Review of Huawei Nova 13 and 13 Pro smartphones

Huawei Nova 13 and 13 Pro smartphones review: The Huawei Nova 13 series was finally unveiled in China at the end of October 2024. The lineup includes the regular Nova 13 and Nova 13 Pro, which look fabulous with their iconic Huawei branding on the back panel. . Also, it’s good to see the company improve a couple of things over its predecessor, whether it’s battery capacity, screen, or protection. Those subtle changes improve the overall experience of the phone.

Last year, the company launched the Huawei Nova 12 and 12 Pro for the mid-range segment, and the Nova 13 series will follow in its footsteps. However, both models are launched exclusively for the Chinese smartphone market, so there is less chance of them appearing on the global market. Anyway, let’s dive into the next section and determine if the Huawei Nova 13 and 13 Pro are worth buying.

Review of Huawei Nova 13 and 13 Pro smartphones

Highlights

1. The standard Nova 13 offers a 6.7-inch classic OLED panel with standard HDR support and a 120Hz refresh rate.
2. The Nova 13 Pro features a fabulous 6.76-inch LTPO OLED display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.
3. Both devices equip the Harmony OS 4.2 update with a wide range of native applications and functions.
4. A 50MP triple camera setup with a dual selfie camera appears on the Nova 13 Pro.
5. The non-Pro model features a 50MP dual camera with a single camera.
6. As for the battery configuration, both models feature a 5000mAh battery with 100W wired charging support.

Design and display

In terms of design, the Huawei Nova 13 Pro has notable changes, the reason being the new design of the camera module and a larger selfie camera on the front. The Pro variant comes with a large pill-shaped camera module on the back panel, while the Nova 13 doesn’t have many changes except different color options. For most people, the design aspect is somewhat subjective, but there is no denying that both phones have a slim build.

On the other hand, the Pro model includes the IP65 rating with waterproof and dust protection, while the standard module has resistance to splashes and dust. In terms of protection, both have biometric readers and optical scanners under the screen. In normal use, they improve user privacy and security. Moving the front screen, the regular Nova 13 reaches a 6.7-inch screen with 120Hz refresh rate, HDR and 1 billion colors.

The screen has an FHD resolution with wide brightness support. As for the Pro model, users will get a slightly larger 6.76-inch LTPO OLED panel with FHD+ resolution support and the same refresh rate, HDR, and colors. This display will give you stunning colors, advanced refresh rate control, and a better content consumption experience. On top of that, they offer aluminosilicate glass protection, which reduces scratch damage to some extent.

Memory and internal

Like the previous year, Huawei did not reveal information about the chipset, GPU or processor clock speed for both phones. It remains a mystery whether they are using a Kirin chipset or something else. But the overall performance of the Nova 13 and 13 Pro does not disappoint if you are a casual user. However, the same cannot be said for the look of the game.

But still, the phone will provide enough support to enjoy a few hours of gaming. Apart from this, both smartphones run on the latest HarmonyOS 4.2 interface. The software interface offers China-focused applications, most of which are pre-installed. From a Chinese user’s perspective, it’s good that the phone offers Wechat, Baidu Tiebu, Weibo, Alipay and more.

However, users may have to use third-party apps to access Google ecosystem features as US-based apps are banned in China. Next, the company offers three storage variants ranging from 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB of space. For a typical user, 256 GB is enough to store multimedia files without problems. Choose higher storage if you need more space as there is no micro-SD slot available on the Huawei Nova 13 series phones.

Camera

The Huawei Nova 13 houses a dual camera setup, including a 50MP main lens and an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, while a 60MP selfie camera appears on the front display. With this camera setup, the phone is ensured to provide adequate results depending on the lights. The images are toned down and provide polished photographs, while there are multiple filters from which you can choose the one you want.

On the other hand, video recording can reach up to 4K resolution with the main camera sensors. After a long time, the company introduced a telephoto lens in the Nova series. The last time Hauwei provided a telephoto lens was the Nova 7 Pro. But it’s good to see that the Huawei Nova 13 Pro has a decent camera. The device equips 50MP sensors with OIS support and an 8MP 16mm ultra wide angle. But the center of attraction is the 69mm 12MP telephoto lens that can capture precise details while also offering optical image stabilization support.

On the front display, a 60MP selfie lens along with an 8MP telephoto lens. With a dual selfie camera, users will notice impressive details in photos and videos. When it comes to video recording, the Pro version will provide the same level of recording capability as the Huawei Nova 13. In addition to this, the native camera setup allows users to capture stunning photographs using a variety of modes. Overall, the camera experience of both devices is satisfactory for the price.

Battery and others

The battery department of Huawei Nova 13 and 13 Pro is quite identical as both have a 5000 mAh battery that can support wired charging up to 100W. Furthermore, the battery size increases compared to the predecessor (almost 400 mAh), ensuring more screen time. In typical use, the phones can provide five to six hours of streaming content, two hours of gaming, and more.

The company claims that its device can refuel from 0 to 100% in less than 30 minutes using the official charger. Now, let’s talk about the additional features. The new Huawei phone offers BDS satellite calling and messaging, virtual proximity detection, 5G connectivity and the latest sensors with decent audio output. As for the price, the non-Pro variant costs around $404 (Rs. 33,990 in India) approximately, while the Huawei Nova 13 Pro is priced at $519 (Rs. 43,000 in India) approximately.

Pros and cons of the Huawei Nova 13 Pro

Huawei Nova 13 and 13 Pro specifications detail

Conclusion

At first glance, anyone can tell that the company has not added any new benefits or specifications, except for some improvements in the camera and battery. The rest of the attributes of the Huawei Nova 13 series are quite similar to the Huawei Nova 12 series. But what would differentiate it would be the price, which is comparatively lower than the launch price of the Nova 12 series phone.

Additionally, both the Huawei Nova 13 and 13 Pro are pretty solid phones with a few flaws here and there that can be overlooked. But if you’re looking for top-notch performance with a clean UI experience, it may not be the right choice for you. In that case, the Google Pixel 8 is a good candidate as an alternative. If you prefer the Google ecosystem and want to get the latest update faster, this phone is a must-buy. It’s just a suggestion. You can also search for other smartphones to find the one that best suits your needs.