Huawei nova 16 and 16 Pro announced with 7,000 mAh batteries and 50 MP RYYB periscope cameras
Huawei’s mid-range nova series smartphones are known for their unique designs, and the new 16 generation takes it a step further with its new models. The striking “glasses” design of the Pro model, in particular, is sure to turn heads. But it’s not just the looks that impress: the new Huawei nova 16 and 16 Pro offer significant camera improvements, larger batteries, a faster chipset (in the base model), and satellite messaging for both models.
Huawei nova 16 Pro
The Huawei nova 16 Pro boasts a main camera with a large 200-megapixel RYYB sensor (1/1.28 inch). This sensor is equipped with an f/1.8 lens and optical image stabilization (OIS). The camera is complemented by a 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera with an f/2.2 lens and autofocus, enabling macro shots from as close as 7 cm.
The 50-megapixel telephoto lens deserves special mention – it also features an RYYB sensor and a longer 3.7x lens with optical image stabilization (OIS). Both the main and telephoto cameras represent significant improvements over the 50-megapixel main camera (sensor size unknown) and the 12-megapixel telephoto lens (3x/69 mm) of the nova 15 Pro.
As you may have noticed, the Huawei nova 16 Pro still has a pill-shaped cutout in the display – this houses the 50 MP selfie camera (1/2.5-inch sensor) with a wide-angle lens of f/2.4 and a spectral sensor with 1.5 million channels.
Speaking of the screen: Compared to the previous generation, not much has changed – it’s a 6.84-inch LTPO panel (1–120 Hz) with a resolution of 1320 x 2856 pixels and 10-bit color depth. Brightness is controlled via 2160 Hz PWM dimming. Huawei uses Kunlun glass for protection.
Huawei nova 16
One of the biggest differences between the Pro and the Huawei nova 16 is the display. The standard model has a 6.68-inch OLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, a resolution of 1280 x 2800 pixels, and 10-bit color depth. The Pro uses a non-branded aluminum silicate glass for protection.
The camera is less powerful compared to the Huawei nova 16 Pro. The main module has a 50MP sensor and an f/1.9 lens without optical image stabilization (OIS). The telephoto lens, however, is quite good: a 50MP RYYB sensor combined with a 3.3x telephoto lens with OIS. While it’s not as good as the telephoto lens on the Pro model, it’s better than the telephoto cameras on the Nova 15 and 15 Pro. The selfie camera has a 50MP sensor and is housed in a conventional punch-hole cutout.
The standard and Pro models use the same chipset – the Kirin 9010S, which we saw in last year’s nova 15 Pro. Huawei has equipped all variants of the nova 16 and 16 Pro with 12 GB of RAM, so apart from the lack of a 1 TB version, the nova 16 is on par with the nova 16 Pro in terms of performance (256 GB and 512 GB storage options are also available).
They also match in terms of battery life – both smartphones have 7,000 mAh batteries with support for 100-watt SuperCharge. Neither device supports wireless charging. They are 5G phones, but the nova 16 and nova 16 Pro now also offer messaging via the BeiDou satellite system – previously, this was exclusive to the nova 15 Ultra.
Local connectivity includes dual-band Wi-Fi 7 (be), Bluetooth 6.0 (LDAC, L2HC), StarFlash (Huawei’s alternative to Bluetooth), and NFC. For location tracking, both smartphones feature tri-band BeiDou, dual-band GPS, and Galileo. The USB-C port is only USB 2.0.
Unfortunately, the Huawei nova 16 and 16 Pro are still IP65 certified (protection against water jets, but not against immersion), just like the 15 and 15 Pro. Furthermore, both smartphones only have a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. The 15 Pro had an optical sensor under the display.
Prices
The Huawei nova 16 is already available on vmall.com: The model with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage costs 3,000 CNY, and the model with 12 GB RAM and 512 GB storage costs 3,500 CNY. This is equivalent to approximately 380 euros/445 US dollars and 445 euros/520 US dollars, respectively. It is available in the colors Clear Blue, Iridescent Mother of Pearl, Sky White, and Starry Night Black.
The Huawei nova 16 Pro is available in the same colors. The base model with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage costs 3,900 CNY, the variant with 12 GB RAM and 512 GB storage costs 4,400 CNY, and the version with 12 GB RAM and 1 TB storage costs 5,000 CNY. This equates to approximately €495/US$575, €560/US$650, and €635/US$740, respectively.
