The Nova series has been a safe option from Huawei and never claimed the limelight from the flagship Mate and Pura series with its solid mid-ranger lineup. It’s a Nova 16 Pro. This iteration, Huawei simply took the camera from its flagship Nova 16 Ultra, wrapped it in a surprisingly thin 7.1mm chassis, and followed that with a large 7000mAh battery.

It looks like a phone you shouldn't be able to buy for this amount of money on paper. However, specs are only part of the story and life is not what they are. So let's get into the real experience of what it's like using the Nova 16 Pro on a daily basis, and if it's worth your money.

An In-Depth Review on Huawei Nova 16 Pro

The Nova 16 Pro is not for gamers who are seeking benchmark scores, it's for people who want a phone that does a great job taking their photos without a second thought and works all day long. This has a thin, attractive body that houses a 7000mAh battery, a 200MP camera from Huawei's flagship phones and a 6000-nit display.

While not perfect HarmonyOS, few phones in this range are close in terms of battery life and photos. Take a look at the review and learn about the features of the device, how it's display, performance, cameras, battery life, price in Bangladesh, and the value of it to decide if it's for you.

Box Content

This is what you get inside the Huawei Nova 16 Pro box:

• Huawei Nova 16 Pro Smartphone
• 100W Charger
• USB Type-C cable
• SIM ejector tool
• Silicone case
• User manual

The Nova 16 Pro comes with a 100W USB-C charging power pack, a USB-C charging cable, a SIM ejector, a soft TPU protective case, and a quick start guide, all inside. Even the screen has a protective film that is already attached, which means that you don't need to rush out and get a protective film.

Design & Build Quality

The first thing you'll notice about the Nova 16 Pro is that it is extremely light for its size. Measuring 163mm high, 7.1mm thick and 218 grams, it's no bulky phone stuffed with a 7000mAh battery. It's definitely not something that's been put together lightly by Huawei, and that's evident when you get your hands on it.

It has a premium look and feels with the glass back, no plastic about it. It comes in four colors; Black and White for a classic and understated look, and Pink and Blue for a more expressive look. Each of the four solutions looks like it was really well done, but it will end up being a matter of taste.

The durability rating of Nova 16 Pro is IP65, which is good as it's splashed and dust proof. It'll stay dry, tidy, and won't get sweaty during a gym session. With that being said, it is important to be aware of the IP65 rating for low pressure water jets and splashes, not total submersion. If you're intending to toss it in a pool or go out snorkeling, this is not the phone to use. That is one thing that the Nova 16 Pro's IP68 rating has going for it over some of its competitors and it's the only place that's not quite as secure as the Nova 16 Pro.

Display

One of Nova 16 Pro's standout features is its display, which you'll immediately see after powering on the phone. The 6.84-inch LTPO OLED display has a resolution of 1320 x 2856 pixels or an FHD+ display, which translates to a high resolution of 460 ppi. The text remains crisp, photos are detailed and there appears to be no pixelation even in close-ups.

The brightness, however, is what comes to mind. The screen is actually one of the brightest any phone has at this stage of 6000 nits. Step outside on a sunny afternoon, and you'll still not have to cup your hand over the screen or squint to read a message on the screen.

Whether you're flipping through social media, the menus or a fast-paced video, you'll find that the 120Hz refresh rate keeps everything in check. When streaming HDR movie or shows, the colors look rich and the content has depth when integrated with HDR support.

Huawei even hit the spot on design of around the screen. The screen-to-body ratio is 90.4% with only a small punch-hole cut out for the selfie camera, making the bezels not easy to spot. It adds a fresh and contemporary appearance to the phone while ensuring a sense of immersion instead of enclosure.

Protection-wise, Huawei's Kunlun Glass beats the regular Gorilla Glass, which is more resilient to regular drops and scratches.

Camera

The Nova 16 Pro really lives up to its ‘pro’ name in the camera space, and for the most part, it does.

The highlight is the main camera sensor with an f/1.8 lens that is 200MP. It takes great photos in daylight hours, with natural colors, and a natural contrast – nothing is over done or artificial. The big sensor also makes it easier to capture enough light even in more challenging lighting.

The 50MP periscope telephoto camera, which is just the best part of this whole thing up. Not many phones with this much price tag think about having a periscope lens, much less a 100x digital zoom periscope lens. Yes, naturally, as zoom in is so great, a bit of sharpness will be lost, but at moderate zoom levels, say 5x to 20x, the results are truly amazing, that's true of every phone, but at moderate levels it is truly amazing. It's excellent for getting a long shot of something, or zooming in on wildlife or a concert stage to enjoy the moment.

Completing the mix, the 50MP ultra-wide camera, which is great for landscapes, architecture or groups where you need to capture more. It's a good, solid and reliable performer and not a show stopper, but it does the job well.

Autofocus is fast and accurate with all three lenses, and OIS (optical image stabilization) ensures that shots maintain sharpness in the case of shaky hands. Throw in an LED flash for low-light situations, and you've got a camera system ready for just about any situation.

