Huawei makes some of the best-performing mid-range smartphones in the market. The company recently released the nova 12s, a smartphone with good camera quality images, computing performance, and an attractive design. We got a chance to try out the new device, and here are our thoughts about it.
Design
The Huawei nova 12s is a mid-range smartphone that is geared towards those looking for a stylish smartphone that can perform well. The device features a stunning 6.7-inch OLED display, along with a punch-hole front-facing camera. For those smooth animations, the display can handle 120Hz refresh rate, and the screen resolution is 1084 x 2412, with 20:9 as the aspect ratio.
Along with its rounded corners, the nova 12s is 6.88 mm thick and weighs about 168g. Huawei offers the nova 12s in three colors, which include black, white, and blue, and we got the latter color model. The blue version is the most vibrant of the three color choices, and it will clearly get the attention of others around you. The power button and volume rockers are located on the top-left side of the device, along with the SIM-slot, speaker gaps, and USB-C port on the bottom. There are also mics placed on the top side. There are no physical controls on the left side.
As you can see, the device comes with a unique design pattern on the rear side, and the blue version does stand out. The design of the camera island is also a notable feature, and Huawei calls it the Star Orbit Ring, resembling the exquisite wrist-watch masterpieces. There are two cameras on the rear side, which we will discuss in the later part of the review. There is also the Huawei branding on the rear side.
Performance
The Huawei nova 12s comes powered by the mid-range Snapdragon 778G SoC, an octa-core processor with four 2.4GHz Kryo 670 cores, and four 1.8GHz Kryo 670 cores. The SoC is paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The integrated GPU is the Adreno 642L. The EMUI 14.2 OS that runs on the smartphone, does not come with Google apps built-in, which is the case with other Huawei devices. While the nova 12s is a mid-range smartphone, the performance is quite impressive, and it performed well without any noticeable lags for day-to-day tasks. We ran some benchmarks on the nova 12s, and this includes Geekbench 5 CPU/GPU, Antutu, and PCMark 10. Check out the scores below.
Other features of the device include WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and more. The smartphone also comes with a large 4500 mAh battery with support for 66W wired fast charging capability. Huawei claims that the fast charge feature is capable of a full recharge within half an hour.
Camera
The nova 12s comes with a dual-camera setup on its rear side, and the main shooter houses a 50MP sensor with f/1.9 as its aperture. The secondary camera is an 8 MP snapper with f/2.2 as the aperture, and is meant for ultrawide photography. The camera system also has support for laser-based autofocus, panoramic shots, HDR, and more. While the smartphone can record 1080p videos up to 60fps, the 4K video capture is limited to only 30fps.
The device also has a selfie camera on the front, housing a massive 60MP snapper with f/2.4 aperture that can capture ultrawide selfies. The video capability for both 4K and 1080p capture is limited to 30fps. We took some sample shots of both day and night time on different focal lengths, and the results are decent. Take a look at the samples below.
Day-time shots
Night-time shots
Verdict
For those looking for a good mid-range Android smartphone, and don’t mind the lack of integrated Google apps on the device, then we recommend the Huawei nova 12s. The smartphone comes with a stellar 6.7-inch OLED display, with 1084 x 2412 as the screen resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. The device weighs only 168g and comes in black, white, and blue colors. The smartphone’s colors and its rear panel design are surely something that would get the attention of others.
The performance of the device is also good, thanks to the Snapdragon 778G SoC, Adreno 642L, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of internal storage with EMUI 14.2 OS. Wireless technologies include WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. The smartphone features a large 4500 mAh battery with 66W wired fast charging that can achieve 100% charge in just 30 minutes.
