Watch: HUAWEI nova 16s Pro Review - Stellar true color selfies, 200MP cameras

For years, HUAWEI’s nova series has been highly anticipated for good reason.

Meet the nova 16s Pro

The nova Series has long been known for delivering a well-rounded experience with capable cameras at accessible prices.

This time, HUAWEI brings high-spec cameras, bright OLED displays, and long battery life to the nova 16s Series.

Watch: HUAWEI nova 16s Pro Review - Stellar true color selfies, 200MP cameras

To recap, the new HUAWEI nova 16s Pro features a front and Rear True-to-Color Camera system, featuring a 50MP Ultra Portrait selfie camera, a 1.5MP multispectral sensor, a large 1/2.5-inch front sensor, and an industry-first 0.8x to 5x selfie zoom range.

The back features a quad-camera setup led by a flagship-grade 200MP RYYB main camera with a large 1/1.28-inch sensor and an f/1.8 aperture for improved low-light photography.

The phone features a 50MP f/2.4 Ultra Portrait Camera designed for detailed portrait shots with enhanced depth and clarity.

In our test, the HUAWEI nova 16s Pro impresses with its stylish design, durable build, and premium multimedia experience. It features a unique gradient finish, Kunlun Glass protection, an IP65 rating, and a slim-bezel 6.84-inch 120Hz LTPO OLED display that delivers vibrant colors, deep blacks, and excellent outdoor visibility. Stereo speakers add to the immersive experience.

The display

Meanwhile, the Kirin 9010s chip, 12GB RAM, and 256GB storage provide fairly smooth day-to-day performance and reliable gaming capability. Backing it all is a massive 7,000mAh battery with 100W fast charging.

One of the phone's biggest strengths is its camera system, led by a 200MP main camera, 50MP periscope telephoto lens, 50MP ultra-wide camera, and a 50MP selfie shooter. Image quality is generally sharp, vibrant, and detailed across different focal lengths, with particularly impressive portrait and selfie results.

The device also supports up to 4K 60fps video recording on both front and rear cameras with solid stabilization.

Running EMUI 16, it lacks native Google services but allows easy access to Google apps through GBox, while offering useful HUAWEI-exclusive features such as Celia AI, HUAWEI Share, SuperHub, and cross-device file sharing.

Pros - Large OLED display, versatile camera hardware with optical zoom, generous RAM and storage configuration, large-capacity battery, high-wattage wired charging, 5G is back

Cons - Google services and app compatibility require small extra steps

HUAWEI nova 16s Pro Specs

Display: 6.84-inch LTPO OLED screen w/ 1-120Hz refresh rate, 300Hz touch sampling rate, 2160Hz PWM dimming, FHD+ 2856 x 1320 resolution at 460 ppi

CPU: Kirin 9010S octa-core processor

RAM: 12GB

ROM: 256GB

Back Camera: 200MP f/1.8 RRYB Ultra-Large Sensor w/ OIS + 50MP f/2.2 Ultra-Wide Camera + 50MP f/2.6 RYYB 3.7x Periscope Telephoto w/ OIS + LED flash

Selfie Camera: 50MP f/2.4 Ultra Portrait Camera

Battery: 7,000mAh w/ USB-C 100W SuperCharge Turbo

OS: EMUI 16.0

Connectivity: WiFi (2.4GHz/5GHz) 2x2 MIMO, 5G, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 6.0 LE (SBC, AAC, LDAC, L2HC), NFC, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, dual SIM

Sensors: Gravity, gyroscope, compass, light, proximity, flicker

Others: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, IP65 dust and water resistance, IR Blaster, stereo speakers, Colors: Isle Blue, Breathing Crystal, Starry Black

Dimensions: 163 x 78 x 7.1 mm

Weight: 218 g

Price: PHP 39,999

Verdict

To wrap up this review, let's consider its PHP 39,999 price tag.

The HUAWEI nova 16s Pro knows where it wants to shine. It brings true-to-color cameras to more users.

With its premium design, vibrant display, versatile camera system, and massive battery with super-fast charging, it checks a lot of boxes for a bang-for-your-buck device, especially amid rising phone prices driven by the ongoing RAM shortage.

We'd say it's easy to recommend, and we don't think EMUI 16 is necessarily a weakness.

The real question is whether its app ecosystem fits your lifestyle. If your essential apps work well here, it's an easy recommendation. But if you heavily rely on Google services, we suggest trying it first to see if it's the right fit for you.

Pre-order details

In case you missed it, the HUAWEI nova 16s (PHP 29,999) and nova 16s Pro (PHP 39,999) open for pre-order today October 30 with a PHP 5,000 discount, freebies worth up to PHP 14,997, a PHP 6,000 discount for those who place a PHP 500 deposit from October 23 to 29, plus a chance to win a nova 16s Pro in the #TrueColorsSelfieChallenge with prizes from a PHP 2.24 million pool.

Online, those interested may purchase the phone at the following links:

Shopee - https://tinyurl.com/2wcspds8

Lazada - https://tinyurl.com/2pr9747e

TikTok - https://tinyurl.com/2464vbht

HUAWEI Online Store - https://tinyurl.com/db9bnwf7

What do you guys think?