HUAWEI nova 13 Pro Review - Stunning design, ideal back and selfie camera configuration
HUAWEI's iconic premium mid-range nova line is back and we have confirmed that one of them will be available in the Philippines—the nova 13 Pro.
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| Meet HUAWEI nova 13 Pro |
Building on its reputation as a stylish camera phone, the nova 13 Pro this year features flagship-level cameras, significantly improved selfie capabilities, enhanced premium aesthetics, and various other innovations designed to appeal to young content creators.
As of this writing, we do not know the phone's SRP yet.
Anyway, let's begin.
Camera Experience
Let's start with the front cameras. The HUAWEI nova 13 Pro boasts a 60MP f/2.4 Ultra-Wide Autofocus Front Camera and an 8MP f/2.2 Close-Up Portrait Front Camera.
The camera interface is similar to most high-end HUAWEI smartphones we tested in the past and it is easy to use.
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| Different distances |
It supports a wide range of focal points, from 0.7x (Ultra-wide) to 0.8x, 1x, 2x, and even 5x.
As expected, the 0.7x and 0.8x are great for wider shots if you want to fit more people in or if you want to highlight what's in your background. In short, this is the groufie mode.
The quality is decent and the distortion is minimal, but honestly speaking I expected a bit more from HUAWEI. While the colors are mostly accurate (there are times when we see some slightly more saturated selfies), it isn't as crisp as expected. It is also evident that there is some skin smoothening going on even if the Beauty mode is set to "Natural".
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| AI Best Expression works |
What's cool here is this now has the new AI Best Expression that can help its users fix groufies. One example is when not everyone is looking at the camera, the AI Best Expression feature found when you edit the groufie in the Photo Gallery can make them look at the camera.
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| Low light Portrait mode selfies |
If you want to use its Portrait mode, switch to 1x mode. Using this mode, shots are more detailed. This is the mode that I prefer to use in different lighting conditions, even in low light. It also has the Night mode if you want to further improve its low light capabilities and it works.
The surprise for me is HUAWEI included a camera for close-up selfies. This feature helps improve edge detection and subject-to-background separation when taking Portrait snaps with the bokeh effect.
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| 52mm Portrait mode with the help of a selfie stick |
However, I personally feel that the focus distance of the 2x mode is just too narrow for average users.
With the help of a selfie stick, I was able to frame my selfie better and produce nicer-looking background blurs. The problem, my eyes are noticeably softer in detail even if you can see on the phone's display that it auto-focuses on my eye.
This can also zoom up to 5x. The benefit of this is it allows users to see finer details on their faces like your make-up lip color, blush, and more. On my end, this is the mode that I will use less the most. It is just nice that it is there.
Those who like to take selfie videos can upload them on popular social media sites like Facebook, IG, YouTube, and TikTok. It records up to 4K 30fps and you can use 0.7x to 5x even when the recording is ongoing.
The 0.7x to 1x are quite detailed. The stabilization is decent even if it has no OIS.
You can also record up to 1080p 30fps if the Beauty mode is on.
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| HUAWEI nova 13 Pro back camera layout |
The back cameras? It is flagship grade on paper. It uses a 50MP f/1.4~4.0 Adjustable Aperture Camera with OIS, a similar configuration found on higher-end P and Mate Series phones.
Aiding this camera is an 8MP f/2.2 Ultra-Wide Macro Camera (2.5cm macro) and a 12MP f/2.4 Telephoto Portrait Camera with 3x optical zoom and OIS. This also has a Laser Focus Sensor + 10-Channel Colour Temperature Sensor + LED flash to help its users enjoy a fast autofocus and stable shooting experience in different scenarios.
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| Daylight samples |
Upon checking, shots from its main camera are great as expected. Daylight images tend to be crisp, natural-looking, and generally impressive with great highlights and shadows.
