As weird as it sounds, this is my first Huawei cell phone review. I had one, the P10, a few years ago. But I never had to make a review introspection: is it worth it? Especially after the Google ban? Huawei nova 9 gave me more than a good surprise, but still there are obstacles to jump over.

Design and screen: we are doing well

160x73.7x7.8mm

175 grams

6.57 ”OLED screen with 120 Hz refresh rate

1080 x 2340 resolution

It's no secret that this phone is reminiscent of an unavoidable comparison of Honor 50. Honor was separated from Huawei at the end of 2020 and apparently this model was already in development.

The Nova 9 has a look that feels quite premium. The case is plastic, but it doesn't look like that due to the pearlescent finish.

The curved screen can split. Looks good, but accidental side touches are hard to avoid.

The display hardware is very good. OLED, 120Hz and HDR10, a great combination for the upper mid-ranges which makes it a great device for playing games, watching movies, and just being used every day. what a high refresh rate does.

This phone has three buttons: two for volume and one for power, which also works to summon Celia ... who?

Cameras: Huawei keeps its good name

Rear cameras: 50MP main, 8MP ultra wide angle, 2MP depth and 2MP macro

32MP front camera

There is a difference in the camera hardware compared to the Honor 20. The Nova 9 has a 50MP main camera with the RYYB setting, the Huawei setting, which is in place.

Huawei maintains its reputation as a good brand of mobile phones for taking photos by adding ultra-wide and macro options, as well as a depth sensor.

A few photos for a sample. All of them have been edited only to reduce their size. No other adjustments have been made.

You can also see how the mid-range can take good photos at night.

This equipment also includes PRO options that allow us to handle parameters such as ISO and exposure to our liking.

To create videos, a VLOG option is included which allows you to use both picture-in-picture cameras simultaneously. Not bad for social networks.

Efficiency and Autonomy: Great Snapdragon, but "mochado"

Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G (4G)

8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of memory

4300mAh battery with 66W quick charge (charger included)

Huawei nova 9 includes the Snapdragon 778G, one of the best mid-range options right now, but the brand is unable to take advantage of its 5G capabilities due to US sanctions.

Explaining this, it is a great processor that can handle a high refresh screen and gives you a very good video game experience.

We found this 778G (but in the 5G version) on other mid-range models like the Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G, Honor 50, Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE and more.

The 4,300mAh battery is more than enough to last a day and a half of use without charging the nova 9, and the built-in 66W fast charge is more than welcome. It's worth adding that Huawei includes a compatible charger.

Software: Huawei Challenge

EMUI 12 from AppGallery

Here we become sad and thick. And it's not Huawei's fault. We already know by itself that new Huawei phones cannot OFFICIAL use Google services.

Nova 9 has EMUI 12, an Android customization layer that has already been replaced by HarmonyOS 2.0 in China in the West.

EMUI 12 works very well and complements AppGallery for apps officially uploaded to Huawei repository, the third largest in the world, and Petal Search to find APKs.

Technically, it's possible to install a lot of apps that we can't find in the two options mentioned above as APKs, but many of them require Google services to run fully.

Example: We can download WhatsApp directly from its website, but our backups are basically local (on device). To save and collect WhatsApp backups in Google Drive, we need to follow unofficial routes.

There we installed GSpace, the application that creates our mobile phone like Huawei against US sanctions.

GSpace allows you to easily install applications from the Google Play Store and synchronize them, as is the case with WhatsApp or YouTube.

We explain to GSpace that this is an unofficial Huawei or Google app and shows ads unless you want to subscribe (S / 44.96 per year) or buy the app permanently for almost 72 soles.

Remember that applications with Google services reside in GSpace, so a small amount of ads will be annoying over time.

Is it worth it?

It is definitely not a proposition for everyone, we have a good screen, a set of cameras that stand out and a processor that is nothing to envy in the upper mid-range.

But we don't have Google services integrated from the start, which hurts. Another annoyance is the lack of 5G in the upper and mid-range.

Huawei Nova 9 is likely to frustrate the technological neophyte.

Things in this model get complicated when it has the Honor 50 in the front with almost the same hardware, but with Google and 5G services.

Huawei's argument is in the price: For less than 2,000 (currently in the Huawei store), the nova 9 provides a value proposition that will appeal to users who are not afraid to explore their device and bypass Donald Trump's limitations. If you consider yourself in this group, then think about it. about that.

Author: Alberto Nishiyama

I consider myself an avid gamer, but sometimes I play The Sims. Technology has taken me to different places and I'm fascinated by the way it changes the world.

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