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Huawei Nova 7 SE review: An almost-excellent, mid-range, 5G-capable phone

By Liu Hongzuo - 25 Jul 2020
Launch SRP: S$528

Benchmark Performance, Battery, Conclusion

Benchmark Performance

Powering the Huawei Nova 7 SE is an upper mid-tier Kirin 820 octa-core processor with a clock rate of up to 2.36GHz. At its unveiling announcement, Huawei said it has 21% better overall performance than its preceding chipset, which was the Kirin 810 on phones like the lower-endHuawei Nova 5 and 7 series. A noteworthy feature is the chipset's 5G support, making it one of the first mid-range 5G phones released this year.

Naturally, this pits the Nova 7 SE against 2020 mid-range devices like the Vivo V19 and Sony Xperia 10 II, which we've reviewed previously. We'll also throw in 2019 mid-range phones for comparison's sake. To round off the measurements, we also include flagship devices like this year's OnePlus 8 Pro, Huawei's very own P40 Pro+, and an older Galaxy S10+ by Samsung.

  Huawei Nova 7 SE Vivo V19 Sony Xperia 10 II Oppo Reno2 Google Pixel 3a XL (64GB) Samsung Galaxy A80 Huawei P40 Pro+ OnePlus 8 Pro Samsung Galaxy S10+ (128GB)
  Huawei Nova 7 SE Vivo V19 Sony Xperia 10 II Oppo Reno2 Google Pixel 3a XL (64GB) Samsung Galaxy A80 Huawei P40 Pro+ OnePlus 8 Pro Samsung Galaxy S10+ (128GB)
Launch SRP
  • From S$528
  • From S$599
  • From S$569
  • From S$899
  • From S$779
  • From S$898
  • From S$1898
  • From S$1298
  • From S$1398
Operating system
  • Android 10 with EMUI 10.1
  • Android 10 with Funtouch 10
  • Android 10
  • ColorOS 6.1, based on Android 9 Pie
  • Android 9.0 Pie
  • One UI based on Android 9
  • Android 10 with EMUI 10.1
  • OxygenOS 10, based on Android 10
  • Android 9.0 Pie with Samsung One UI
Processor
  • HUAWEI Kirin 820 5G octa-core
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 712
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 665
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Kryo 470 Gold & 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 470 Silver) with Adreno 618 GPU
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 670
  • Octa core (2 x 2GHz 360 Gold, 6 x 1.7GHz Kryo 360 Silver)
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 730
  • Octa-core (2 x 2.2 GHz + 6 x 1.8GHz)
  • HUAWEI Kirin 990 5G octa-core (2 x 2.86GHz Cortex-A76 & 2 x 2.36GHz Cortex-A76 & 4 x 1.95GHz Cortex-A55)
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Octa-core up to 2.84GHz
  • Samsung Exynos 9820 8nm octa-core (2x2.7 GHz Mongoose M4 & 2x2.3 GHz Cortex-A75 & 4x1.9 GHz Cortex-A55)
Built-in Memory
  • 8GB RAM
  • 8GB RAM
  • 4GB RAM
  • 8GB RAM
  • 4GB RAM
  • 8GB RAM
  • 8GB RAM
  • 8GB RAM
  • LPDDR5
  • 8GB RAM
Display
  • 6.5-inches 2,400 x 1,080 pixels (~404 ppi), LTPS LCD
  • Lift-to-wake display
  • 6.44-inch / 2,400 x 1,080 pixels (409 ppi) / Super AMOLED Display
  • 6.0-inch / 2,520 x 1,080 pixels (456 ppi) / OLED Display
  • 6.5-inch / 2,400 x 1,080 pixels (401 ppi) / 20:9 ratio / AMOLED Display
  • 6-inch OLED touchscreen
  • 2,160 x 1,080 pixels resolution
  • 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED (393ppi)
  • 6.58-inches 2,640 x 1,200 pixels (~441 ppi) OLED, 90Hz
  • Always-On Display
  • 6.78-inch / 3,168 x 1,440 pixels (513 ppi) / 120Hz refresh rate / AMOLED Display
  • 6.4-inch / 3,040 x 1,440 pixels (526 ppi) / 19:9 ratio / Dynamic AMOLED Infinity-O Display
  • Always-On Display
Camera
  • Rear: Quad: 64MP f/1.8, 8MP Ultra Wide Angle f/2.4, 2MP bokeh f/2.4, 2MP macro f/2.4. AI Image Stablisation
  • Front: 16MP f/2.0
  • Rear: 32MP main camera, f/1.79 / 8MP wide-angle, f/2.2 / 2MP bokeh, f/2.4 / 2MP macro, f/2.4
  • Front: 32MP main, f/2.08 / 8MP wide-angle, f/2.28
  • Rear:
  • 12MP, 1/2.8-inch sensor size, f/2.0, 77° FOV
  • 8MP, Telephoto, 1/4-inch sensor size, f/2.4, 45° FOV
  • 8MP Super-wide-angle,1/4-inch sensor size, f/2.2, 120° FOV
  • Front:
  • 8MP, 1/4-inch sensor size, f/2.0, Display Flash, HDR, SteadyShot, Portrait Selfie, Hand Shutter, Smile Shutter, Manual Mode
