Huawei Nova 15 Review: specs and features, camera quality test, gaming benchmark, user opinions and photos

Huawei Nova 15 – a potential hit with controversial design

The Chinese company Huawei is not slowing down the pace of developing new smartphones. The updated phone lines, while not without their typical flaws (the lack of Google services), are generally pleasing with noticeable improvements in technical specifications. However, along with a number of positive changes, today's review subject also features some simplifications compared to its competitors.

The appearance of the new device is more than pleasing to the eye. The ribbed texture of the rear glass panel is ergonomic and attractive, and the developers' choice of color options is also impressive. The photo module assembly looks modern, but the frame is still made of plastic, not metal. Also, there's no trendy full-fledged water resistance; it only meets the IP65 standard. The 6.7-inch AMOLED display has narrow bezels all around, and there's a built-in fingerprint scanner. The displayed image boasts a peak brightness of approximately 2000 nits, and it doesn't fade in direct sunlight. The resolution isn't exceptional (2412x1084 pixels), but it's sufficient for crisp images. The 120 Hz refresh rate and calibrated color reproduction are also impressive.

The Kirin 8020 processor is a decent mid-range chipset with 5G support. It's energy efficient, yet, paired with 8GB/12GB of RAM and the Maleoon 920 GPU, it scores respectable 800,000-850,000 points in AnTuTu. You can enjoy the smooth HarmonyOS interface and all modern Android games. However, in games like Genshin Impact, you'll need to use medium-high graphics settings for stable gameplay. The battery has grown to 6000 mAh, offering approximately 10-12 hours of active screen time. Fast 100W wired charging is also available. Storage options are 256GB/512GB.

Photography isn't as clear-cut as expected. For some reason, the wide-angle lens is gone, but the 12-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and hybrid image stabilization, much desired by millions of users, is still present. However, the main 50-megapixel camera module lacks this same image stabilization. Therefore, capturing moving objects or evening shots will require multiple takes. Other key features of the device include NFC contactless payments and satellite messaging (a feature exclusive to the Chinese market). Overall, the overall impression of the device is good, although not overwhelming. There are some shortcomings, but they are not considered critical in comparison with the abundance of competitive advantages.