The HUAWEI nova 9 SE is the company’s latest offer in the entry-level field. It is the more affordable edition compared to the regular nova 9 that was launched last year. In this review, we’ll find out what’s so special about this phone.
HUAWEI nova 9 SE Specs
- 6.78-inch Full HD+ 90Hz IPS HUAWEI FullView Display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor
- 8GB RAM
- 128GB storage
- Cameras
- Rear: 108MP main camera with a 1/1.52-inch sensor + 8MP ultra-wide + 2MP depth + 2MP macro
- 16MP selfie camera
- 4,000mAh battery with wired 66W HUAWEI SuperCharge
- EMUI 12
- Color: Crystal Blue, Midnight Black, Pearl White
Design
Despite being an affordable device, the HUAWEI nova 9 SE doesn’t look like a phone at its price range but looks to cost more. Its bezels are surprisingly thin, just like certain flagship phones.
The volume rocker and power button are located on the side, and the power button also doubles up as a fingerprint sensor since it doesn’t have an OLED display, we’ll get to that later. The bottom houses the microphone, USB-C port, and speaker grille.
The back of the phone has a dazzling glossy design, together with the standard “nova” branding. It has the same rear camera system design, which looks quite similar to the nova 8 as well.
Display
The HUAWEI nova 9 SE sports a 6.78-inch Full HD+ 90Hz IPS HUAWEI FullView Display. Nope, it’s not an OLED display like many of its competitors, which is actually quite a surprise since most phones at its price range all have an OLED display. The display is decent with vivid and vibrant colors, but it’s not an OLED panel, so the black won’t be a deep black.
Performance
Powering the HUAWEI nova 9 SE is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The performance is decent enough for you to handle day-to-day usage, but don’t expect it to perform well without tuning down the graphics settings when it comes to graphically demanding games.
Software
The HUAWEI nova 9 SE runs on EMUI 12 without Google Mobile Services. The experience is pretty much the same as the nova 8. You don’t get certain features from HarmonyOS but everything feels quite similar. Yet again, you don’t get the same app support as an Android phone.
Camera
The HUAWEI nova 9 SE packs a quad-camera setup on the back — 108MP main camera with a 1/1.52-inch sensor + 8MP ultra-wide + 2MP depth + 2MP macro. Yup, basically just two cameras are usable. The main camera utilizes innovative pixel 9-in-1 technology to enhance pixel size to 2.1µm. As for taking selfies, the phone has a 16MP front-facing camera.
Image quality generally is quite good for the main camera thanks to the 9-in-1 pixel binning technology and slightly larger camera sensor. However, the color consistency between the ultra-wide camera and the main camera is off a bit. Night mode only works with the main camera and I can say the nova 9 SE surpasses its competitors with better low-light photos.
Battery Life
The HUAWEI nova 9 SE has a 4,000mAh battery that supports 66W HUAWEI SuperCharge. The battery life is quite impressive and it can last a day or two if you are not a heavy user.
Final Words
Retailing at RM1,099, the HUAWEI nova 9 SE has a pretty great main camera that beats most of its rivals. However, it still doesn’t have great app support as GMS is still missing for current HUAWEI phones. I really love the back design of the phone, which has a dual-film dual-plating together with the signature “nova” logo. People can straight away recognize that it is a HUAWEI phone when I’m holding it. It’s a solid mid-range device I’d say if you don’t mind the lack of app support.
Buy Here
Yay
- Nice design
- Impressive main camera
- Great battery life
Nay
- No OLED display
- No GMS