HUAWEI nova 15 Max, First Look, Camera Samples, soon in PH!

Alongside the new WATCH FIT 5 Series, HUAWEI also launched the nova 15 Max globally in Bangkok, Thailand.

Meet HUAWEI nova 15 Max

This handset is said to be built for entertainment thanks to its massive 6.84-inch display with "stunning stereo speakers," while being durable SGS certified drop resistance.

The HUAWEI nova 15 Max will be available in the Philippines soon.

We had a chance to check it out ahead of launch, have a look.

Meet HUAWEI nova 15 Max

Design of the phone

The new phone arrived in a high-end Mate-inspired design with a circular camera hump. The back panel is flat and available in Blush Gold, Golden Black, and Lake Cyan colors.

The circular camera hump has a watch-like bezel finish, but it is thick for a phone without a complicated camera system.

Top, bottom

Left, right

The frame is also flat with nice, rounded corners and a fairly good overall feel when holding. 

It is just a little chunkier than expected, but it is forgivable since the battery is big at 8,500mAh. It could be charged via USB-C with a 40W power brick.

All of the ports and buttons are found in familiar locations. 

It also has an X Button for shortcuts to utilities like Flashlight, Calculator, Camera, and many more.

At right, you will find a side-mounted fingerprint reader on the right and the volume rocker.

On top, it has the first speaker and the microphone hole. Below are the down-firing speaker, USB-C port, and SIM tray slot.

The tray slot for the dual nano SIMs has a red rubber seal for some sort of water resistance.

The display

In front, the display is a 6.84-inch OLED with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1.5K 2756 x 1272  resolution. This is a pretty sharp display and can go bright at 4,000 nits for outdoor use.

First Camera Samples

Good for daylight shots

For cameras, the device has a 50MP f/1.9 RYYB "Ultra-Clear" Camera. It has a secondary sensor with no mention of purpose. I suspect that it is for depth sensing, as this phone can deliver pretty good portrait shots with nice hair-level edge detection.

Incredible edge detection even at 2x zoom featuring Colin of Ungeek

Another thing that surprised us is its color accuracy. This phone did pretty well.

Against the light indoor

Indoor dim shot

Living up to HUAWEI's reputation, the nova 15 Max did well in the dark, too. In a dark restaurant light setting grain is minimal, and shadows are okay. The handset was able to retain the colors and dynamic range as well.

Dim light shot with Alora of Revu, Colin of Ungeek, and Vikka of modern creatures

Another low light snap

Night shot

Since it is nice for low light, its users will enjoy it for casual cityscape shows at night. Look at the dynamic range.

The selfie shot

The selfie shot using its 8MP f/2.0 camera is decent and is actually crisp in details with nice colors and minimal beautification.

HUAWEI nova 15 Max key specs, features

• SGS 5-star Extra Durable Body 
• 6.84-inch OLED 2756 x 1272 120Hz 4,000 nits brightness
• 8GB/256GB
• 8,500mAh battery, 40W charging 
• 50MP f/1.9 RYYB Ultra-Clear Camera
• 8MP f/2.0 
• Stunning stereo speakers
• AI Smart Control
• EMUI 14.2 
• AppGallery

Quick thoughts

The new HUAWEI nova 15 Max might be a great phone for those in need of a large display with crisp resolution and loudspeakers. The primary cameras are also decent when needed, even if there's no OIS.

We also don't know the exact processor of the phone yet, but thankfully, it is fast enough for the usual social media and camera usage.

There is no info about its pricing yet.