  • Rear: 48MP, f/1.7, 26mm, Telephoto 13MP, f/2.4, 53mm, 8MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 2MP Black and White, f/2.4,
  • Front: 16MP, f/2.0
  • Main camera: 12.2MP, F1.8, 28mm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS
  • Front camera: 8MP, F2.0, 24mm
  • 48MP main camera F2.0
  • 8MP ultra-wiode camera F2.2
  • 3D dept camera F1.2
  • Rear: Quad: 50-megapixel Ultra Vision Camera f/1.9 + OIS, 40-megapixel Cine Camera ultra-wide angle f/1.8, 8-megapixel SuperZoom Camera, 10x Optical Zoom, f/4.4 + OIS, 8-megapixel Telephoto Camera, 3x optical, f/2.4 aperture + OIS, 3D Depth Sensing Camera
  • Front: 32-megapixel, f/2.2 + Depth Camera
  • Rear:
  • 48MP, Sony IMX689 1/1.4-inch sensor size, f/1.78
  • 48MP, Ultra-Wide-Angle, f/2.2, 120° FOV
  • 8MP Telephoto, f/2.44, 30x Hybrid Zoom
  • 5MP, Colour Filter, f/2.4
  • Front:
  • 16MP, Sony IMX471, f/2.45
  • Rear: Triple 12-megapixel dual f/1.5 and 2.4, 26mm wide + 12-megapixel f/2.4, 52mm telephoto, 2x optical zoom + 16-megapixel, f/2.2, 12mm ultrawide
  • Front: Dual 10-megapixel, f/1.9 + 8-megapixel, f/2.2 depth sensor
Connectivity
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 5G NR, 4G FDD LTE, dual-band, hotspot, DLNA, Bluetooth 5.1, BLE, SBC, AAC, GPS,Glonass, Galileo, QZSS, USB 2.0 Type-C
  • Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz, 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0, A GPS, OTG
  • Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz, 5GHz), NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, A-GNSS (GPS + Glonass), Google Cast
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac , dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, EDR, LE, aptX HD, dual-band A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS, NFC
  • 802.11ac/b/g/n/a
  • Bluetooth 5.0, aptX HD
  • USB Type-C
  • LTE Cat. 11
  • 802.11ac/b/g/n/a
  • Blueooth 5.0
  • USB-C
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 5G NR (primary SIM), 4G FDD LTE, dual-band, hotspot, DLNA, Bluetooth 5.1, A2DP, LE, GPS, AGPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C, NFC
  • Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (2.4G, 5G, 2x2 MIMO), NFC, Bluetooth 5.1 (aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, AAC, SBC), A-GPS, Beidou, Glonass, Galileo, GPS (L1+L5 Dual Band)
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (2.4 + 5GHz), 4G+ LTE Cat 20 (up to 2000Mbps), Bluetooth 5.0, VHT80, MIMO (2x2), GPS, GLONASS, NFC, Screen Mirroring
Storage Type
  • 128GB internal storage
  • Huawei Nano Memory expansion (up to 256GB)
  • 128GB internal storage
  • Dedicated microSD card slot (up to 1TB)
  • 128GB internal storage
  • MicroSD card slot (up to 1TB)
  • 256GB internal storage
  • microSD support up to 256GB
  • 64GB internal
  • 128GB internal
  • 512GB internal storage
  • Huawei Nano Memory expansion (up to 256GB)
  • 128GB internal storage
  • UFS 3.0
  • 128GB internal storage
  • 512GB (MicroSD)
Battery
  • 4,000mAh
  • 40W Huawei SuperCharge
  • 4,500mAh
  • 33W fast-charging
  • 3,600mAh
  • Xperia Adaptive Charging, Battery Care, STAMINA Mode
  • 4,000mAh
  • VOOC Flash Charge 3.0
  • 3,700mAh
  • Fast battery charging 18W
  • 3,700mAh
  • 4,200mAh
  • 40W Huawei SuperCharge
  • 40W Huawei Wireless SuperCharge
  • 15W Huawei Wireless Quick Charge (Qi wireless charging)
  • Reverse wireless charging
  • 4,510mAh
  • 30W Fast Charging (5V/6A)
  • 30W Wireless Charging
  • 4,100mAh
  • 15W Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging
  • 15W Fast Wireless charging
  • 9W Reverse Wireless charging
Dimensions
  • 162.31 x 75 x 8.58 mm
  • 159.4 x 75.04 x 8.5mm
  • 157 x 69 x 8.2mm
  • 160 x 74.3 x 9.5mm
  • 160.1 x 76.1 x 8.2mm
  • 165.2 x 76.5 x 9.3mm
  • 158.2 x 72.6 x 9.0 mm
  • 165.3 x 74.3 x 8.5mm
  • 157.6 x 74.1 x 7.8 mm
Weight
  • 189g
  • 186g
  • 151g
  • 189g
  • 167g
  • 220g
  • 226g
  • 199g
  • 175g / 198g (ceramic)

