Discover the in-depth review of the Huawei Nova 8i, a budget-friendly smartphone offering excellent camera performance, fast charging, and more. Explore the pros and cons and find out if it’s worth the investment.
Introduction
The Huawei Nova 8i, released in July 2021, is a mid-range smartphone designed for users seeking a balance between affordability and premium features. With a sleek design, impressive quad-camera system, large IPS LCD display, and 66W fast charging, it offers a competitive edge in the budget smartphone market.
However, as with most recent Huawei devices, the Nova 8i lacks Google Play Services, which could be a drawback for some users. This review explores the Nova 8i’s performance, design, camera quality, and other features to help you decide if it’s the right phone for you.
Design and Build Quality
The Huawei Nova 8i stands out with its elegant design and slim build. Measuring 161.9 x 74.7 x 8.6 mm and weighing 190g, it feels substantial yet comfortable to hold. The phone’s rear panel has a glossy finish that gives it a premium look, though it is prone to fingerprints and smudges.
It comes in three beautiful colors: Moonlight Silver, Interstellar Blue, and Starry Black, providing users with some variety in terms of aesthetics.
On the right side, the Nova 8i houses a side-mounted fingerprint sensor integrated into the power button, which is both fast and convenient for unlocking the phone.
Display
One of the key highlights of the Huawei Nova 8i is its 6.67-inch IPS LCD display. With a resolution of 1080 x 2376 pixels and a pixel density of ~391 PPI, the display is crisp and offers vibrant colors. The 89.4% screen-to-body ratio ensures an immersive viewing experience, making the Nova 8i an excellent device for media consumption and gaming.
The IPS LCD panel might not offer the deep blacks that OLED panels provide, but it compensates with good brightness levels and sharp details. It’s an ideal display for binge-watching Netflix shows or playing mobile games.
Performance
The Huawei Nova 8i is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 chipset, an octa-core processor featuring four Kryo 260 Gold cores clocked at 2.0 GHz and four Kryo 260 Silver cores at 1.8 GHz. While the Snapdragon 662 isn’t the most powerful chipset, it’s sufficient for daily tasks such as web browsing, social media, and light gaming.
For graphics, the phone is equipped with the Adreno 610 GPU, which handles light to medium gaming well. Games like PUBG Mobile and Asphalt 9 can be played on medium settings without significant frame drops, though more graphically intensive titles may struggle.
The Nova 8i comes in two variants: 6GB RAM and 128GB storage or 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. Both options provide enough RAM for smooth multitasking, though the lack of a microSD card slot limits expandable storage options.
Software
The Huawei Nova 8i runs on EMUI 11, based on Android 10. However, due to restrictions, it does not come with Google Play Services, which may be a significant drawback for users who are accustomed to Google’s suite of apps like Gmail, YouTube, and Google Maps.
Huawei’s AppGallery is the alternative app store available, which has grown considerably over the past few years, but still doesn’t offer the same variety or convenience as the Google Play Store. Users can sideload apps, but this might be cumbersome for some.
Despite the absence of Google services, EMUI 11 offers a smooth and feature-rich experience. Features like multi-window, dark mode, and customizable themes provide a user-friendly and customizable interface.
Camera
The Huawei Nova 8i is equipped with a quad-camera setup that delivers surprisingly good performance for its price range. The setup includes:
- 64 MP primary camera (f/1.9, PDAF) for sharp and vibrant shots in well-lit environments.
- 8 MP ultrawide camera (f/2.4, 120˚, 17mm) for capturing wide-angle shots.
- 2 MP macro camera (f/2.4) for close-up photography.
- 2 MP depth sensor (f/2.4) for better portrait shots with enhanced background blur.
The 64 MP primary camera captures detailed and vibrant photos in good lighting conditions, and even in low light, the Night Mode helps maintain decent quality with reduced noise. The ultrawide lens is great for group shots and landscapes, though its performance drops slightly in low light.
The macro and depth sensors do their job well but aren’t stand-out features compared to the main and ultrawide lenses. Portrait mode works decently, separating subjects from backgrounds to deliver pleasing bokeh effects.
The 16 MP front camera with an f/2.0 aperture does a good job of capturing selfies with good detail and natural colors, even in less than ideal lighting conditions.
For video recording, the Nova 8i supports 1080p at 30fps for both the front and rear cameras. The lack of 4K recording might be a downside for some users, but for most, 1080p should suffice for social media and casual video shooting.
Battery and Charging
The Huawei Nova 8i is powered by a 4300mAh non-removable battery, which provides decent battery life for a full day of moderate use. Whether you’re browsing the web, watching videos, or gaming, the phone can easily last a day on a single charge.
The most impressive feature, however, is the 66W Huawei SuperCharge technology, which can charge the phone to 60% in just 17 minutes and reach 100% in 38 minutes. This is one of the fastest charging solutions in this price range, making it a great choice for users who need a quick top-up during the day.
Connectivity and Other Features
The Huawei Nova 8i comes with a range of connectivity features, including 4G LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, GLONASS, and GALILEO. The phone also features USB Type-C 2.0 for charging and data transfer, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is becoming rare in modern smartphones.
Unfortunately, the phone lacks NFC, which means users won’t be able to make contactless payments using their phone. Additionally, there’s no official IP rating for water or dust resistance, so users should be cautious around water.
For security, the side-mounted fingerprint sensor is fast and reliable, and the phone also features an accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, and compass.
Price and Availability
The Huawei Nova 8i is available globally and is priced at around €121.73, £197.16, or $509 depending on the region. The price positions it as an affordable mid-range option, especially considering the features it packs.
Specifications Table
Here’s a detailed and responsive specifications table for the Huawei Nova 8i:
| Specifications | Details |
|---|---|
| Network | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
| Dimensions | 161.9 x 74.7 x 8.6 mm (6.37 x 2.94 x 0.34 in) |
| Weight | 190 g (6.70 oz) |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| Display | 6.67 inches, 1080 x 2376 pixels, IPS LCD (~391 ppi) |
| OS | Android 10, EMUI 11, No Google Play Services |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 (11 nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core (4×2.0 GHz Kryo 260 Gold & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 260 Silver) |
| GPU | Adreno 610 |
| Internal Storage | 128GB 6GB RAM / 128GB 8GB RAM |
| Main Camera | Quad: 64 MP (wide), 8 MP (ultrawide), 2 MP (macro), 2 MP (depth) |
| Selfie Camera | 16 MP (wide) |
| Battery | 4300mAh, 66W fast charging |
| Colors | Moonlight Silver, Interstellar Blue, Starry Black |
| Price | Around $509 / €121.73 / £197.16 |
Conclusion
The Huawei Nova 8i delivers a solid mid-range experience, combining sleek design, powerful quad-camera capabilities, and ultra-fast charging with its 66W SuperCharge. Despite the absence of Google Play Services, the phone remains a good option for users who can work around the limitations or don’t rely heavily on Google apps.
At its price point, the Nova 8i provides excellent value for money, making it an appealing choice for users looking for a budget-friendly device with modern features and reliable performance.
Disclaimer: We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
