelling package for potential buyers. With its sleek design and impressive 6.67-inch IPS LCD display, the phone provides an immersive viewing experience. The powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 chipset ensures smooth performance for everyday tasks and gaming. Additionally, the 64MP quad-camera setup captures detailed and vibrant photos, while the 16MP front camera delivers stunning selfies. The device also boasts a large 4300mAh battery with fast charging support, ensuring long-lasting usage. However, it's important to note that the absence of Google Play Services may limit access to certain apps. Overall, the Huawei nova 8i offers great value for its price and is a solid choice for those seeking a feature-packed smartphone.