Huawei Nova 12 Pro Review: Flagship Power and Sleek Design in a Mid-Range

Introduction

The Huawei Nova 12 Pro is the latest flagship smartphone in Huawei’s popular Nova series. Huawei first launched the Nova line in 2016 as a new range of affordable yet premium devices aimed at younger consumers. Since then, the Nova phones have consistently offered impressive specifications, quality construction, and stylish designs at competitive prices.

The Nova 12 Pro represents a continuation of that formula. As with past Nova models, it delivers high-end features and performance in an eye-catching package. Huawei has further refined the Nova series with the 12 Pro, equipping it with cutting-edge capabilities while retaining accessibility.

This phone provides an enticing option for those seeking a modern, capable phone without the ultra-premium price tags attached to many flagships. Read on for an in-depth look at what makes the Nova 12 Pro special.

Display

The Huawei Nova 12 Pro features an impressive 6.78 inch OLED display with a crisp resolution of 2700 x 1228 pixels. The screen offers a high 120Hz refresh rate for buttery smooth scrolling and gameplay. The combination of the OLED panel and high refresh rate provides an exceptionally fluid and responsive viewing experience.

The OLED display produces vibrant colors and deep blacks due to per-pixel lighting. This results in excellent contrast for vivid images and videos. The high resolution and pixel density means text and graphics are sharp and detailed. The taller 20:9 aspect ratio provides plenty of vertical space for browsing and using apps.

For protection, the Nova 12 Pro uses a 3D curved Corning Gorilla Glass screen. The curved edges give the phone a seamless premium aesthetic. Overall, the display offers a highly immersive experience ideal for entertainment and productivity. Users will appreciate the smooth high refresh rate, vibrant colors, and sharp details of this large and gorgeous OLED screen.

Camera

The Huawei Nova 12 Pro features a quad camera setup on the rear with a 50MP main camera, 8MP ultrawide camera, 2MP macro camera, and 2MP depth camera. The 50MP main camera uses a 1/1.56-inch sensor and f/1.8 aperture lens, which allows it to capture detailed photos with excellent low-light performance.

On the front, the Nova 12 Pro has an impressive 60MP selfie camera with an ultrawide field of view. This high resolution ensures sharp, clear selfies even when cropped or printed large. The front camera also supports autofocus and portrait mode effects like background blur.

Some key camera features and modes of the Nova 12 Pro include:

• AI Photography – Automatically enhances photos with scene recognition and processing
• Night mode – Takes brighter and sharper low light photos by combining multiple exposures
• Portrait mode – Artistic background blur to make subjects stand out
• Pro mode – Manual control over settings like ISO, shutter speed, exposure, etc.
• Panorama – Stitches together multiple shots into a wide panoramic photo
• Long exposure – Captures artistic motion blur effects like light trails at night
• Dual-view video – Records from front and rear cameras simultaneously

With its versatile and high-spec camera system, the Nova 12 Pro aims to be a great choice for photography enthusiasts and social media content creators. The combination of a large main sensor, ultrawide lens, high MP selfie camera, and AI processing provides it with impressive overall camera capabilities.

Performance

The Huawei Nova 12 Pro is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 778G 4G chipset, which delivers fast and efficient performance. This mid-range chip is built on a 6nm process and contains an octa-core CPU with four performance cores and four efficiency cores.

For tasks like gaming and multitasking, the Nova 12 Pro packs a generous 8GB of RAM. This ensures you can run multiple apps smoothly while keeping more apps cached in the background. The 256GB of internal UFS 2.2 storage provides ample space for apps, photos, videos, and files. While not the latest standard, UFS 2.2 flash storage still enables quick read and write speeds.

In real-world usage, the combination of the Snapdragon 778G chipset and 8GB RAM keeps the Nova 12 Pro running smoothly. Apps open swiftly, multi-tasking is fluid, and graphical performance in games is solid. The phone handles daily tasks, social media, web browsing, streaming, and light gaming without any hiccups. Only the most demanding 3D games show any signs of lag on the device.

So if you need a phone that can keep up with daily use and light mobile gaming, the Nova 12 Pro delivers satisfactory performance from its Snapdragon 778G chipset and 8GB of RAM. It may not beat flagship-level processing power, but provides reliable speed for most users.

Battery

The Huawei Nova 12 Pro is equipped with a large 4500 mAh battery that delivers excellent battery life. Even with heavy use, the Nova 12 Pro can easily last through a full day on a single charge.

But the battery capacity isn’t the only highlight. The Nova 12 Pro supports blazingly fast 66W wired charging. Using the included 66W charger, you can charge the Nova 12 Pro from empty to full in just 38 minutes. This is significantly faster than most other phones. Even a 15 minute charge can get you back over 60% battery.

The combination of the large battery and super fast charging makes power concerns a thing of the past. You no longer have to worry about your phone dying during the day or waiting hours for it to recharge. The Nova 12 Pro has enough juice to get you through your busiest days and can be topped up incredibly quick when you do need a boost.

