Discover the Huawei Nova 8 SE 4G review, released in November 2021, featuring a 6.5-inch OLED display, a 64MP quad-camera setup, Kirin 710A chipset, and 66W fast charging. Find out all you need to know about its performance, battery life, and more.
Introduction
Huawei’s Nova 8 SE 4G, released in November 2021, is an affordable mid-range device that brings solid specs to users looking for a balance between performance, design, and pricing. While the Nova series is known for offering a stylish design and capable hardware, the Nova 8 SE 4G makes its mark with fast 66W charging, a 64MP quad-camera setup, and a sleek OLED display.
With its Kirin 710A processor, this smartphone is suitable for daily tasks, multimedia consumption, and casual photography. While it may lack the bleeding-edge features of Huawei’s flagship models, the Nova 8 SE 4G holds its ground in the competitive mid-range market. This review dives deep into the phone’s features, performance, and value proposition.
Design and Build
The Huawei Nova 8 SE 4G sports a modern, minimalist design that feels premium despite being a mid-range device. The phone’s 7.5mm thickness and 180g weight make it one of the slimmer and lighter smartphones in its segment. Its build quality is solid, with a glass-like finish on the back and an under-display optical fingerprint sensor, giving it a futuristic look.
Dimensions: The device measures 161.5 x 74.8 x 7.5 mm, offering a comfortable hold for most users, with a Dual SIM (Nano-SIM) tray for flexibility in managing personal and business lines or an international SIM.
The Nova 8 SE 4G comes in a variety of colors, including Black, Blue, Aurora, and Silver, which add to its sophisticated appearance. However, it lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack, which may be a downside for users who still prefer wired audio.
Display
One of the standout features of the Huawei Nova 8 SE 4G is its 6.5-inch OLED display, which delivers vibrant colors, deep blacks, and great contrast. The display offers a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, resulting in a sharp 405 ppi density.
Thanks to its 84.4% screen-to-body ratio, the display feels immersive whether you’re watching videos, browsing the web, or playing games. The 20:9 aspect ratio makes it ideal for media consumption, offering ample real estate for viewing content comfortably.
Performance
The Huawei Nova 8 SE 4G is powered by the Kirin 710A chipset, which is based on the 14nm process. It’s paired with an Octa-core CPU consisting of four Cortex-A73 cores clocked at 2.0 GHz for high-performance tasks and four Cortex-A53 cores running at 1.7 GHz for energy efficiency. The Mali-G51 MP4 GPU ensures that the phone can handle casual gaming and moderate multitasking without significant lag.
While the Kirin 710A isn’t the most powerful chipset available, it’s capable of handling everyday tasks such as social media, video streaming, and light gaming. However, users looking for high-end gaming or intensive multitasking may find its performance a bit limiting compared to flagship processors.
The Nova 8 SE 4G comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, providing enough space for most users’ apps, games, and media files. Unfortunately, there’s no microSD card slot, so you’ll need to manage your storage wisely.
Camera
The Huawei Nova 8 SE 4G features a quad-camera setup that’s versatile enough to handle a variety of photography scenarios. Its cameras include:
- 64 MP main camera (f/1.9, PDAF) – Ideal for high-resolution shots, it captures detailed photos in well-lit environments.
- 8 MP ultrawide lens (f/2.4) – This lens offers a 120˚ field of view, perfect for group shots or expansive landscapes.
- 2 MP macro lens (f/2.4) – While the macro lens can take decent close-up shots, it is more of a niche feature.
- 2 MP depth sensor (f/2.4) – Enhances portrait shots by providing a natural background blur effect.
The camera app supports HDR, Panorama, and LED flash, but it’s worth noting that the device maxes out at 1080p video recording at 30fps. In a time when 4K video recording is common in mid-range devices, this could be considered a limitation for video enthusiasts.
On the front, there’s a 16 MP selfie camera with an f/2.0 aperture, which is more than adequate for selfies and video calls. It also supports 1080p video recording at 30fps, allowing for decent-quality vlogs or social media content creation.
Battery and Charging
The Huawei Nova 8 SE 4G is equipped with a 3800 mAh battery, which might seem a bit small by today’s standards, but Huawei compensates for this with its 66W SuperCharge technology. This feature enables the device to charge rapidly, providing up to 60% in just 15 minutes of charging and reaching a full charge in under 40 minutes.
This fast charging makes the device highly convenient for users who are always on the go and can’t afford long downtimes.
Connectivity and Other Features
The Huawei Nova 8 SE 4G supports a wide range of connectivity features, including:
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
- Bluetooth 5.1, A2DP, LE
- GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS for reliable location tracking
- USB Type-C 2.0, OTG support
However, the phone lacks NFC and doesn’t come with a radio. The under-display fingerprint sensor adds a modern touch, ensuring a secure and fast unlocking experience.
Software
The phone runs on HarmonyOS 2.0, Huawei’s alternative to Android. While this operating system offers a smooth and fluid experience, users who are accustomed to Google services might feel the pinch as Google Play Services are not available on this device. Instead, users can access apps through Huawei’s AppGallery.
HarmonyOS offers efficient multitasking, optimized battery performance, and an intuitive UI. It’s geared toward seamless integration with Huawei’s broader ecosystem of products, including wearables and smart home devices.
Storage and Memory
The Huawei Nova 8 SE 4G offers a single storage variant with 128GB internal storage and 8GB RAM. The lack of expandable storage via a microSD card may be a limitation for users who require more space for media and applications.
Pricing
As of its release, the Huawei Nova 8 SE 4G is priced at approximately €290, which places it firmly in the mid-range category.
Full Specifications of Huawei Nova 8 SE 4G
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Network | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE |
| Dimensions | 161.5 x 74.8 x 7.5 mm |
| Weight | 180 g |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| Display Type | OLED |
| Display Size | 6.5 inches |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels (~405 ppi density) |
| OS | HarmonyOS 2.0 |
| Chipset | Kirin 710A (14 nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core (4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4×1.7 GHz Cortex-A53) |
| GPU | Mali-G51 MP4 |
| Memory Options | 128GB 8GB RAM |
| Main Camera | 64 MP (wide), 8 MP (ultrawide), 2 MP (macro), 2 MP (depth) |
| Selfie Camera | 16 MP (wide) |
| Battery | 3800 mAh, non-removable, 66W wired |
| Colors | Black, Blue, Aurora, Silver |
Conclusion
The Huawei Nova 8 SE 4G is a solid mid-range phone with standout features such as 66W fast charging, an OLED display, and a versatile 64MP quad-camera system. While it lacks some premium features like 4K video recording and expandable storage, the phone compensates with its sleek design, lightweight build, and affordable price tag.
For users seeking a mid-range device with flagship-like fast charging capabilities, the Nova 8 SE 4G is a compelling option. However, the absence of Google Play Services and certain features like NFC and a headphone jack may make it less appealing to some.
Disclaimer: We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