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| Variable aperture f/1.4 to f/4.0 |
What's more impressive here is the f/1.4~4.0 Adjustable Aperture Camera really works. As you can see here, the background gets blurrier and blurrier once you switch from f/4.0, f/2.8, f/2.0, to f/1.8. So, if you want snaps with a more visible background go for a higher aperture. If you want a background with a greater depth of field and achieve a natural DSLR-like bokeh effect, go for f/1.8.
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| Starburst effect at f/4.0 |
The other benefit of this achieve shots with a starburst effect naturally. Originally, this was only possible on DSLR or mirrorless cameras with adjustable aperture lenses.
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| Grain is visible in this ultra-wide shot, it has some reddish hue as well |
The ultra-wide needs improvement. It is okay in daylight, but you can see the quality falters in indoor and low light scenarios.
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| 2.5cm UW macro vs 3x zoom |
The 2.5cm macro mode is not that good in my opinion too as the shots from it are often soft with a near fish-eye effect. It would have been better if they included a telemacro camera instead.
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| 1x to 3x |
If you want to take close-up shots, just use its 3x optical zoom mode. It is generally better and clearer with natural background blur. For me, the zoom is quite good up to 5x with an equivalent of 135mm focal length.
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| Good for Portrait snaps |
The telephoto zoom on this device greatly enhances portrait photography, reducing distortion and providing a more lifelike perspective of your subject.
The zoom is also usable even in low light with minimal grain.
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| Night mode UW and 1x |
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| Quick low light snaps |
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| Detailed Night mode with minimal noise |
Overall, the picture quality from its cameras is slightly above average for me. HUAWEI still has the most advanced primary camera in its class. But, the ultra-wide and the zoom sensor could play some catch-up with the periscope zooms of the competition.
Speaking of video performance, the phone records up to 4K 30fps at both the back and front cameras.
Personally, I find taking videos using this smartphone more enjoyable than expected. Quality is great from ultra-wide to 1x and it allows up to 5x zoom for both the back cameras and selfie shooters.
The selfie has some beautification going on, but it will not erase the details of your face. It is good from 0.7x to 1x. The 2x zoom dips in quality. There is no stabilization mentioned. But fortunately, it isn't as shaky as expected. This could be great for mobile bloggers who want to upload on reels or TikTok quickly.
Dazzling Design
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| HUAWEI nova 13 Pro has one of the most beautiful designs around |
The packaging of our phone is not what you will see in actual retail units as it doesn't contain paper documents.
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| What's inside the box |
Upon unboxing, you will find that the handset itself is followed by the clear case and SIM ejector tool. After that, it has the 100W USB-A/USB-C combo brick and the 100W-ready USB-A to USB-C charging/data cable. By default, it has a pre-installed screen protector.
My first impression of the handset is it is solidly built and stunning. This handset is simply one of the most elegant-looking regardless of price point.
It is quite hefty at 209 grams and the materials used are akin to many legitimate top-of-the-line smartphones. The feel of it is actually on the same level as the Pura 70 Pro, a handset with PHP 60K SRP last year.
One of the most beautiful designs around
The unit we have is the Loden Green variant and it is simply dazzling in person.
Aside from the Loden Green, it is also available in White and Black colors.
They call this the Dynamic Plaid Texture Design.
The camera bump is big due to its use of premium camera sensors, but I liked that they subtly etched the "nova" branding there. With the case freebie, the device won't wobble when touched on a flat table or other surfaces. It won't be as slippery to hold as well.
In front, it has a 6.78-inch kinda quad-curved display. The bezels are slim making it immersive to view from different angles, but with ample black borders to protect the glass.
The display also shows a top-center pill-shaped punch-hole for its two (2) selfie cameras.
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| Top, button |
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| Right buttons |
All of the buttons and ports are in familiar places and are easy to locate.
HUAWEI didn't mention its exact glass protection and water resistance though. Thankfully, we spotted a rubber stopper in its SIM tray slot indicating that it is protected against dust and water splashes.
