HUAWEI nova Y73 Review - Power that lasts, durability you can trust, all for under PHP 10K

There is a new smartphone in town with a HUGE battery capacity and an extra-tough build on a slim design that does not break the bank. It is from tech giant HUAWEI, the new nova Y73.

Meet HUAWEI nova Y73

This device is an upgrade of the Y72 from last year, featuring a larger 6,620mAh battery capacity, faster 40W SuperCharge, 

The price? Just under 9,999. Is it any good? Read on.

Power that lasts

Superb battery

For the price, the HUAWEI nova Y73 is equipped with one of the largest battery capacities around.

How? This device is equipped with a MASSIVE 6,620mAh battery made with high-density silicon composite anode materials. This is a strong feat as normally, this new type of sophisticated battery tech is found on pricier mid-rangers, not on phones under PHP 10K like this one.

High-density silicon carbon battery under PHP 10K

In our casual usage, it can last for easily 2 days on a single charge, a main social media and camera phone. Under stress tests, it lasted 28 hours of 720p online video streaming at 50 percent brightness.

For gaming like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang under default settings, one whole game from 9:35 PM to 9:50 PM only consumed 1 percent of battery.

When running social media apps together with CapCut, it consumes 1 percent of battery per 10 minutes, even if the volume is on at 50 percent loudness.

While we haven't actually tested it (no casual user does), HUAWEI claimed that this can last for 2.2 days of continuous calling and 2.6 days of online music playback. Based on what we experience, this is likely accurate.

Even under Performance mode (in the battery settings), which usually consumes more power, battery drain is minimal.

When used as a secondary smartphone or if you are not a heavy smartphone user, the "Two Charges a Week" claim of HUAWEI is actually possible.

I haven't tested yet in a cold environment yet, but the company also claims that its battery can perform reliably even when the temperature drops to -20 degrees Celsius.

It comes with a FREE 40W power brick

Once you drain the battery, it fills fairly quick too. Its USB-C 40W power brick (included in the package) can provide up to 5 hours of video playback after 10 minutes of charging. It can fill its battery to 50 percent in  HUAWEI, which is called the SuperCharge Turbo. 

It even has the Smart Charge tech that helps in preserving battery health. It remains to be seen, but HUAWEI said that the device will learn from the charging routine of the user and delay full charging past 80 percent until the user needs to use it.

Durability you can trust

The back design

Speaking of its build, this device uses a mostly polycarbonate material for the frame and back. The display is glass with a pre-installed screen protector.

Drop proof, water splash resistant

BUT, this is more durable than it looks. This device has a five-star drop-resistance certification from SGS up to 1.8 meters. This means that it can survive casual accidental drops and bumps even without the case.

Don't do this. But, we tried dropping it table high a few times and it barely scratched the device. As expected, performance is the same. Everything works well after several falls.

nova Y73 dipped in a water container

In addition, it is IP64 certified for dust ingress and water splashes. It can even survive water splashes from any direction.

There is no mention of whether it can survive being dipped in a shallow water container, but we tried it anyway (don't do it on your actual phones), and the device is still working after.

The SIM tray slot has a rubber seal against dust and water

Moreover, the design of this phone is not bad. In particular, it uses a slim-looking body with a Dynamic Plaid Texture Design and Double Star Orbit Rings for the cameras available in Blue and Black colorways.

Slim for a phone with a massive battery

At 8.25mm, this is super-slim for a phone with a large battery capacity; that's what the silicon carbon tech can do.

The screen is comfortable on the eyes

Large and bright display

The nova Y73 also features a large 6.67-inch LCD (IPS) screen. The resolution is just HD+  1604 x 720 at 263 ppi, but it has a fairly smooth 90Hz refresh rate, making animations and transitions look smoother than 60Hz panels of other budget phones.

Colors are not too saturated and nearer the more balanced tones as well.

Nice colors, but pixels are visible

What's quite impressive here is that it has up to 1,000 nits of peak brightness. While the display is a bit reflective, this is bright enough for outdoor use. 

Moreover, its brightness can really go low with a rating of up to 1.8 nits. Under this situation, the screen is comfortable to view. In fact, this display was awarded with SGS Low Visual Fatigue A+ Premium Performance Certification.

eBook mode and Eye Comfort

Of course, it has Eye Comfort mode, which you can customize the level of blue light filtered. Users can even schedule it or enable it all day. It also has an eBook mode for a paper-like color on the display.

This makes it great for my late-night webtoon reading experience before sleeping.

YouTube works up to 720p. Netflix is working via GBox, but with Widevine L3 or up to 480p streaming only.

Speaking of the overall multimedia experience, this device has a single speaker at the bottom with decent quality. But, don't expect it to be as loud as other similarly priced phones with stereo speaker setups.

The X button is actually useful

The X Button

The X Button is not new, but it is a fun feature that I recently explored.

