Huawei nova 10 Pro review
The Huawei Nova 10 Pro is a premium mid-ranger that brings some impressive features to the table, including a high-res OLED display, super fast charging, and dual selfie cameras. Its sleek design boasts a sandblasted texture finish and a two-step camera bump with golden accents. With a large 6.78-inch curved screen and a powerful Snapdragon 778G chipset, this phone is definitely worth considering for those who don't mind living outside the Google ecosystem.
Build Quality and Design
The Huawei Nova 10 Pro boasts an impressive design that sets it apart from its peers. The phone's plastic back panel features a sandblasted texture finish that shimmers in the light, giving it a premium feel. The curved edges of both the front and back panels blend seamlessly into a razor-thin frame, crafted from the same high-quality plastic. Unfortunately, this attention to detail does not extend to water resistance, with the Nova 10 Pro lacking official IP certification. The phone's design is undoubtedly snazzy, with a two-step camera bump featuring golden accents that add a touch of luxury. The Nova logo is an interesting design element, but it may not be to everyone's taste. Overall, the build quality and design of the Huawei Nova 10 Pro are impressive, making it a visually appealing device in its class. The phone's dimensions are well-suited for comfortable handling, and the weight distribution feels balanced in the hand. However, some users may find the curved edges to be slightly too pronounced, potentially leading to accidental screen presses. Despite this minor quibble, the overall build quality of the Nova 10 Pro is commendable, with a focus on aesthetics that pays off. In terms of materials, the plastic used for the back and frame feels premium to the touch, but may not be as durable as some users might prefer. Nevertheless, the attention to detail in the design process is evident, making the Huawei Nova 10 Pro a device that looks and feels like a high-end product. Whether this level of quality justifies the price point remains a matter for individual consideration.
Battery Life
While the Huawei Nova 10 Pro offers some impressive features, its battery life is a mixed bag. The phone comes equipped with a 4500mAh battery, which is decent but nothing spectacular. In our proprietary tests, the Nova 10 Pro scored an endurance rating of 89 hours, which indicates average battery life. Real-world usage showed that the phone can last a full day with moderate use, but heavy users may need to top up their charge before bedtime. One area where the Nova 10 Pro shines is in charging speeds. The bundled 100W Huawei Supercharger allows for rapid charging, with the phone going from 0-99% in just half an hour. With a special Turbo mode switched on, we were able to charge the phone to full in just 26 minutes. However, the battery life itself feels somewhat limited by the thermal throttling observed during our prolonged CPU stress test. While real-world tasks didn't pose any issues, this limitation may become apparent under intense usage scenarios or for power-hungry users. Overall, while the Nova 10 Pro's battery life is not its strongest suit, it still manages to get the job done. Just be aware that you may need to top up your charge more frequently than expected, especially if you're an avid user.
Display
The Huawei Nova 10 Pro boasts an impressive display that sets it apart from other mid-range smartphones. The curved 6.78-inch OLED screen features a fast 120Hz refresh rate, making for smooth scrolling and swiping experiences. With a pixel density of 429 PPI, images on the Nova 10 Pro's display are crisp and vibrant, showcasing exceptional color accuracy and contrast. Support for 10-bit color depth and HDR10 further enhance the viewing experience, making it perfect for watching videos or browsing through photos. One notable feature is the ability to adjust the refresh rate based on usage. The display automatically switches from 120Hz to 60Hz when not in use, conserving battery life while maintaining a seamless experience. While brightness might not be outstanding, with a maximum of 560 nits and boosting to 780 nits in auto mode, it's still satisfactory for everyday use. However, in bright conditions, the display may struggle to maintain its vibrancy. Under-display fingerprint recognition is fast and reliable on the Nova 10 Pro, adding another layer of convenience to an already impressive feature set. The phone's design, while sleek, doesn't come with official IP protection, which might be a concern for those who value durability. Ultimately, the display on the Huawei Nova 10 Pro is a standout feature that justifies its premium price point. If you're in the market for a mid-range smartphone with a high-quality screen, the Nova 10 Pro is definitely worth considering.
