Discover the Huawei nova 9 SE 5G, a mid-range smartphone featuring a 108MP camera, 66W fast charging, and 5G connectivity. Read our in-depth review here.

Huawei nova 9 SE 5G Review: A Mid-Range 5G Smartphone with Impressive Camera Capabilities

The Huawei nova 9 SE 5G, released in April 2022, is a stylish mid-range smartphone equipped with features that appeal to photography enthusiasts and casual users alike. Sporting a 6.78-inch IPS LCD display, a 108MP main camera, and powered by the Snapdragon 695 5G chipset, the nova 9 SE 5G is built to deliver fast performance, excellent photography, and reliable 5G connectivity.

Running on EMUI 12 and Android 11, the nova 9 SE 5G lacks Google Play Services but offers a smooth user experience through Huawei’s AppGallery and third-party APKs. It comes with 128GB or 256GB of storage, both paired with 8GB of RAM, providing ample space and multitasking capabilities.

Priced around €370, the Huawei nova 9 SE 5G offers competitive features in the mid-range category, making it an attractive option for users who want a capable smartphone without breaking the bank. With its 66W fast charging and 4000mAh battery, this device ensures you can stay connected all day long.

Introduction

The Huawei nova 9 SE 5G is a well-rounded device aimed at users who want a balance between performance, photography, and design. It comes with a 108MP quad-camera setup, ensuring high-quality photos, and a large 6.78-inch display with 120Hz refresh rate for smooth visuals.

Powered by the Snapdragon 695 5G, this phone offers solid mid-range performance with the added benefit of 5G connectivity for faster download and streaming speeds. The phone’s sleek design and impressive camera make it stand out in the crowded mid-range market.

In this review, we’ll explore the key features of the nova 9 SE 5G, including its design, display, camera, battery life, and overall performance.

Design & Build Quality: Sleek and Modern

The Huawei nova 9 SE 5G features a sleek and stylish design with a 7.9mm thickness and a weight of 191g, making it easy to hold and comfortable for extended use. The phone is available in three elegant color options: Midnight Black, Pearl White, and Crystal Blue. Each color offers a reflective finish, adding to the phone’s premium look.

The rear panel houses a large 108MP quad-camera module, which is arranged in a rectangular shape, giving it a modern and clean look. The side-mounted fingerprint sensor is easy to access and unlocks the phone quickly.

The device lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack, which may disappoint some users, but it supports USB Type-C for charging and data transfer. Overall, the Huawei nova 9 SE 5G delivers a high-quality design that feels premium without the high price tag.

Display: 6.78-Inch 120Hz IPS LCD

The 6.78-inch IPS LCD display on the Huawei nova 9 SE 5G is large, bright, and offers good color accuracy, making it ideal for browsing, gaming, and watching videos. With a resolution of 1080 x 2388 pixels and a 387 ppi pixel density, the display offers sharp visuals and smooth scrolling thanks to its 120Hz refresh rate.

While it’s not an OLED display, the IPS panel performs well, providing good contrast and clarity even under direct sunlight. The 89.5% screen-to-body ratio ensures that users get an immersive viewing experience, with thin bezels around the display.

For users who consume a lot of media or engage in mobile gaming, the nova 9 SE 5G provides an enjoyable and smooth visual experience.

Performance & OS: Powered by Snapdragon 695 5G and EMUI 12

Under the hood, the Huawei nova 9 SE 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chipset, a 6nm octa-core processor that ensures fast and efficient performance for day-to-day tasks. The octa-core CPU consists of two Kryo 660 Gold cores clocked at 2.2 GHz and six Kryo 660 Silver cores clocked at 1.7 GHz, providing enough power for multitasking, app usage, and gaming.

The Adreno 619 GPU handles graphics well, ensuring smooth visuals for games and videos. While it’s not designed for heavy gaming, it performs well in popular titles like PUBG Mobile or Call of Duty: Mobile at moderate settings.

