Huawei Nova Plus review: Almost a OnePlus 3 killer

Huawei Nova Plus review: Camera

Luckily, the Nova Plus redeems itself somewhat with its excellent 16-megapixel camera. The regular Nova only had a 12-megapixel sensor, and having tested both, I’d say the Plus’ was definitely worth the extra price of admission. With a reasonably bright aperture of f/2.2, outdoor picture quality was excellent. Shots were sharp and detailed, and switching on HDR only made them better.

The Nova Plus also has another advantage over its smaller sibling: optical image stabilisation (OIS). This helps minimise the effects of hand-shake, particularly when taking pictures in low light, and it really showed in my indoor test photos. Putting both phones head to head, the difference is striking. Shots taken on the Nova Plus are far more detailed than the regular Nova, and colours looked much richer too.

Huawei Nova Plus review: Verdict

The only thing standing in the way of the Nova Plus is the price. UK pricing had yet to be confirmed at time of writing, but it’s currently slated to cost €429 in Europe when it launches later this month. That roughly equates to around £390, but I’ll update this review with official pricing as soon as it’s available. 

Even so, that puts the Nova Plus at a bit of a disadvantage, for while its screen, performance and camera are all fantastic, the OnePlus 3 does everything a lot better for less. I’d definitely recommend the Nova Plus over the regular Nova, but if you’re looking for a great mid-range phablet, the OnePlus 3 is still the way to go – not only is it considerably faster, but its battery life is also significantly better.