Huawei Nova 2i
Specifications
Secondary Camera: 13 MPix 13MP+2MP Dual-camera
Price comparison
Average of 7 scores (from 21 reviews)
Reviews for the Huawei Nova 2i
Source: Tech Advisor
Archive.org versionA great-looking budget Android phone with a large 18:9 display and four cameras headlining in its spec. The Huawei Nova 2i promises excellent value, but you might prefer to buy one of the several similar Huawei/Honor phones intended for the UK market.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/27/2018
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Gadgetguy
Archive.org versionMy point is that many overseas ‘retailers’ take advantage of this confusion and sell a lower-cost phone destined for a different market. Unless you get a Nova 2i, Australian model RNE-L22 don’t buy it.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/11/2018
Rating: Total score: 80% price: 100% performance: 70% workmanship: 80%
Source: Ausdroid
Archive.org versionHuawei have made some outstanding phones, particularly over the last 2 years or so. The Nova 2i isn’t built or priced to match it with the top end Pixel 2s, Note 8s or S8s of the world, but the user experience comes very close. Micro USB and not-the-fastest WiFi are niggles which might upset the most demanding tech enthusiast, but the average user won’t (and shouldn’t) care; the phone charges, the WiFi is fast enough for what users care about, and it’s significantly cheaper than other options.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 12/04/2017
Rating: Total score: 87% price: 95% mobility: 95% workmanship: 85%
Source: KL Gadget Guy
Archive.org versionIt might sound like I was nitpicking the Huawei Nova 2i throughout the review and the brief time that I have with it. But the major issues such as software performance can probably be fixed via software update. It is rather disappointing when a mid range device does not perform up to expectations. Plus the micro USB port and no fast charging, future proofing is another question by itself. But with a price tag of RM 1,299, perhaps I shouldn’t complain too much about the Huawei Nova 2i. With a little more refinement, this phone will certainly be the most value for money mid range device in 2017. Any thoughts so far? Let me know if I’ve missed out on anything in this review.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 11/07/2017
Rating: Total score: 71% price: 80% performance: 60% display: 60% mobility: 80% workmanship: 70%
Source: Manila Shaker
Archive.org versionConsidering its price, it’s one of the best contenders out there with its well-rounded aspects. While 18:9 displays maybe not everyone’s preference, Huawei releases theirs at a somewhat balanced state. As for photography, I’d recommend the Nova 2i if it had OIS or EIS. I wouldn’t say that it’s a waste of quad cameras, but it could’ve been done better.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 11/04/2017
Source: Good Gear Guide
Archive.org versionHuawei aren’t the first smartphone brand to try and squeeze down a flagship offering into a lower price-point. However, when brands usually make that pitch, we're talking $600-800. With the $499 price-tag in mind, there’s not a whole lot out there that can match the Huawei Nova 2i. It’s a solid phone that borrows plenty from its more expensive and compact cousin to outstanding effect.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 10/25/2017
Rating: Total score: 85%
Source: Yugatech
Archive.org versionThe Huawei Nova 2i will be available in stores nationwide starting October 21 with a suggested retail price of Php14,990. Colors available will be in gold, black and blue.