A single press acts as a quick access to several useful utilities like Flashlight, Calculator, Camera, Contacts, Clock, Calendar, Recorder, and Compass.

Users may even add their favorite apps like YouTube, TikTok, and even games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.

Other instant access could be customized. For example, I used the double-press to launch the Gallery. Meanwhile, I assigned the camera app when I press and hold the button.

I have one wish, though. It would be great if the X Button could be used as a shutter key to take photos or record videos easily.

The cameras

The back cameras

At the back, the nova Y73 is equipped with a 50MP f/1.8 main shooter. There is a secondary camera, but it is unspecified. We suspect that it could be a depth sensor to aid in taking Portrait shots with a bokeh effect. For selfies, it has an 8MP f/2.0 snapper.

Daylight snap

In daylight, no problem. Autofocus and shooting speed are fast. Details are okay. Grain is minimal. Colors are punchy with good dynamic range, but not oversaturated.

Indoor well-lit shots are also good; the colors, shadows, and details hold up. 

I actually find it very good at taking food snaps with natural colors. It can produce a natural blur with close-up snaps, too.

1x vs cropped Portrait mode

Portraits have some softening effect by default, but this is one of the better budget phones for taking Portrait snaps with decent edge detection. This is not bad for a budget phone.

Dim light and low light

As expected from a HUAWEI device, shots in challenging situations are decent. However, it is not its strongest suit; we've seen other similarly priced phones with better Night modes or even point-and-shoot low-light performances.

Selfie well-lit

Selfies in well-lit conditions are quite good, especially for a budget phone. There are some grains, but the colors, textures, and shadows are considered good at this level. 

With beautification

The default settings of the beauty mode are good. The beautification is not exaggerated. It will just make you look a little better. 

Dim selfie struggle

As expected, it will struggle in dim lighting and low light, though. Shots could be grainy in these conditions. Use the softlight screen flash for better snaps.

Low light selfie with screen flash

For videos, it records 1080p videos at both the back and front. It is decent if you have steady hands or you have a tripod. But, it might be too shaky for handheld vlogging.

Actual performance

AnTuTu, Geekbench

This handset is not a gaming phone. Animations and transitions might have some stutters here and there, but it is good enough to run most of the popular social media apps. It is also okay for watching YouTube or Netflix videos, playing music files on different apps, web browsing, and reading webtoons.

Running Mobile Legends: Bang Bang on default settings is smooth (combination of medium and high graphics), but there may be occasional lag when you crank the settings to the max. 

3DMark Wildlife Extreme

Editing and rendering 1080p 30fps videos on CapCut is also possible. But the interface may experience some slowdowns and delays here and there. Rendering a 20-second clip took 17 seconds to complete.

Benchmark scores

• AnTuTu - 280,472
• Geekbench - 301 Single-Core Score, 1,401 Multi-Core Score
• 3DMark Wild Life Extreme - 154 Overall Score, 0.93 Average frame rate

Thermals are generally alright, and it will only get warm when you run more demanding games at higher settings. 

EMUI 12 skin

The software? It runs on EMUI 12 skin. The skin is fairly neat-looking and feature-rich. But there are plenty of apps ready to be installed, like sponsored ads. 

There is no Google by default, but if you read the entire article, I have successfully installed most of the Google apps and other apps not available on the AppGallery I use with different methods.

Aside from the AI search, there are no other AI features that you will usually find, even in other budget smartphones.

Pros - Superb durability, water splash resistance, slim profile, extra-long battery life, fast charging, good display for low-light reading, decent photography cameras

Cons - Not the fastest around, 1080p videos may be shaky, display could have been sharper, no 5G

HUAWEI nova Y73 Specs

Display: 6.67-inch LCD (IPS) screen w/ 90Hz refresh rate, HD+ 1604 x 720 resolution at 263 ppi

CPU: Octa-core processor

RAM: 8GB

ROM: 256GB

Back Camera: 50MP f/1.8 w/ AF + LED flash

Selfie Camera: 8MP f/2.0

Battery: 6,620mAh w/ 40W SuperCharge

OS: EMUI 12

Connectivity: WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n (2.4GHz), 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, dual SIM

Sensors: Accelerometer, light, magnetic

Others: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, X Button USB-C, Colors: Blue, Black

Dimensions: 166.05 x 76.58 x 8.25 mm

Weight: 203 g

Price: PHP 9,999

Verdict

The HUAWEI nova Y73 improves its predecessor with a tougher build and standout battery life in a slim and sleek profile—all without a price hike. The inclusion of the customizable X Button adds practicality to its everyday use. These upgrades pack more punch than expected for their category.

While it may not lead the pack in speed, for users prioritizing longevity, durability, and utility on a tight budget, the nova Y73 may be a compelling choice.

Build/Design - 4.5

Multimedia Experience - 3.75

Cameras - 4

Performance - 3.75

Average - 4/5