Home Hi-Tech Android World ,,,,, The mid-range Android range is evolving more and more, so much so that in many cases it manages to fill the gap with top-of-the-range smartphones on a daily basis. In this segment, Huawei is really strong, just think of the P8 Lite 2017 reviewed by Macitynet; even the Nova Plus under test stands on the mid-range line, but without fear of anything compared to the more expensive samrtphones. Here because.
It starts with an aesthetic that is not too original, but certainly well finished. When you pick it up, the feeling is that of having a top of the range in your hands. The aluminum behind provides a nice feeling to the touch, the terminal is held well in the hand, it is much less slippery than many other competitors, while on the front the glass is of excellent workmanship.
Just to understand each other, the materials of this Huawei Nova Plus are certainly better than an Honor 6X, which instead saves a lot on this point of view. Very clean aesthetically, it has a front part without any physical keypad, with the sensor for fingerprint recognition positioned under the single rear chamber, in a central and symmetrical position.
Right side with the usual on / off buttons, in addition to the one for adjusting the volume. On the opposite side the trolley for the insertion of two SIMs , or alternatively, of a Sim and a Micro SD to expand the memory 32GB internal . Also at the dimensional level Nova Plus is a good terminal: despite the generous diagonal of 5.5 inches it holds well in the hand and has acceptable measurements: 151.8 x 75.7 x 7.3 mm , for just 160 grams .
The only negative note on the aesthetics of the terminal is given by a showy, and evident, black frame that surrounds the entire display. On the black model you hardly notice it, but in the gold color being tested, or even in the white one, it is impossible not to notice it. The photo below is a practical testimony of this.
The hardware of this Nova Plus is, as already mentioned, in line with many high-end mid-range. In fact, in everyday use, it will be easy to appreciate any differences compared to more expensive terminals. It is fluid, it does not trigger under any circumstances, whatever the use made of it. Games run flawlessly, even the heaviest ones, and the terminal reacts promptly to user requests. You surf well, and of course you get the full experience of the Android ecosystem.
We have thoroughly tested it with numerous open apps, such as Android Auto with Spotify playback active, navigator in operation: in these situations Google has always responded promptly to all voice requests, where with other lower-end terminals there is no lack of uncertainties.
It will probably be thanks to the processor, the Snapdragon 625 , supported by 3 GB of RAM , supported by graphics level from the Adreno 506 GPU. Among other technical features, the 5.5 inch diagonal Full HD panel. It can be seen well, even under sunlight, it reproduces colors in a natural way and enjoys various software customizations that allow the calibration of shades. The viewing angles are excellent and overall the panel certainly has a good yield. Unfortunately, as already mentioned, the showy black frame that completely envelops the display spoils this idyllic picture a bit.
A praise to the terminal, but above all to Huawei, deserves the fingerprint sensor , which in the subdued opinion of those who write can rival, and probably surpass that of Apple. First of all because it is not a mechanical button to click as in the models before the iPhone 7: this means simply placing your finger, touching the sensor, to start the unlocking of the terminal. As a result, the device is unlocked almost instantaneously, obviously always precise and punctual.
On a multimedia level, Huawei has sponsored the terminal as a real camera – selfie phone, due to an 8 MP front camera. In fact, compared to many other terminals in the same price range, it returns respectable selfie photos, although certainly there is no need to cry for a miracle.
It is certainly better, in this respect, than the reviewed Honor 6x premium and Huawei P8 Lite released a few months later and moreover it has a series of options that will please the girls who can count on the effects that, from the basic photographic application, are able to simulate makeup and makeup for different occasions to manage even more fully the improvements of the “beauty” function which, similarly to other smartphones, Huawei applies a filter that tends to smooth out the features: a sort of more intelligent “sock effect”.
The Beauty MakeUp 2.0 mode has 8 different scenarios and allows you to get a “live” preview that can instantly show you the result before sharing your photo on Instagram or other social networks.
Below we see the influencer Xenia Tchoumi who at the presentation of the phone at IFA 2016 showed the qualities of the selfie area of the Nova.
In our tests with female subjects the option was a little “dramatic” and perhaps dosed on oriental subjects but all in all the effect was appreciated by the girls: better a clearly “effected” photo than one that reveals dark circles or a sign of fatigue.
Also interesting is the option, included in the photo application, of “straightening” images that is able to eliminate the trapeizodal perspective effect when shooting a screen or a subject from a strong angle.
Here are some photos taken with more “standard” subjects.
Of course, in this price range it is almost impossible to find a better front camera. Back side, however, a 16 MP camera (maximum photo resolution 4608 × 3456) of all respect, which offers good photos, sharp and able to capture many details , even in low light conditions: from the latter point of view Honor 6x is slightly better, due to the double chamber, even if the differences are often imperceptible. On the video side, however, the camera offers a maximum resolution of 4K .
A video comparison between Huawei NOVA and iPhone 6s follows. If in terms of colors and light capture the Android terminal defends itself well, where it loses the comparison hands down is the stabilization: the lack of the OIS on the Nova is certainly visible to the naked eye.
Software
Unfortunately Nova Plus is still at Android Marshmallow , while other lower-end Huawei terminals, read P8 Lite 2017, have already received Nougat. Even the EMUI is still at 4.1 , even if all in all it offers a very high degree of efficiency. There is knuckle recognition, thanks to which you can easily crop screen caps. There is the ability to quickly snap photos, often in less than a second, by pressing the Volume Down twice.
Again, pressing the Volume Up plus the power key starts the live recording of the screen. In short, many small customizations, which in everyday use are however effective and useful. Also at the software level, there are many and varied optimizations to extend the life of the powerful 3340 mAh battery, which by itself allows you to arrive in the evening with intense use, and still a good dose of residual charge.
Conclusions
Huawei NOVA Plus is an excellent terminal, which in daily use goes smoothly and without problems whatsoever. Not original from an aesthetic point of view, it holds well in the hand and from the materials that give a nice feeling. Too bad for the black frame around the display; if you pass it on, it is an absolutely recommended terminal, especially for the price range.
PRO
AGAINST
At the moment NOVA Plus can be purchased on some online sites at about 320 euros: recommended, as always, to buy on Amazon, for the guarantees offered by the eshop, which currently offers it at € 356.
,,