Multimedia Experience
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| This display has great viewing angles |
The HUAWEI nova 13 Pro has one of the better displays at this price point. In fact, it is flagship-like thanks to its use of a 6.78-inch LTPO OLED panel with a 1-120Hz refresh rate, 300Hz touch sampling rate, and a crisp FHD+ 2776 x 1224 resolution.
Actually, this is close to the resolution of the Pura 70 Pro.
For quality, it is generally great. It is very pleasing to the eyes with rich details and vibrant (but not oversaturated) colors. It is also comfortable to view with HDR and plenty of settings where you can adjust the color temperature to Default, Warm, or Cool and color mode to Normal and Vivid.
The reflections when used outdoors are bearable.
HUAWEI said that it also uses AI technology for Eye Comfort which optimizes the display visual effects and comfort. It can enhance the clarity in shadows without glaring in bright areas. Moreover, it has the Low Blue Light Circadian Night Dimmer to protect our eyes from blue light emission. It even has a Flicker reduction feature to avoid headaches and eye strain.
Crisp and comfortable display
This also has Widevine L1 for streaming HD content on the likes of Prime, Disney+, and Netflix among others. However, Netflix with up to L3 SD resolution only works if you will install it via other app markets like fibonas. Hopefully, HUAWEI will address this Netflix issue.
Thankfully, at Disney+ I was able to watch in high definition.
The stereo speaker quality is similar to what most premium mid-range can offer. It is fairly loud and distortion is minimal unless you will crank the volume up to over 85 percent. It has some audible bass punch as well. Just don't expect to be as good as the impressive speakers of the Pura 70 Pro.
By the way, its microphone quality for recordings is good for its class, especially in quiet conditions.
Performance
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| AnTuTu and Geekbench scores of HUAWEI nova 13 Pro |
Unfortunately, HUAWEI didn't mention the exact processor they used with this phone. Upon checking the AnTuTu benchmark, it shows that they likely opted for the 7nm Kirin 8000 chip, a decent chip for mid-range phones.
Update: It uses the Kirin 8000 chip.
It is paired with 12GB RAM + 3GB virtual RAM and 256GB or 512GB storage. The model, that I have is the 512GB variant.
Benchmarks
AnTuTu - 653,311
Geekbench Single-Core - 973
Geekbench Multi-Core Score - 2857
In my experience, the performance is good enough to run most of the apps I use for communication, social media, and content creation with ease. TikTok, Facebook, IG, Messenger, and Viber works. Even rendering a 1-minute 4K video at CapCut was done in less than a minute.
The general smoothness of the phone from opening an app to switching from one app to another seems as fast or nearly as most mid-rangers. The lag is minimal.
The chip is not as strong as the competition
For light gaming like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, no issues. It runs the game at Ultra settings with a Super High Frame Rate with ease.
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| Mobile Legends: Bang Bang works well as expected |
However, if you play demanding games like Genshin Impact, it will heat up even on just medium settings. It is advisable to play it on low settings with this device.
While this is not a phone designed for mobile gaming, other photography-focused phones can do better than this.
For connectivity, we enjoyed that it has WiFi 6 and it is fast when connected to my WiFi 6/7 routers. Signal strength is also noticeably more consistent compared to some of my non-premium mid-range phones.
Unfortunately, it only has 4G+ connectivity. While it is still quite fast for mobile connection, it would have been better if it had 5G. Unfortunately, US restrictions prevented HUAWEI, a company that helped develop and popularize 5G enjoy its benefits.
The battery? It is good. It was able to last for over a day as my secondary smartphone and 1 work day of 8 hours as a primary handset. This is thanks to its use of a larger 5,000mAh battery capacity compared to the 4,600mAh of its previous generation.
While it has a larger battery capacity with pretty good actual performance, we would have liked it better if HUAWEI followed the late 2024 to early 2025 smartphone trend bringing bigger battery capacities.
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| The HUAWEI nova 13 Pro has up to 100W SuperCharge Turbo support |
Thankfully, it has one of the fastest charging speeds in its class. It uses a 100W SuperCharge Turbo tech via USB-C that is even faster than the 80W charging found on some HUAWEI flagship phones.