Daylight Photo:

The Nova 16 Pro's 200MP primary camera is as expected of a flagship device, when the lighting is good.However, under good lighting conditions, the Nova 16 Pro's 200MP main camera delivers as you'd expect with flagship-level hardware. Photos are sharp, colors are not over-saturated, and dynamic range is good, bright skies and shadowed areas have good detail. Edges remain sharp when you crop in close, and outdoor portraits don't appear washed out.

Low-light Photo:

That's where the RYYB sensor and big aperture come into play. The night shots remain brighter than most competitors and have less grain and better detail retention in the dark areas. Street lights and neon signs are not as easily blown out and Huawei's AI night processing manages exposure in balance, avoiding an artificial look. There are a few sounds at maximum zoom in the dark but for phones in this category, low-light is a legitimate asset.

There are also a host of AI features in Huawei's lineup, including Moon Chasing for stellar photos, natural and textured skin for portrait mode, Stage Mode for concerts and AI Cloud Enhancement for auto image enhancement. There are some that seem like genuinely useful tools and others which are more “nice to have”, but it's evident that Huawei wants people who care about photography to feel at home here.

The 50MP front-facing camera with an f/2.4 aperture is good for selfies and video calls, and has sufficient skin tones and sharpness without any complaints. This is expected and is limited to 4K (3840x2160) resolution, and video footage is smooth and well-stabilized with OIS support.

Performance & Software

The Nova 16 Pro has the same 8-core Kirin 9010S chipset as the Nova 10 Pro, which is manufactured using the 7nm process.The Nova 16 Pro is powered by the 8-core Kirin 9010S chipset, which is made using the 7nm process and runs in a 64-bit architecture. With 12GB of RAM, everyday activities are smooth and responsive, from quick app launches to unbuffered multitasking, the interface runs well thanks to the enhancements in HarmonyOS 6.1.

Compared with the other phones, the phone ranks at about 1,031,000 on AnTuTu and about 1478 (single-core) / 4417 (multi-core) on Geekbench. Those stats place it firmly mid-range — it's more than adequate for browsing, streaming, social media, photo editing and even moderate gaming without really breaking a sweat. But, don't look for it to be able to compete with Snapdragon or Dimensity flagship when it comes to heavy gaming and graphics.

With software, it's where purchasers must take the time to look at. The build of HarmonyOS 6.1 is smooth, quick and obviously performance driven – Huawei says it has seen meaningful improvements in its app load time, task start time and fluidity compared to its last generation. The user interface is clean and modern, and using the app is fun.

Google Mobile Services is not a part of HarmonyOS. This implies that you won't have Google Play Store, Gmail, Google Maps as part of the default experience. Huawei's very own AppGallery has done the job, and it's come a long way since the launch, but there remain some apps that are missing or require workarounds. For those who are very loyal to Google's ecosystem, this is the one and only thing to consider before making a purchase.

AnTuTu Benchmark & Geekbench Score

The Nova 16 Pro's Kirin 9010S chipset posts an average AnTuTu Benchmark 11 score of around 1,177,196 points, broken down into 512,832 (CPU), 131,160 (GPU), 270,499 (Memory), and 262,705 (UX). AnTuTu scores can also change significantly from one test to another and from one source to another, so don't take this as a definitive score.

As for the numbers, this puts the Nova 16 Pro firmly in the mid-range brackets and smooth, snappy daily use that we mentioned above is further supported by the fat CPU and memory scores, though the lower level of graphics performance is no real surprise and confirms it's not a gaming machine. It does hold up well for everyday use, multi-tasking and casual to moderate use for gaming.

Battery & Charger

The Nova 16 Pro is a big improvement on its battery life. The massive 7000mAh Li-Polymer battery is one of the largest that you will find on any handset in the market today and can be seen in practice as it easily handles a full day's worth of usage, whether it's camera shots, music streaming or gaming. To light users, going through one day and a half or even two days may seem like a reality.

Huawei doesn't leave you to wait when it's time to charge. The phone supports a multitude of fast charging standards: SCP, UFCS, PD, PPS, QC, and it is capable of charging up to 100W through the Huawei ASAN wire as well as with any other third-party charger, as it is compatible with most fast charging standards.

But there's also a useful reverse wired charging option to charge a small accessory such as earbuds or another phone when you need it.The one gripe is the USB Type-C port, which is limited to USB 2.0 speeds. It's perfect for charging, but those transfers will be a bit sluggish when compared to phones with USB 3.x ports.

Huawei Nova 16 Pro Price in Bangladesh

Huawei Nova 16 Pro is priced at ৳78,000 unofficial for 12GB+256GB and ৳88,000 unofficial for 12GB+512GB in Bangladesh. These are unofficial pricing, so expect for it to change once it's released on a proper local carrier, so be sure to check with an authorized carrier before purchasing.

Final Word

Huawei Nova 16 Pro is a simple handset to fall for. It's supported by a camera system that feels like it has been borrowed from a flagship, and a massive battery to match its impressive display. The only true question is whether HarmonyOS is missing Google apps, which is a deal breaker for some, but not others. If you need a super long battery life, the ability to take great photos, and a beautiful screen, this phone has more than you think you'll get for the money.