 

JetStream 2

To benchmark the phone's web browsing performance, we used the JetStream 2 benchmark test on the Google Chrome web browser app. The test measures a phone's capabilities in handling a variety of advanced workloads and executing codes. JetStream 2 is an updated version of older benchmarks, such as the first JetStream and SunSpider.

While some phones come with custom-made web browsers, We always run this benchmark test on Chrome as it gives the best indication across devices, processors, and OS platforms - whether iOS or Android. Also, we would adjust the phone's display settings to ensure that the screen doesn't turn off mid-test since this would relegate the browser's thread(s) to background processing. Where necessary, we would run multiple test instances to get a more accurate reading of scores.


 

AnTuTu

Note: As of 9th March 2020, all AnTuTu benchmarks were removed from the Google Play Store. This move likely arose from Google's attempts to relieve the Play Store of apps that violate their policies. AnTuTu is working with Google to restore their app listing. For this review, we used the APK file that was available on AnTuTu's website.

AnTuTu is an all-in-one benchmark that tests CPU, GPU, memory, and storage. The CPU benchmark evaluates both integer and floating-point performance, and the GPU tests assess 2D and 3D performance, the memory test measures available memory bandwidth and latency, and the storage tests gauge the read and write speeds of a device's flash memory.

 

Geekbench 5

Geekbench CPU is a cross-platform processor benchmark that tests both single-core and multi-core performance with workloads that simulate real-world usage. Geekbench 5 scores are calibrated against a baseline score of 1000, which is the score of an Intel Core i3-8100.

The Geekbench benchmarking tool is why we couldn't refer to older benchmark scores of other mid-range devices. Geekbench 4 had a baseline score of 4000 (the performance of an Intel Core i7-6600U processor). As one the first mid-range phones we're testing using Geekbench 5, we'll have to build upon the list of devices as time goes by.

