HUAWEI nova 11 Pro Review

The Huawei nova 11 Pro is the latest affordable smartphone from the nova family. With its affordable price tag, this device offers an exceptional value proposition.

Featuring a 6.78-inch 120 Hz OLED Curved Display, dual rear and front cameras, a Snapdragon 778G 4G chipset, and a high-capacity 4500mAh battery with 100W fast charging, the nova 11 Pro brings together an impressive array of features.

Specifications

Read the full specifications here.

Packaging

The Huawei nova 11 Pro comes in a white cardboard box with the phone and accessories well protected in different compartments.

The packaging includes:

• Phone (Built-in battery)
• 100W Charger
• USB Type-C Cable
• Flexible Clear Case
• Quick Start Guide
• SIM Eject Tool
• Warranty Card
• TP protective film

Design

When it comes to design, the Huawei nova 11 Pro offers a choice between two elegant colors: Green and Black. For our review, we got our hands on the stylish Green variant. The phone retains the design elements of its predecessor, with the exception of the back panel and camera island.

The back panel is made out of faux leather and a debossed ‘nova’ pattern and is resistant to fingerprint smudges This material not only adds a touch of sophistication but also improves phone’s grip, making it comfortable to hold.

With dimensions of 164.24 x 74.35 x 7.88 mm and a weight of 188g, the nova 11 Pro strikes a balance between size and weight. Its 6.78-inch screen offers a generous display, though it may not be suitable for one-handed usage.

Moving to the front, you’ll find the dual selfie cameras in the top left corner, capable of capturing 4K video at 30fps or 720p at 240fps. The right side of the phone houses the volume buttons and power button, while the optical under-display fingerprint reader sits beneath the screen, providing fast and accurate unlocking.

At the back, the camera bump houses a 60 MP ultra-wide autofocus camera, an 8 MP Portrait close-up camera, a Laser AF, and a single LED flash.

Located at the bottom of the device are the SIM tray, stereo speakers, and the USB-C 2.0 port for charging. However, it’s worth noting that there is no 3.5mm headphone jack, so wireless or USB-C headphones will be necessary for audio connectivity.

Display

The Huawei nova 11 Pro boasts a large 6.78-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2652 x 1200 pixels with a 91.1% screen-to-body ratio. The bezels are narrow and to ensure durability, the display is protected by Kunlun Glass.

The nova 11 Pro features an impressive 300Hz touch sampling rate, allowing for swift and precise touch response. Additionally, the 120Hz refresh rate contributes to a smoother overall experience, minimizing motion blur and delivering fluid visuals.

The colors on the nova 11 Pro’s display are vibrant, with excellent contrast and wide viewing angles. When it comes to outdoor use, the display’s brightness ensures clear visibility even under sunlight.

The nova 11 Pro’s display also supports the P3 wide color gamut, enabling more accurate and vivid color reproduction. Additionally, PWM Dimming is available to adjust the brightness levels smoothly and reduce eye strain in low-light conditions. There is also support for HDR10.

Performance & Connectivity

Under the hood, the Huawei nova 11 Pro is equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 778G processor, accompanied by the Adreno 642L GPU. Combined with 8GB of RAM and a generous 256GB of built-in memory, this device offers impressive performance for a budget-friendly smartphone.

The Snapdragon 778G and Adreno 642L combination ensures smooth operation without noticeable delays or lags, allowing for seamless multitasking and efficient handling of demanding tasks. It can handle most games without issues, delivering an enjoyable gaming experience.

In terms of wireless connectivity, the Huawei nova 11 supports 4G, BT 5.2, Wi-Fi, GPS and NFC.

Camera

The Huawei nova 11 Pro is equipped with a dual-camera setup at the rear, consisting of a 50 MP Ultra Vision main camera, an 8 MP Ultra-Wide Camera, a Laser Focus Sensor for autofocus, and an LED flash.

The 50 MP main camera produces stunning photos with vibrant colors, impressive sharpness, and excellent details, particularly in daylight conditions. The dynamic range is commendable, and colors exhibit a pleasing level of saturation. Even in low-light environments, the main camera performs well, capturing images with vivid colors and commendable detail.

The secondary 8 MP Ultra-Wide Camera offers a wider field of view, allowing you to capture more in a single frame. While the resolution may be relatively lower, it still manages to deliver good detail. Additionally, the inclusion of a Super macro mode enables close-up shots with satisfying results.

Moving to the front, the Huawei nova 11 Pro features a dual-camera setup consisting of a 60 MP ultra-wide autofocus front camera and an 8 MP portrait close-up camera. The 60 MP camera captures impressive selfies with accurate skin tones and fine details. The 8 MP portrait camera is equally capable, offering 2x optical zoom and 5x digital zoom for capturing close-up shots with clarity.

Video recording capabilities on the nova 11 Pro include 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 60fps, or 720p at 240fps, you have flexibility in choosing the desired video quality. Notably, the Dual-View video feature lets you simultaneously record using both the front and rear cameras. While the video quality is decent, it’s worth mentioning that there might be some minor instability in the output, resulting in slight shakiness during recording.

OS

The Huawei nova 11 Pro runs on MIUI 13, which is a custom version of Android 12 tailored specifically for Huawei devices. While this device does not support Google Play Services, you still have options for installing Android apps. You can utilize the Huawei AppGallery store, which offers a wide range of applications, or explore third-party app stores like APKPure.

EMUI 13 improves upon the Super Device functionality found in Huawei devices. This feature enables seamless connectivity with other Huawei devices in your ecosystem, such as MediaPad tablets, MediaBook laptops, Vision TVs, and Freebuds. With Super Device, you can enjoy multi-screen collaboration, allowing you to effortlessly share your phone or tablet display onto your laptop or tablet screen. This facilitates easy file editing and exchange, as well as the seamless transfer of various content, messages, or even calls through drag and drop or a simple click.

Included in the Huawei nova 11 Pro is Huawei’s Assistant Celia. This virtual assistant supports conversations and voice commands, providing convenient assistance for various tasks and commands.

Battery & Audio

With its 4500mAh battery, the nova 11 Pro can last a full day of use. The included 100W fast charger offers impressive charging speeds. In just around 15 minutes, you can reach a 50% charge, while a full charge takes approximately 25 minutes.

In terms of audio, The Huawei nova 11 Pro has top and bottom-firing speakers. The sound is loud enough to fill a small room but there is some distortion at maximum volume. The microphones also offer very good audio quality during calls.

Verdict

In conclusion, the Huawei nova 11 Pro is a commendable mid-range smartphone designed for casual users, entertainment enthusiasts, and photography enthusiasts. With its impressive 6.78-inch OLED display, powerful Snapdragon 778G chipset, and versatile camera setup, the nova 11 Pro delivers a satisfying user experience.

However, the absence of 5G support may be a drawback for some. And the lack of Google Play Services requires sideloading, although the process has become easier compared to previous generations.

Despite these considerations, the Huawei nova 11 Pro offers an appealing package with its vibrant display, robust performance, and capable camera system. It’s a solid choice for individuals seeking a mid-range smartphone with a focus on casual use, entertainment, and photography.

The HUAWEI nova 11 Pro is available Green and Black premium nova Monogram Vegan Leather designs for AED2,399.