video revew
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 10/18/2017
Source: Yugatech
Archive.org versionWe could not find any major fault with the Nova 2i. If there is one, and we think it’s just a minor annoyance, it would be the use of a micro USB port and slow charging. The use of the pair of dual cameras can be a somewhat gimmicky to others but it does the job well if the user’s main concern is just to take really great portraits and selfies.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 10/15/2017
Source: Unbox
Archive.org versionWhile Huawei’s been quiet the past few months, the company has broken their silence with a fantastic mid-range offering. The Nova 2i delivers on all fronts: style, performance and camera. The quad-camera promise of the phone may feel a little gimmicky, but trust us, it really does deliver the goods as far as image quality is concerned for its price point.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 10/12/2017
Source: Unbox
Archive.org versionAt Php 14,990, Huawei’s Nova 2i will be giving a lot of their competitors headaches. We’ve yet to complete our full review, but if the cameras deliver (and aren’t just feature fillers) then the Nova 2i may just be the best mid-range phone that you’ll be able to buy at its price range. According to a local retailer, the phone will hit stores come October 20 for Php 14,990, though final pricing is yet to be announced by Huawei.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 10/11/2017
Source: Lowyat.net
Archive.org versionChances are, we will see more mid-range smartphones with 18:9 displays in the near future, but for the time being, the Nova 2i stands out as one of the most compelling options in Malaysia. Retailing at RM1,299, the Nova 2i offers plenty value for money.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 09/27/2017
Foreign Reviews
Source: Vivacities
DE→EN Archive.org versionPositive: Good price; nice design; solid workmanship; metal case; good display; decent cameras. Negative: Short battery life.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 10/25/2017
Source: Helpix
RU→EN Archive.org versionSingle Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 01/30/2018
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Hitech Vesti
RU→EN Archive.org versionPositive: Metal case; nice display; good cameras; decent hardware; fast fingerprint sensor. Negative: No NFC; slow charging; combined slot; poor connectivity.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 12/06/2017
Source: DGL.ru
RU→EN Archive.org versionPositive: Stylish design; nice ergonomy; good cameras; decent display. Negative: No NFC.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 11/27/2017
Source: AndroidInsider.ru
RU→EN Archive.org versionPositive: Decent cameras; nice display; thin frames; elegant design. Negative: Mediocre speakers; unsupported 4K video mode; no USB-C.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 11/15/2017
Source: The Gioididong
VN→EN Archive.org versionSingle Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 11/25/2017
Rating: Total score: 75%
Source: Sohoa VN Express
VN→EN Archive.org versionPositive: Good price; impressive display; metal case; solid workmanship; decent hardware.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 11/27/2017
Source: The Gioididong
VN→EN Archive.org versionPositive: Premium design; solid workmanship; good price; hard getting fingerprints.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 10/21/2017
Source: The Gioididong
VN→EN Archive.org versionPositive: Excellent display; top cameras; decent hardware; good price.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/26/2017
Source: Jagat Review
ID→EN Archive.org versionPositive: High performance; modern design; nice display; good cameras. Negative: No NFC; poor connectivity; short battery life; slow charging.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 11/06/2017
Comment
Model: The Huawei Nova 2i is one of the best-value selfie smartphones that features a FullView Display and four cameras. At this moment, FullView displays are already a thing and all smartphone manufacturers are going this direction. By removing the home button, Huawei has taken advantage of integrating a 5.93-inch display on the front. Before the bezel-less display trend, having a display more than 5.5-inch was considered as a phablet but in the Nova 2i's case, it doesn't feel like one. The front display blends in nicely with the sides, making it look high class and premium. The body material on the back is polished and looks great in blue. However, a user may want to get a protective casing because it can be quite slippery on sweaty palms. The Nova 2i holds the distinction of being Huawei’s first ever smartphone to have an 18:9 display. That allows the phone to have a 5.9-inch full HD+ panel while still having the same overall physical dimensions of a 5.5-inch phone. The extra pixels on the top and bottom as well as the almost non-existent bezels on the side allow the phone to have a resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels, giving its user more screen real-estate on the top and bottom. As for the display quality, the Nova 2i’s display looks pretty great. Colors are vibrant and punchy, and the display is easily readable under the sun. Unfortunately, not all apps are optimized for the new aspect ratio. YouTube, for example, displays black bars on the sides when viewing content in landscape mode. Huawei’s EMUI 5 does not have a way to crop content to fit everything into the 18:9 display like Samsung does with the Galaxy S8, S8+ or Note 8.
Running on Android 7 Nougat (plus Huawei's own EMUI skin), the Huawei Nova 2i comes powered by an 8-core Kirin 659 chipset, 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of onboard storage. The Kirin 659 is a pretty capable processor, and the phone felt quick and snappy. However, heavy gamers and more performance-focused consumers may be a little annoyed with the graphics-crunching capabilities of the Nova 2i though, since it comes with a Mali-T830 GPU. The quad-camera promise of the phone may feel a little gimmicky, but it really delivers great image quality for its price. With four sensors scattered in its body, both the 16-megapixel rear camera and 13-megapixel front camera are paired with 2-megapixel depth sensors that add depth information to each shot so that the user can add bokeh effects later. The overall performance of the rear camera is pretty awesome even under low light. The Nova 2i comes with a 3,340 mAh battery inside of its sleek, aluminum body. That is enough to keep it running for around 7 hours on a single charge, which is an average score for a smartphone like this. The Nova 2i is a great mid-range smartphone but lacks some newer features such as fast charging and a USB Type-C support.