 

3DMark Sling Shot Extreme

3DMark Sling Shot is an advanced 3D graphics benchmark that tests the full range of OpenGL ES 3.1 and ES 3.0 API features including multiple render targets, instanced rendering, uniform buffers and transform feedback. The test also includes impressive volumetric lighting and post-processing effects. The test's Unlimited mode ignores screen resolutions.

 

Performance roundup and remarks

The Huawei Nova 7 SE is easily one of, if not the best performing mid-range smartphones that has made its debut this year. In fact, the benchmark scores are comparable to the Samsung Galaxy S10+, a flagship device from 2019. Chances are, the Nova 7 SE feels acceptable for your daily needs, assuming once you're done setting up the device with your favourite apps.

 

Battery Life Performance

Our standard battery test for mobile phones has the following parameters:

  • Looping a 720p video with screen brightness and volume at 100%
  • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity turned on
  • Constant data streaming through email

Huawei has included a reasonably generous 4,000mAh battery in the Nova 7 SE, giving us a reasonable 12+ hours of battery life in our testing. It's a tad lower than last year's older alternatives with smaller battery capacities like the Pixel 3A XL and Galaxy A80. We think it's fair given that it's performing quite close to flagship-tier phones with top-end processors. The Nova 7 SE's uptime duration puts it right in the middle of the pack, which should be comfortable for most users.

What we liked was the Nova 7 SE's support for fast-charging, dubbed 40W Huawei SuperCharge. The phone even comes with a compatible fast-charging adapter in the box. It took just 25 minutes to go from 0% to 50%, and slightly under 60 minutes to go from zero to a full battery charge!  

 

Conclusion

Going by its technical capabilities, the Huawei Nova 7 SE is one of the best mid-range smartphones you can get - it has near-flagship tier performance, an acceptable display (still an LCD), an above-average primary camera, and respectably long battery life. Its price point of S$528 also gives it great value for money when you compare it to the Vivo V19 (S$599) and Sony Xperia 10 II (S$569). Both alternatives can't match the Nova 7 SE in benchmarks and camera performance while packing the essentials like a 3.5mm audio jack and expandable storage options (although the Huawei phone uses proprietary memory cards). It is also better priced, better featured and excels in performance over last year's Nova 5T that's still selling currently (but only because it doesn't suffer from the next point).

What makes this phone hard to judge was the same problem that plagues the Huawei P40 series - the lack of Google Mobile Services. At the flagship-tier, the difference between the Huawei P40 Pro+ and a Google-capable Oppo Find X2 Pro was approximately S$200, which is not too big of a difference to pay for the comfort and ease of GMS (I tend to use phones beyond the 12- to 18-month upgrade cycle, so the extra S$200 really spreads its value out over a longer period of time, and therefore, there's less strain on the purse strings).

Personally, it would have been a toss-up between the Huawei Nova 7 SE and the Vivo V19 since I am neutral towards their imaging performance and battery uptime. If we were to pick, the Huawei device does have a slight edge in imaging detail and handling a complicated main test shot that has both bright lighting and shade. Both devices share the same weakness of not having NFC though.

Unfortunately, the convenience of a GMS-enabled device for just S$70 dollars more would be why I'd pick the Vivo V19 instead. If the Nova 7 SE somehow were able to use all of GMS (legitimately or otherwise, without breaking any functionality or feature on the device), I'd easily buy the more affordable of the two and treat the imaging performance as a nice bonus to have.

Still, don't let my nitpicking stop you from getting the Nova 7 SE. If you're not too addicted to Google Maps or YouTube apps and you easily use access the same via the browser, it's seriously one of the best current-generation mid-range phones you could grab, features- and functionality-wise. Ease of use is the main detracting factor that you would have to weigh in and it would vary from person to person and the kinds of apps being used.

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8.0
  • Design 8
  • Features 8
  • User-Friendliness 7
  • Performance 8.5
  • Value 8
The Good
Very reasonably priced
Good imaging performance
Great benchmark and battery performance
5G connectivity ready phone
The Bad
No NFC
Uses proprietary memory card
Requires workarounds to get preferred apps
Great value dented only by the above point
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