Camera
The camera setup on the Huawei Nova 10 Pro is quite impressive, with a dual selfie camera configuration that offers two fields of view to choose from. The 60-megapixel ultra-wide selfie cam delivers excellent results, with detailed and sharp photos even in low-light conditions. The quality is further enhanced by the presence of autofocus, which ensures that subjects are always well-focused. The selfie portrait mode, on the other hand, produces great results when there's ample light available. The 52-millimeter equivalent lens does an excellent job of rendering a natural bokeh effect, with a pleasing amount of detail and sharpness. However, in lower-light conditions or when using zoom, the quality can suffer. The rear camera setup consists of a 50-megapixel main cam, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The primary camera delivers excellent results, with plenty of detail, low noise, good contrast, and balanced dynamic range. It also has the potential for two times lossless zoom, which is very effective. The ultra-wide rear camera produces decent photos, but the colors can be slightly washed out, and the contrast in HDR mode can be a bit over-the-top. The 8-megapixel resolution of this camera means that it's not ideal for capturing fine details or high-contrast scenes. One area where the Nova 10 Pro excels is low-light photography, especially with the main camera. Image stacking and processing work well even without night mode, resulting in great photos with plenty of detail, adequate sharpness, and good exposure. The noise level is also very low. While the ultra-wide rear camera can struggle in low light, it still manages to produce likeable results, albeit with some limitations in terms of dynamic range.
Price and Value
The Huawei Nova 10 Pro is a premium mid-range phone that boasts some impressive features, including a high-res OLED display, super-fast charging, and dual selfie cameras. However, its price tag raises concerns about value for money. Priced at a premium level, the Nova 10 Pro faces stiff competition from other devices that offer similar or better specs without the compromises that come with Huawei's Google services-free ecosystem. For example, waterproofing is absent, and the phone's design, while snazzy, doesn't quite justify the price point. Moreover, the chipset used in the Nova 10 Pro, a Snapdragon 778G (4G variant), can be found in other devices at lower price points, making it difficult for this phone to stand out. In fact, sustained performance is affected by thermal throttling during prolonged CPU stress tests, which is disappointing given the price. The camera setup is one of the highlights of this device, with excellent results from the main 50MP camera and decent shots from the ultra-wide lens. However, when considering the overall package, it's hard to justify the premium price tag for what seems like a solid mid-range phone rather than a high-end one. If you're willing to live outside the Google ecosystem, the Nova 10 Pro might be worth considering at a lower price point. But as it stands, its value proposition is somewhat compromised by its premium pricing and lack of certain features that would make it more competitive in the market.
Performance
The Huawei Nova 10 Pro's performance is a mixed bag. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 778G chipset, which provides solid CPU and GPU performance in benchmarks. However, when it comes to sustained performance, the phone experiences heavy thermal throttling in our prolonged CPU stress test. This isn't surprising given the phone's premium price point, but what is disappointing is that for the same money, you can find competitors with more powerful hardware. The Nova 10 Pro's performance doesn't quite live up to its flagship aspirations. In real-world tasks, the phone performs adequately, but it's not exceptional. Multitasking and heavy usage don't seem to be an issue, but demanding games and resource-intensive apps might experience some lag. The battery life is decent, with an endurance rating of 89 hours in our tests. However, charging speed is a highlight, thanks to the bundled 100W Huawei Supercharger. The phone can go from 0 to 99% in just half an hour, and switching on turbo mode brings it up to full in just 26 minutes. Overall, while the Nova 10 Pro's performance is not bad, it's not impressive either. If you're looking for a premium mid-ranger with great performance, there are better options available. However, if you don't mind living outside of the Google ecosystem and are willing to compromise on some features, the Nova 10 Pro might still be worth considering.
Pros
1. The snazzy design
2. Blazing fast charging with a bundled 100 watt Huawei supercharger
3. High-res curved AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate
4. Nice cameras, especially the selfie cams with two fields of view to choose from
5. Decent battery life with an endurance rating of 89 hours
Cons
1. No official Ingress Protection despite its premium price
2. Heavily customized EMUI interface without Google services
3. Limited storage options, with no expandable storage available
4. Heavy thermal throttling in CPU stress tests
5. Competitors at the same price point offer better hardware and Google services