Software

The Huawei Nova 12 Pro runs EMUI 12 based on Android 12 out of the box. EMUI 12 brings several optimizations and new features compared to previous versions of Huawei’s customized Android skin.

Some of the highlights of EMUI 12 include:

• An updated look and feel with tweaks to system icons, animations, and UI sounds. The interface feels smoother, more polished and refined.

• Improvements to system stability and fluidity. Apps open quicker and the overall experience feels snappier.

• New privacy and security features like disguising notifications when others are looking at your phone’s locked screen.

• Enhanced multi-window support and floating windows for improved multitasking. Up to three apps can be run simultaneously in split screen mode.

• Updates to Always On Display with more customization options for colors, effects and clock styles.

• New dynamic wallpapers that subtly change based on time and weather conditions.

• Optimized dark mode and eye comfort mode to reduce eye strain.

• Improved one-handed mode, making it easier to use the phone’s large display with one hand.

Overall, EMUI 12 retains the best aspects of Huawei’s Android skin while introducing meaningful upgrades. It provides a smooth, responsive and customizable software experience on the Nova 12 Pro.

Design

The Huawei Nova 12 Pro has an elegantly slim and lightweight design. At just 6.5mm thin and weighing 191g, it easily fits in your pocket or purse without feeling bulky.

The thin profile is achieved thanks to the subtle 3D curved back panel that tapers smoothly towards the sides. This gives the phone a comfortable and easy grip despite its large display. The rounded edges and corners further accentuate the premium in-hand feel.

The weight of 191g is impressively light considering the phone’s size. This makes it comfortable for one-handed use over extended periods. You barely notice the phone in your pocket or bag.

The silky matte finish on the back resists fingerprints nicely while looking sophisticated. For colors, you can choose between Black, Silver, Green or Violet. All colors have a refined aesthetic that avoids being flashy or gaudy.

In summary, the Nova 12 Pro impresses with an elegantly thin and lightweight design. The slim 6.5mm profile and 191g weight deliver an easy portability and handling not often found in phones with large displays. The result is a device that feels premium in-hand without compromising on screen size.

Special Features

The Nova 12 Pro comes with some handy special features that enhance the overall user experience.

• Under-display fingerprint sensor: The Nova 12 Pro has an under-display fingerprint sensor that allows for quick and secure biometric authentication. Users can unlock their phone with just a touch of their finger on the screen.

• NFC: The Nova 12 Pro supports NFC (near-field communication), enabling contactless payments through services like Google Pay. This allows for fast and convenient transactions.

• 5G connectivity (select models): Select variants of the Nova 12 Pro support 5G cellular connectivity. With 5G, users can experience extremely fast data speeds when available, enabling quick downloads, smooth video streaming, and low-latency online gaming. The 5G connectivity makes the Nova 12 Pro future-proof and ready for next-gen networks.

These useful features add extra convenience and functionality to an already feature-packed smartphone. The under-display fingerprint reader, NFC, and 5G support on select models make the Nova 12 Pro stand out in its class.

Pricing & Availability

The Huawei Nova 12 Pro was first announced in December 2022. It is available in the following markets:

• China – The phone launched on December 23, 2022 in China. Pricing starts at 3,699 Chinese yuan ($523) for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage model.

• Europe – Huawei will launch the Nova 12 Pro in Europe in early 2023. Pricing for European countries is to be confirmed.

• United Kingdom – The Nova 12 Pro will be available in the UK in early 2023 with expected pricing around £500 for the base 8GB/128GB model.

• India – The India launch is expected in March 2023. Pricing should be around 40,000 Indian rupees ($485).

The Nova 12 Pro comes in three colors: Black, Silver, and Purple. The rear glass back has a color gradient effect.

Conclusion

The Huawei Nova 12 Pro is a solid mid-range smartphone that offers good value for money. With its premium design, vibrant OLED display, versatile camera setup, and capable performance, it can compete with more expensive flagships in several areas.

The Nova 12 Pro’s excellent battery life and fast charging make it a reliable daily driver. Its software experience is smooth and refined as well, featuring Huawei’s EMUI 12 based on Android 12. Useful additions like the AI search toolbar, multi-window support, and petal search add to the overall experience.

Compared to rivals like the OnePlus Nord 2T, Oppo Reno 8, and Xiaomi 12 Lite, the Nova 12 Pro holds its own with its impressive spec sheet and lower price point. Performance is on par with the competition, while many would prefer Huawei’s polished software experience over Oppo’s ColorOS.

The main downside is lack of Google services, which may be a dealbreaker for some. But Huawei’s AppGallery has many popular apps, and third party workarounds exist too. Lack of 5G connectivity could also limit future-proofing.

Overall though, the Nova 12 Pro punches above its weight class and is easy to recommend for those wanting a well-designed smartphone with versatile cameras and long battery life. Its appealing price makes it a smarter buy over more expensive flagships with marginal improvements. For shoppers wanting good looks and performance without breaking the bank, the Huawei Nova 12 Pro hits the sweet spot.