The phone runs on EMUI 12, built on Android 11, though it lacks Google Play Services. Users can download apps via Huawei’s AppGallery or other third-party app stores. The software is intuitive, and the overall performance is smooth and responsive.

Camera: 108MP Quad-Camera Setup for Stunning Photography

One of the standout features of the Huawei nova 9 SE 5G is its quad-camera setup, led by a 108MP main sensor. The camera configuration includes:

108MP Main Camera (f/1.9, 1/1.52″, 0.7µm, PDAF): The large sensor captures stunningly detailed images, even in low-light conditions. It’s ideal for landscape photography, portraits, and everyday shots.
8MP Ultrawide Camera (f/2.2, 112˚): Perfect for wide-angle shots, this lens captures more of the scene in each frame, making it great for group photos and landscapes.
2MP Macro Camera (f/2.4): This lens is designed for close-up shots, capturing intricate details of small subjects.
2MP Depth Sensor (f/2.4): Helps create professional-looking portrait shots with enhanced depth-of-field effects.

The camera app offers several modes, including HDR, Panorama, and Night Mode, ensuring users can take great shots in different lighting conditions. The 1080p video recording with gyro-EIS ensures smooth and stable videos, though the lack of 4K video recording might be a drawback for some.

The 16MP front camera (f/2.2) takes crisp selfies and also supports 1080p video recording, making it suitable for video calls and social media content.

Battery Life: 4000mAh Battery with 66W Fast Charging

The Huawei nova 9 SE 5G is equipped with a 4000mAh battery, which provides all-day battery life for moderate users. Whether you’re browsing the web, taking photos, or watching videos, the battery holds up well under typical usage.

One of the highlights of this device is its 66W fast charging capability, which can charge the phone from 0 to 100% in just 35 minutes (as advertised). This fast-charging feature ensures that users spend less time tethered to a charger and more time enjoying their device.

While the 4000mAh battery isn’t the largest in this category, the fast charging compensates for it, ensuring the phone is always ready for use with minimal downtime.

Connectivity & Additional Features

The Huawei nova 9 SE 5G offers robust connectivity features, including:

5G support for fast download and streaming speeds.
Dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac for fast and stable wireless connections.
Bluetooth 5.0 for connecting to wireless accessories like headphones and speakers.
GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS for accurate location tracking.

The device also features a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, which is quick and responsive, providing secure access to your phone. The USB Type-C 2.0 port supports OTG, allowing for easy file transfers and connections with external storage.

Unfortunately, the nova 9 SE 5G lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack, meaning users will need to rely on Bluetooth headphones or USB-C adapters for wired audio.

Conclusion: A Solid Mid-Range Phone with 5G and Great Cameras

The Huawei nova 9 SE 5G is an excellent mid-range phone that offers a blend of great performance, stunning camera features, and fast charging. Its 108MP quad-camera setup, Snapdragon 695 5G processor, and sleek design make it a solid choice for users looking for a reliable 5G phone without spending too much.

While it lacks Google Play Services and 4K video recording, the overall experience with EMUI 12, the 66W fast charging, and 5G connectivity make it a well-rounded device for most users. Priced at around €370, it competes well in its price range and is perfect for photography enthusiasts and those who prioritize fast connectivity.

Huawei nova 9 SE 5G Full Specifications

Feature	Specification
Launch Date	April 23, 2022
Dimensions	164.6 x 75.6 x 7.9 mm
Weight	191g
Display	6.78 inches, IPS LCD, 120Hz, 1080 x 2388 pixels
Operating System	Android 11, EMUI 12 (No Google Play Services)
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G (6nm), Octa-core (2×2.2 GHz & 6×1.7 GHz)
Storage Options	128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, microSDXC support
Camera (Rear)	108MP (wide), 8MP (ultrawide), 2MP (macro), 2MP (depth)
Camera (Front)	16 MP (wide), f/2.2
Battery	Li-Po 4000 mAh, 66W fast charging, 100% in 35 min
Connectivity	5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, USB Type-C, OTG
Price	About 370 EUR