Xiaomi Mi 8 vs Huawei Nova 3 Specs Comparison

Recently, both Xiaomi and Huawei launched their affordable contenders with flagship-grade specs in the Philippines.

Xiaomi Mi 8 vs Huawei Nova 3

For Xiaomi, it is the Mi 8. For Huawei, it is the Nova 3. Both are very interesting smartphones with high-end specs and upper mid-range price tags.

Mi 8

Now, let's check who is the right device better based on specs.

Nova 3

Xiaomi Mi 8 vs Huawei Nova 3 Specs Comparison

Device	Xiaomi Mi 8	Huawei Nova 3
Display	6.21-inch 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass 5 protected AMOLED screen w/ FHD+ 2248 x 1080 resolution at 402 ppi	6.3-inch 2.5D curved IPS screen w/ FHD+ 2340 x 1080 resolution at 409 ppi
CPU	2.8GHz 64-bit Snapdragon 845 octa-core processor	2.36GHz 64-bit Kirin 970 octa-core processor w/ NPU and i7 co-processor
GPU	Adreno 630	Mali-G72 MP12 w/ GPU Turbo
RAM	6GB/8GB	6GB
ROM	64GB/128GB	128GB expandable via microSD card slot up to 256GB
Back Camera	12MP f/1.8 Sony IMX363 sensor + 12MP f/2.4 Samsung S5K3M3 sensor w/ PDAF, OIS, AF, AI, and LED flash	16MP f/1.8 RGB sensor + 24MP f/1.8 monochrome sensor w/ PDAF, contrast focus, Master AI, and LED flash
Selfie Camera	20MP f/2.0 w/ AI portraits	24MP f/2.0+ 2MP w/ AF, Master AI, HDR Pro, and screen flash
Battery	3,400mAh w/ Quick Charge 4+	3,750mAh w/ 18W fast charging
OS	Android 8.1 Oreo w/ MIUI 10	Android 8.1 Oreo w/ EMUI 8.2
Connectivity	WiFi 802.11ac (2.4GHz/5GHz), dual 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5, NFC, FM Radio, OTG, dual-frequency GPS, dual SIM (nano)	WiFi 802.11ac (2.4GHz/5GHz), dual 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.2, BLE, HWA, aptX, and aptX HD, FM Radio, OTG, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, dual SIM (hybrid)
Sensors	Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic	Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic
Others	Fingerprint sensor, USB Type-C, IR face unlock, Colors: black, blue, gold, white	Fingerprint sensor, USB Type-C, 3D face unlock w/ IR light sensor, Colors: airy blue, red, black, primrose gold, iris purple gradient
Dimensions	154.9 x 74.8 x 7.6 mm	157 x 73.7 x 7.3 mm
Weight	177 g	166 g
Price	PHP 25,990 (6GB RAM/64GB ROM), PHP 27,990 (8GB RAM/128GB ROM)	PHP 25,990

Quick analysis

Both Xiaomi Mi 8 and Huawei Nova 3 are very capable phones for the price. Both has stylish metal and glass build, powerful specs, and good cameras on paper.

Display - The Mi 8 has the smaller 6.21-inch AMOLED panel with FHD+ 2248 x 1080 resolution at 402 ppi. On the other hand, Nova 3's has a bigger 6.3-inch panel with FHD+ 2340 x 1080 resolution at 409 ppi.

Specs - The Mi 8 looks a bit better here. It has the newer gen 2.8GHz 64-bit Snapdragon 845 octa-core processor with Adreno 630 GPU. It also has the bigger max RAM at 8GB. Let's expect it to perform slightly better for gaming.

But, you cannot underestimate Kirin 970. It is a proven and tested SoC with dedicated NPU which can handle AI tasks independently. Its Mali-G72 MP12 GPU also has the new GPU Turbo technology which can improve the GPU performance by 60 percent while lowering the power consumption by up to 30 percent.

I won't be surprised if the side by side real life performance between these phones are identical.

The Nova 3 also has the bigger base storage at 128GB. It is also expandable up to 256GB via microSD card.

Mi 8 also has a 128GB variant, but it is priced at PHP 27,990. It is not expandable too.

Nova 3's 3,750mAh w/ 18W fast charging battery capacity is bigger. But, Mi 8's 3,400mAh battery has the Quick Charge 4+ technology.

Cameras - The 16MP f/1.8 RGB sensor + 24MP f/1.8 monochrome sensor w/ PDAF, contrast focus, Master AI, and LED flash cameras of the Nova 3 looks better on paper.

But, you cannot underestimate the 12MP f/1.8 Sony IMX363 sensor + 12MP f/2.4 Samsung S5K3M3 sensor w/ PDAF, OIS, AF, AI, and LED flash cameras of the Mi 8.

The Mi 8 scored a total of 99 points at DxOMark!

However, the camera options on the Nova 3 is more robust. It has the better pro mode and other camera modes.

For selfies, Nova 3's 24MP f/2.0+ 2MP cameras with w/ AF, Master AI, HDR Pro, and screen flash looks better than the 

The cameras of Xiaomi and Huawei are assisted by AI.

Other features - The Mi 8 has the newer Bluetooth 5 tech and dual-frequency GPS. The dual-frequency GPS is said to be better than the normal GPS w/ A-GPS tech found on other smartphones.

On the other hand, the 3D face unlock w/ IR light sensor of the Nova 3 looks better than what you'll find on the Mi 8. It also has the 3D Qmoji feature that looks like Apple's animoji.

The Nova 3 has headphone jack too unlike the Mi 8.

Xiaomi Mi 8 advantages - Gorilla Glass 5 protected screen, newer gen flagship SoC and GPU, bigger max RAM size, Bluetooth 5, dual-frequency GPS
Huawei Nova 3 advantages - Biggest base storage, expandable storage, larger battery capacity, better back and front cameras on paper, 3D face unlock w/ IR light sensor, headphone jack

Our thoughts

Initially, you cannot go wrong with either phones! They both have the specs found on phones with over PHP 30K price tag.

Note: The price of both phones starts at just PHP 25,990.

Insane right?