100W fast charging!
This tech can turbocharge the phone from 0 to 50 percent in just 9 minutes. After the turbo charge for those who are in a rush, charging will slow down to prevent heating and protect the battery from long-term damage.
For a full charge from 0 to 100 percent, it took us around 45 minutes. If you are using the phone occasionally while charging, the time will increase to around 52 minutes. That is still not bad.
You can even customize the charging limit, but we won't recommend it to prolong the health of your phone unless you are really in a rush. We advise you to avoid doing this.
Similar to new HUAWEI phones, its software has no Google Mobile Services out of the box. But thanks to the efforts of the company, life is not as complicated as it was 3 years ago.
Most of the Google apps I use except for voice command Google Home are working with the help of a workaround like GBox which will automatically install once you look for the app you are looking for that is not available on the HUAWEI AppGallery.
The software is EMUI 14.2 and it is more stable than ever. While it isn't as complete as other voice assistants we've tried, Hey Celia helps us with doing voice commands to control the smartphone easier, check the weather, search for something, and more.
Unfortunately, its AI capabilities are limited. Even the simple AI Erase feature is not available in the Photo app.
It also supports HUAWEI Super Device with the help of HUAWEI Share so I can easily transfer files from the nova 13 Pro to my newly purchased MateBook X Pro 2024.
Pros - Stunning design, great display, large memory, super-fast charging, versatile back and front cameras
Cons - No durability claims, the chipset is a little slower than the competition, no HD Netflix, 4G only, limited AI
HUAWEI nova 13 Pro Specs
rate, FHD+ 2776 x 1224 resolution at 447 ppi
CPU: Kirin 8000 octa-core processor
RAM: 12GB
ROM: 256GB/512GB
Back Camera: 50MP f/1.4~4.0 Adjustable Aperture Camera w/ OIS + 1 8MP f/2.2 Ultra-Wide Macro Camera + 12MP f/2.4 Telephoto Portrait Camera w/ 3x optical zoom, OIS + Laser Focus Sensor + 10-Channel Colour Temperature Sensor + LED flash
Selfie Camera: 60MP f/2.4 Ultra-Wide Autofocus Front Camera + 8MP f/2.2 Close-Up Portrait Front Camera
Battery: 5,000mAh w/ 100W HUAWEI SuperCharge Turbo
OS: EMUI 14.2
Connectivity: WiFi 6, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.2 LE (SBC, AAC, LDAC), GPS (L1 + L5), A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, dual SIM
Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic, pressure
Others: In-Display fingerprint sensor, stereo speakers, USB-C, Colors: Loden Green, White, Black
Dimensions: 163.4 x 74.9 x 7.82 mm
Weight: 209 g
Price: PHP 32,999
Verdict
Aesthetically, the HUAWEI nova 13 Pro is one of the most beautiful phones I've ever held regardless of price. The design is elegant looking, the display quality is superb, and the battery is now larger without making the phone thick.
It also has one of the most versatile back and front camera configurations in its class. This is a camera setup that most content creators and simply anyone who wants to take good-quality images might enjoy.
I like the effort by HUAWEI here and it has decent performance, but it isn't the most advanced in its class. AI capabilities are limited and it has no 5G for a premium mid-ranger which could sway away some potential buyers.
But if you can live with some of the features that need improvement we mentioned above, this is a sleek and capable camera phone.
What's missing now is the price. Will will update this review once the price is out.
Stay tuned for more details. HUAWEI told us that they will launch the handset this January.
Update: The device is priced at PHP 32,999 SRP in the Philippines. Those who will order will get a FREE HUAWEI Watch GT 4 worth PHP 12,999.
You can now pre-order the phone at the HUAWEI Store, Shopee, and Lazada online.
Build/Design - 4.5
Multimedia Experience - 4.5
Cameras - 4
Performance - 3.75
Average - 4.18/5
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