Our rating:
The gist:
Priced to compete directly in the mid-market range, the Huawei Nova 2i is powered by a 1.7GHz octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 659 processor, plus 4GB of RAM. Its almost bezel-less design gives a large 5.9-inch touchscreen display with a Full-HD resolution of 1080 pixels by 2160 pixels. It boasts a 64GB of internal storage, which can be expanded up to 256GB via a microSD card through the hybrid SIM slot. There’s a “quad camera” configuration that packs a 16-megapixel rear primary camera and 2-megapixel for the rear secondary camera. And for selfies, the primary front camera gets 13-megapixel, while another 2-megapixel for secondary front camera. Simply put: dual cameras on both sides – a first on a Huawei phone.
The good:
Fast CPU
Quad-camera
Large 5.9″ Full-HD display
All-metal unibody
Near bezel-less display
Price
The bad:
Camera struggles in low-light
The phone uses the older micro-USB slot
and not the newer Type-C
Our verdict:
Aside from the price, the real attraction of the Huawei Nova 2i is its almost bezel-less display. This smartphone comes with 5.9-inch IPS LCD display that occupies a large real-estate on the phone, a feature mostly reserved on more expensive models. But here’s the Nova 2i, generously giving the prime lot just like that. Way to go, Huawei! The “quad camera” concept, however, is new to us. More like a marketing gimmick, the Nova 2i does deliver great shots at daylight or natural light on both sides. But like many other smartphones in this range, low-light situations tell a different story. Nonetheless, it’s still great smartphone to have especially for the amount of money you’re paying for it, making it an outstanding choice in the mid-range category. Huawei is currently shaking up the premium- and mid-range competition with their new and upcoming smartphones, and they’re doing it with a blast.
Quick specs:
Processor: HiSilicon Kirin 659 2.36GHz octa-core
RAM: 4GB LPDDR3
Internal storage: 64GB internal storage
Display: 5.9-inch 18:9 IPS LCD display; 2160 x 1080 pixels
Memory: microSD up to 256GB
Rear camera: 16MP+2MP; f/2.2 with LED Flash
Front camera: 13MP+2MP; f/2.0
Network: 4G VoLTE
SIM: Hybrid Dual-SIM (nano+nano/microSD)
WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth: v4.2
GPS: aGPS support, GLONASS
Security: Fingerprint Scanner
OS: Android 7 Nougat with Huawei EMUI 5.1
Battery: 3340mAh Li-Ion battery
Dimensions: 156.2mm × 75.2mm × 7.5mm
Weight: 164g
What’s in the Box?
Huawei Nova 2i
Protective silicone case
microUSB cord
earphones
USB charger
SIM ejector pin
SRP: P14,990
