More and more mid-range bets are making their way to Philippine shores and it seems that the battle will be a tough one for people who prioritize camera specs over anything else. This week, the Huawei nova 9 SE becomes official for the price of Php 13,999, available starting today (March 16, 2022) nationwide. Although it lacks Google services like their previous releases, Huawei makes up for it through other features and especially through its 108MP quad camera. The Huawei nova 9 SE also comes with a 6.78” Huawei FullView Display, 1.05mm ultra-narrow bezel, 7.94mm ultra-thin design, 3D Glass rear cover with a really glaring design, and 66W Super Charge, to name a few.

INSIDE THE BOX

Although not complete in the photo as this is a review unit only, expect to receive a sealed box containing the following in every purchase: A Huawei nova 9 SE unit with protective film, charger, Type-C cable, Quick Start Guide with Warranty Card, SIM Eject Tool, and a jelly case.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The design is very eye-catching with its mirror-like and color-shifting effect on its 3D glass. Moving the phone creates trails that point towards the camera setup as if giving it more emphasis. There’s a small Huawei nova logo at the bottom center portion of the smartphone, but it’s not really visible at some angles. Here’s a closer look at the Crystal Blue color, which I believe is the prettiest out of the colors released, but it’s also available in Pearl White and Midnight Black.

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Although the glaring color is a standout, I honestly looked the cameras first due to its unusual setup. I can’t help but stare at what seemed like two lenses instead of four. The biggest one belongs to its 108MP primary shooter and the smaller one is its 8MP Ultra-Wide camera. There are also two almost-unnoticeable dots at the back – the 2MP depth and micro sensors, along with the LED flash. True to their #SupernovaSuperCamera hashtag, the Huawei nova 9 SE does not only come with literally big cameras. It also seems promising as they come equipped with features like the Super Night Shot and AI Snapshot which enable users to take carefree photos without worries of blurry outputs. Taking photos against the light didn’t become a problem for me during my initial test run, too.

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The 16MP front camera takes decent selfies both indoors and outdoors, although the in-display “ring light” that it automatically enables when it’s too dark can make your face look pale. I also like how the punch-hole camera is located at the top center portion instead of its usual corner spot.

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The power/lock button which doubles as a fingerprint scanner can be found on the right side of the device right together with the volume rocker, which is something that I’m not used to. I still prefer the volume rocker on the left side so I won’t have to shift my grip every time I need to adjust the volume, but let’s see in the next few days if I can get used to it. The SIM slot is located on top, together with a microphone and the earpiece, while the Type-C connector and speaker grille remain in its usual spaces the bottom.

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I personally don’t mind that it weighs 191g given its 6.78-inch FullView Display. It can get tiring to hold it while watching videos and playing games but I also enjoy more screen space. The only challenge that I have at the moment is when I type using only one hand. Given its dimensions (164.64mm x 75.55mm x 7.94mm), my thumb can’t stretch enough to reach the left end of the keypad.

Audio, display, and performance are decent enough for everyday use but we’ll get to that in detail in our full review this weekend. The Huawei nova 9 SE doesn’t have Google services just like the previous releases but Huawei encourages everyone to use their AppGallery for top apps, Petal Search for apps that are not yet part of the AppGallery, and GSpace to access Google apps.

The Huawei nova 9 SE also packs a 4000mAh battery with 66W SuperCharge that is capable of charging up to 75% in just 20 minutes as per Huawei’s advertisements, which is pretty accurate with my first two trials: Around 45 minutes for the smartphone to reach full charge.  

More details about the new Huawei nova 9 SE in the next few days!

SPECIFICATIONS

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Dimensions	164.64mm (H) x 75.55mm (W) x 7.94mm (D)
Weight	Approx. 191 grams (including battery)
Display	Screen Size: 6.78 inches FullView Display Type: LCD, up to 90Hz refresh rate, 270Hz touch sampling rate Resolution: FHD+, 2388 x 1080 pixels Color: DCI-P3 98%, 387 PPI 3D Glass Rear Cover
Connectivity	WLAN: 802.11/a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4GHz and 5GHz Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0 USB: Type-C, USB 2.0 Earjack: USB Type-C earjack
OS	Android 11, EMUI 12 No Google Play
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 680
CPU	Octa-core, 4x Cortex-A73@2.4GHz + 4x Cortex-A53@1.9GHz
GPU	Adreno 610
RAM + ROM	8GB RAM + 128GB ROM
Front Camera	16MP Ultra Wide Angle Camera f/2.2 aperture *Comes with Night, Portrait, Video, Time-Lapse, Filter, Capture Smiles, Audio Control, Timer
Rear Camera	108MP High-Resolution Camera (f/1.9 aperture) 8MP Ultra Wide Angle Camera (f/2.2 aperture) 2MP Depth (f/2.4 aperture) 2MP Macro (f/2.4 aperture) *Video resolution up to 1080p only *Comes with AI-Camera, Ultra Wide Angle Lens, Night, Portrait, High-Res, Photo, Pro, Video, Dual-View Video, Super Macro, Panorama, Time-Lapse, Aperture, Documents, Filter, Timer, Capture Smiles, Audio Control, Ultra Snapshot
Battery	4,000mAh (typical value) 66W SuperCharge (50% charge in 10 minutes)
Sensors	Gravity sensor, fingerprint sensor, compass, ambient light sensor
NFC	JLN-LXI: Read Write mode, Card Emulation mode (payment by SIM card or HCE) is supported
Color	Midnight Black, Crystal Blue, Pearl White

PRICE AND PRE-ORDER PERKS

The Huawei nova 9 SE retails for only Php 13,999 with pre-order perks such as a FREE Huawei Freebuds 4i worth Php 3,599, and Huawei Cloud benefits worth Php 1,146. Early buyers who will be checking out on or before March 17 are also entitled to vouchers worth Php 50 and a FREE Huawei Bluetooth Speaker worth Php 1,499 until supplies last. For more details, you can also visit their website or head over to Huawei stores nationwide.

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