The Huawei Nova 7 5G solidifies the company's role in spearheading 5G rollout in the Philippines. This smartphone is an exciting offering from Huawei since it promises a huge leap into the future of mobile connectivity. Join me in this Huawei Nova 7 5G review and let's see if this smartphone is for you.
Huawei Nova 7 5G Review
Pros
- Future-proofed with 5G connectivity
- Premium build
- Decent camera
- Fast charging
Cons
- Fingerprint magnet
- No GMS
Design
The Huawei Nova 7 5G continues the brand's reputation in designing good looking smartphones with a youthful appeal. Our review unit comes with a Mirror Silver colorway, and it lives up to its mirror-like moniker.
The back panel is a shiny glass-like polycarbonate material that gives electric accents once hit by a light source. It's not totally a fingerprint magnet but I could definitely see some smudges that I am eager to wipe off the first time.
Its curved backing makes it easy to use. The camera module sits at the top left of the back panel. It is framed in a rectangular module with "Huawei" and "AI Quad Camera" prints. There's also a Nova branding at the bottom of this panel.
At the right side, we have the power button and the volume rocker. The bottom side has the SIM tray, USB Type C port, microphone, and the speaker grill; while the top is a home to the IR blaster and secondary microphone.
Read also: Huawei NOVA 7 5G Unboxing, First Impressions, Hands-on
Flipping the smartphone, you'll see a 6.53-inch FHD+ OLED display with a hole-punched provision for the front-facing camera. Bezels are thin which is definitely a plus point for the smartphone's aesthetics.
All in all, the Huawei Nova 7 boasts a compact footprint for a 6.53-inch smartphone. It's easy to handle due to its curved backing and solid build.
Display
The Huawei Nova 7 5G packs a 2400 x 1080p resolution. We have an OLED panel here so everything looks punchy and crisp. Viewing angles are also very welcoming. I also noticed that the screen is vibrant and bright enough for outdoor use.
Because of the OLED panel, the smartphone supports an in-display fingerprint sensor which is quite fast in unlocking the phone. The always-on display is also a welcome feature especially for those who are fond of quick-glace notifications on lockscreen.
There are tons of display customizations that you can use like the eBook Mode which transforms your screen into a Sepia-like panel with gray and white tones. This feature protects your eyes while reading at night. Furthermore, you can toggle the Dark Mode, screen resolution, text size, and display size. The Huawei Nova 7 5G also allows you to choose your preferred colour mode and screen temperature.
There's no flashy 90Hz refresh rate here but I think I'm cool with the 60Hz as long as I have an OLED panel.
Performance
At the heart of the Huawei Nova 7 5G is Huawei's very own Kirin 985 5G chipset. It is coupled with 8GB of RAM and a beefy 256GB storage. Indeed, the hardware is fast and has the necessary muscle in running apps and multitasking.
I found myself enjoying content streaming with apps like Netflix and Youtube. The expansive display and the balanced loudspeaker are enough to get you entertained.
Playing games with the Huawei Nova 7 5G is also a breeze. Mobile Legends runs smoothly even on high graphic settings. It does not support the Ultra mode but I am sold with its MOBA gaming performance. Running graphic-heavy games like the Asphalt 9 is a worthwhile experience. The gameplay is quite enjoyable with minimum frame drops. Moreover, the smartphone is powerful enough to run Genshin Impact without choking.
In our Antutu Benchmark test, it tallied a whopping 392,342 score. That's a high score for a mid-range handset. Face unlock is quite zippy. All in all, I'm amused on how the smartphone keeps up with my daily tasks.
Camera
The Huawei Nova 7 5G brings a solid quad-camera setup on the table. Its main camera, the 64MP sensor, features an f/1.8 aperture. There's also an 8MP f/2.4 telephoto lens and another 8MP f/2.4 ultra-wide lens. Completing the module is the 2MP f/2.4 lens for the macro. Flipping the smartphone, you'll see the 32MP f/2.0 selfie camera which occupies the provisioned hole on the display panel.
Photos taken by the main 64MP camera are stunning especially in broad daylight and well-lit conditions. Shots are sharp and contrast is on point. Colors are pretty well-balanced, as well as the dynamic range. In taking close up shots, I am pretty happy with what the Nova 7 5G offers. Portraits are also sharp with almost perfect subject-to-background separation.
The ultrawide camera is quite a worker though I could say that some of its shots are trimmed down in terms of quality. Its colors tend to be on the softer side but they're still good when it comes to details. The selfie camera is a winner in terms of Beauty and Effects features. Night Mode is a welcome feature for night owls but I found it to be inconsistent. Moreover, you can record decent footages up to 4K at 30fps in both rear and front cameras. Here are the samples shots:
Connectivity
Based on its moniker, the Huawei Nova 7 5G is capable of supporting up to 5G speeds. As of this writing, we are yet to test the 5G connectivity due to the lack of service in our area. It supports NFC, Bluetooth 5.1, and USB-C 2.0 with OTG. You can use two SIM cards but it's worth-noting that 5G connectivity is only enabled in SIM 1, whereas SIM 2 slot can handle up to 4G.
Software: The App Gallery and Petal Search
Everytime we review a Huawei device, we always mention the rapid expansion of the Huawei AppGallery. Being the third biggest app distribution platform, I love the idea that Huawei is investing so much in the AppGallery. There are tons of new and popular apps that are now on board. To name a few, we now have Mobile Legends and Asphalt 9.
Speaking of EMUI, the Nova 7 5G's version is 10.1.1. The skin is still one of my favorites on the Android department. It's easy to use and very intuitive. If you're using multiple Huawei devices, you can definitely tell how seamless transferring files from one device to another. Collaboration and creative tools are highly supported with EMUI.
Battery
The Huawei Nova 7 5G is powered by 4000 mAh battery with 40W Huawei SuperCharge support. I covered almost a day of comfortable use in a slightly intensive usage. For fair to moderate use, it could last more than a day.
Charging the smartphone using the out-of-the-box charger gave me around 70 percent battery life in 30 minutes. This is quite impressive.
Verdict: Should You Buy The Huawei Nova 7 5G?
If you want a future-proofed device that could tap into the budding 5G network, the Huawei Nova 7 5G is a great choice. This connectivity feature is quite remarkable to see in a PHP 23,990 price tag. In the Nova lineup, the Nova 7 is definitely a standout due to its OLED panel, convincing camera prowess, and decent multimedia capability.
Its design is also something to be raved about. It's a mid-range smartphone but it does not look and feel cheap at all. It feels good on the hands. If you're the one who wants a flashy smartphone inside and out, this one's for you.
Huawei Nova 7 5G Specs
- 160.6 x 74.3 x 8 mm at 180 grams
- 6.53-inch OLED FHD+ display
- 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio
- Kirin 985 5G (7 nm) Chipset
- Mali-G77 GPU
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB Storage, non expandable
- Quad rear cameras: 64MP wide, f/1.8 w/ PDAF + 8MP Telephoto, f/2.4, PDAF, 3x optical zoom + 8MP Ultrawide, f/2.4 + 2MP Macro, f/2.4 | LED flash, Panorama, HDR | 4K video recording, gyro EIS
- 32MP wide, f/2.2 Front camera | HDR | 4K video recording
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
- Bluetooth 5.1, A2DP, LE
- GPS, AGPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS
- NFC
- USB Type C 2.0, USB OTG
- Fingerprint Sensor (Optical, Under Display)
- Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
- Android 10 with EMUI 10.1
- 4000 mAh Li-Po Battery
- 40W Huawei SuperCharge
- Space Silver, Midsummer Purple
- Php 23,990 Official Price