Hands-on article by Jagadisa Rajarathnam
Series:
Huawei's phone business may be embattled due to software problems but it has not stopped making new phones. While most of them have not made it to European shores, the latest Huawei Nova 9 is an exception to this. In terms of its design, this device is still considered thin at 7.8mm and light at 175g. This definitely makes it rather portable while the curved edges keep it comfortable to be held on too. The rear camera module on the back comes in two different circles which houses the main camera and the remaining lenses. However, this model has no Gorilla Glass on the display and there is also no water or dust-resistant IP rating. As far as the display is concerned, the Huawei Nova 9 has been incorporated with a large 6.75-inch Full HD+ OLED display with high colour coverage. This is paired with an impressive 120Hz high refresh rate. In addition, there is also an under-display fingerprint reader, which can be quite fast and reliable. In terms of its performance, this is a firmly mid-range device which uses the Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 778G chipset paired with an 8GB of RAM with either 128GB or 256GB of storage. It is undeniable that this is not the fastest or most powerful phone on the market, but it has got more than enough power for the average user. The performance is rather smooth and fluid even when multi-tasking, and there is enough power to run any modern smartphone game too.
In terms of its battery, the Huawei Nova 9 comes in with a 4300mAh battery which is enough for the phone to last a day’s use fairly comfortably, but definitely not enough to stretch it to two days unless for an exceptionally light usage. Fundamentally that makes the battery life fairly average for the modern market as there are phones with better battery life out there, but this is obviously not the worst though. As for its camera, this smartphone carries a 50MP main camera, 8MP ultrawide camera, 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth sensor. The main camera being encased in its own circular housing, utilizes Huawei's RYYB pixel arrangement which the company prefers especially for low light performance. However, in this device it is not combined with optical image stabilization (OIS) which is key to really excellent night photography. Overall, in daylight the main camera is exceptional with rich colours and vivid detail in a range of conditions. Though in darker lighting results are good, the lack of OIS does show. Apart from that, the ultrawide does the job in decent lighting, but there is a marked drop in detail compared to the main lens while colours tend to be washed out. There is also a 32MP selfie camera which is quite decent. Overall, it is a great phone to be considered if the absence of Google Mobile services is not an issue.
ARM Mali-T830 MP2: Integrated graphics card for smartphones and tablets with two clusters (MP2) supporting OpenGL ES 3.2.
Only some 3D games with very low demands are playable with these cards.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
Kirin 659: ARM-based octa-core SoC (4x Cortex-A53 max. 2.36 GHz, 4x Cortex-A53 max 1.7 GHz) with an integrated LTE modem (Cat. 13) and a ARM Mali-T830 MP2. In our benchmarks around 4% faster as the older Kirin 658.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
5.90":
It is a very small display format for smartphones. You should by no means be mis-sighted and you will generally see very little on the screen and only have a small resolution available. In return, the device should be very small and handy.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.Huawei: Huawei Technologies Co, Ltd. is a Chinese telecommunications company and hardware manufacturer founded in 1987 and headquartered in Shenzhen. Huawei is a global leader in information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. Huawei provides end-to-end solutions for telecommunications networks, devices, and smartphones, as well as storage, servers, networking, and cloud computing enterprise solutions and products.
In 2014, Huawei established the Honor subsidiary brand under which certain smartphone lines are sold. The Huawei name is usually not listed for these products.
78.29%: This rating is not earth-shattering. This rating must actually be seen as average, since there are about as many devices with worse ratings as better ones. A purchase recommendation can only be seen with a lot of goodwill, unless it is about websites that generally rate strictly.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.
