HUAWEI enters the midrange smartphone arena armed to the hilt with stylish pinache, a peak-Schwarzenegger sized spec physique, and classy camera performance but it faces tough competition in a highly competitive segment of the local market: Is this mean green midrange machine up to the task of winning over local smartphone buyers in the market for a R7k smart mobile device?
In the eye of the mobile beholder it certainly looks up to the tasks, sporting a highly gripable stylish frame (163.3 x 74.7 x 8.4 mm; approx. 199 g including the battery), whose focal point has to be its Star Orbit Ring that presents central axisymmetric aesthetics and fine-grained matte finish – this is the camera ring at the back for the uninitiated.
It houses the 108 MP main camera (lens f/1.9 aperture) plus 2 MP in-depth camera (depth lens f/2.4 aperture) which combine to capture highly detailed, colourful photos in virtually any lighting condition. Also worth mentioning is that it captures pics quite snapily as the high megapixel count does not result in a waiting time post snap while you wait for the post processing of photos is done. Video shooters should note though that while smooth and good looking, the device only supports video resolution of up to 1920 × 1080 pixels (no 4K for you), which is also the case for the selfie shooter which in this case is a 8 MP front facing snapper (f/2.0 aperture).
You can instantaneously review these snaps on the 6.7″ FHD+ 1080×2388 pixels LCD which makes viewing video content and mobile games also a treat thanks to its adaptive high dynamic refresh rate of up to 90 Hz, high resolution and colour accuracy.
Also keeping things snappy is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 680 paired with an Adreno 610 mobile GPU which keeps not only the demanding mobile games and multitasking snappy, but more mundain tasks like navigating the OS, in this case EMUI 14, a smooth breeze.
Speaking of which, EMUI 14 offers ease of use, along with handy features like Security Centre, which is a device protection feature that allows your device to scan for security risks, viruses, and spam, and by so doing, detect and deter malicious apps. Then, there is Privacy Centre, which enables you to see how frequently your apps access your personal data, through an intuitive dashboard, and allows users to steer clear of risky app behaviour with system-level security checks. Potential buyers should note that some holes in terms of Google services might exist but many of these can be closed by easy to use software/apps like AppGallery, GBox, and Petal Search.
Other features includes the fact that the smartphone boasts 8 GB worth of RAM and 256 GB worth of internal storage, plus a snappy works every time fingerprint sensor (on the side of the smartphone) and Flexible Clear Case in the retail box (always appreciated to keep the device looking new as long as possible and protected from drops, scrapes and scuffs).
You get a sizeable but not class leading 5000 mAh battery that will get all users, even power users through a full day, but casual users and non-mobile gamers can expect a bit more up to a day and a half in fact. When low, the battery can be quickly charged by the included 40 W HUAWEI SuperCharge Turbo 2.0 enabled charger, which rockets the smartphone’s battery to 62% (around a full day’s usage) in a mere 30 minutes.
Last but not least, for those looking to use newly acquired smart mobile devices for as long as possible meaning these need to be as future-proof as possible should note that the nova 12i does not feature 5G which may not be a problem now but when 5G rolls out more and more in future it may limit the device’s lifespan for the user.
All in all, the HUAWEI nova 12i is a great midranger that looks great, works well, and takes amazeball photos for an RRP of just R6499 from local retailers such as Takealot. For that money though there is a wide array of alternatives available including Samsung’s Galaxy A35 5G which ofcourse packs 5G but less in terms of virtually every other specification level, and Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro which flexes more spec muscles and Honor’s X7b 4G which does offer a larger battery at the same price. Tough choices for all you buyers then, but this is one we definately would not be shy of recommending.
