Roll out the red carpet. The James Reid-endorsed Huawei Nova 3i is on its way here, officially, after weeks of being in the rumor mill.
And just as its predecessor — another four-camera smartphone in the Huawei Nova 2i — was priced competitively at launch in the Philippines, the Nova 3i also gets a price tag that makes it a major contender in the cutthroat midrange category. Starting July 28, it will go on sale in the country for only P15,990 (roughly $299).
READ ALSO: Huawei Nova 3i review: Brilliant in almost every way
However, you can already preorder the device any day between tomorrow, July 19, and July 27. Just make a down payment of P1,000 ($19), and when you pick up your Huawei Nova 3i, you can get your free Bluetooth speaker worth P2,990 ($56).
Presenting the Huawei Nova 3i quad-camera phone with Filipino actor James Reid as its endorser
This #NovaStar, as Huawei Philippines dubs it, has a couple of firsts tucked under its belt. With its debut comes the introduction of the company’s own Kirin 710 processor, mated to 4GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable memory.
The new midrange chip is the HiSilicon equivalent of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710, which first appeared in the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE. It’s based on 12nm technology. But unlike the Snapdragon unit, the Kirin 710 has a dedicated neural-processing unit or NPU for AI [artificial intelligence]-related functions. Yes, similar to the high-end Kirin 970 chipset powering devices like the Huawei P20, P20 Pro, Mate 10, and Mate 10 Pro.
READ ALSO: Huawei Nova 3, Nova 3i now official. We compare them here
Which brings us to the Huawei Nova 3i’s photography prowess. The smartphone boasts the world’s first “24MP Four AI Cameras,” as the technology giant calls them. Meaning all the front and rear sensors — not just the ones on the back — support AI-related tasks. For selfies, a 24-megapixel main cam is paired with a 2-megapixel secondary shooter. Round the back are 16- and 2-megapixel cameras.
The Huawei Nova 3i’s front and rear cameras, not just the ones on the back, support AI-related tasks.
Once it lands here, the Nova 3i will get the honor of being the first device in the Philippines to ship with GPU Turbo. Appearing first on the Honor Play gaming-focused phone, the technology is claimed to improve the processor’s graphics performance by 60 percent and power efficiency by 30 percent.
A 2,340 x 1,080 notched screen spanning 6.3 inches takes up the front. The source of power comes from a 3,340mAh battery. And Huawei’s Emotion UI 8.2 is based on Android 8.1 Oreo.
SEE ALSO: This is how Huawei plans to drive the smartphone industry forward
Matching the Huawei Nova 3i’s competitive price and impressive specs is a design that wows — not unlike the looks of the P20 Lite, complete with a glass body colored black, white, or gradient blue-purple; a vertically arranged dual-rear-camera setup; and a back-mounted fingerprint sensor.
We had reported that for the past 10 years, the company has invested a massive $62.5 billion in research and development. With the launch of this quad-camera Nova, it does seem like that investment has not gone to waste.
Huawei Nova 3i specs
- 6.3-inch display, 2,340 x 1,080 resolution (19.5:9)
- Octa-core Huawei Kirin 710 processor clocked at 2.1GHz
- Mali-G51 GPU
- 4GB RAM
- 128GB expandable memory
- Dual 16- and 2-megapixel rear cameras (AI)
- Dual 24- and 2-megapixel front camera (AI)
- Fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted)
- 3,340mAh battery
- Android 8.1 Oreo-based EMUI 8.2
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