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Nova 3i review: Midrange looker with little compromise
ABS-CBN News
Published Aug 03, 2018 01:35 PM PHT
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Updated Aug 03, 2018 04:03 PM PHT
MANILA -- It's easy for the Nova 3i to be mistaken for a top-tier Huawei device with the blue and purple gradient on its glass back and its big and bright display.
But as with all mid-range phones, the compromises surface with daily use. Fortunately for the 2018 version of the Nova series, these are not as obvious, especially if the user is not coming from an Android flagship that is triple, even quadruple the price.
BUILD
The color shifting paint job on the back, reminiscent of the P20 series "Twilight" color, gives the Nova 3i a premium look.
A clear case that comes with retail package helps with grip, and protects the phone from scratches. Getting tossed in bags and pockets for 2 weeks, the glass shell was largely unscratched. The blue paint on the charging port, however, scratched easily.
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The bottom-firing speakers are loud, if a bit tinny. The phone, however, keeps the headphone jack that has long died in pricier handsets.
The notch at the top of the screen is slightly bigger, compared to the P20 series, the first Huawei phones to adopt the Apple iPhone X's design cue. It's an unfortunate design choice that limits the notification icons on the top left corner.
The 6.3-inch 2160 x 1080 Full HD screen is a huge improvement from last year's Nova 2i and rivals the P20 Pro in terms of brightness and sharpness, except that it's LCD instead of OLED, so blacks are not as deep.
Like most midrange phones lacks proper water resistance, which was highlighted by the fact that this review was done during monsoon week in Manila. Simply put, it's not rain-proof.
Loading and switching between apps is fast thanks to the new Kirin 710 processor.
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Some tasks, however, are not as fast compared to more expensive phones. Facebook Messenger, for instance, takes a few seconds to refresh multiple chat boxes. But such performance is common across phones in the Nova 3i's price range.
The refreshed EMUI 8.2 over Android 8.1 is a subtle, yet refreshing change. The white notification shade with blue text looks cleaner and the more rounded font of the clock widget is easier on the eyes.
The 3,340 mAh battery was more than enough for an entire work day and could last for an entire weekend. It charges quickly, even on micro USB instead of Type C.
The Nova 3i comes with 128 GB of on board storage and is expandable via micro SD. That's twice as much as the base model iPhone X and Galaxy S9 Plus.
CAMERAS
The Nova series comes with AI for the first time this year, though the dual lenses on the back lack the Leica branding on the P and Mate series phones.
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Colors are bright and vivid, though not as sharp as on higher tier devices.
The Nova 3i has 24 and 2 megapixel cameras on the front and a 16 plus 2 megapixel combo on the back.
Aside from AI-assisted selfies, the front cameras also offer 3D QMoji, Huawei's version of Apple's Animoji and Samsung's AR Emoji.
It also shoots in slow motion at 480 frames per second, though the P20 and S9 series capture twice slower images at 960 fps.
Cat fur lacks detail in this shot on the Nova 3i. ABS-CBN News
This second cat shot with the Nova 3i shows a similar lack in fur detail, but the camera kept color and detail on the background. ABS-CBN News
This shot of an art-filled giant wall appeared yellowish compared to the actual scene. ABS-CBN News
The AI-assisted cameras on the Huawei Nova 3i amplified the green canopy and recognized the sky as "overcast." ABS-CBN News
CONCLUSION
At 15,990, the Nova 3i is a solid phone for its price, notwithstanding the compromises. It has flagship looks, a sharp screen, decent AI-powered cameras, and reliable battery life.
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What is needs, however, is a more powerful chip to complete the package, which is on the pricier Nova 3 (on top of Huawei's signature color and monochrome dual rear cameras).
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