Huawei Nova 3: Best Mid-Range Smartphone for Selfies

Huawei Nova 3 (2018): Mid-Range Selfie & Photography Focused Smartphone | Full English Details & Specs

Brand: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

Category: Mid-range 6.3-inch FHD+ full-screen smartphone, centered on dual front cameras for premium selfies and dual rear cameras for versatile photography; targeting young users, social media enthusiasts, and consumers seeking balanced performance and imaging capabilities at a mid-tier price point.

Core Value: 6.3-inch FHD+ IPS LCD “dewdrop” notch display, Kirin 970 AI chipset, 24MP + 2MP dual front cameras (AI beauty), 16MP + 24MP dual rear cameras (wide + ultra-wide), 3750mAh battery with 9V/2A fast charging, Android 8.1 Oreo with EMUI 8.2, and dual Nano-SIM support.

Launch Timeline: Announced July 18, 2018 (Beijing); released July 27, 2018 (China first, global rollout in Q3 2018); variants: PAR-AL00 (China, dual-SIM), PAR-TL00 (China, TD-LTE), PAR-LX1 (international); colors: Black, Iris Purple, Blue, Amber Gold, Pearl White.

Core Specifications

1. Display & Design

Display: 6.3-inch IPS LCD, FHD+ (2340×1080 pixels), 19.5:9 aspect ratio, ~409 ppi, 16.7M colors, DCI-P3 wide color gamut; “dewdrop” notch housing front camera; scratch-resistant glass (non-specified Gorilla Glass grade); 83.4% screen-to-body ratio.
Body: 157.6×75.2×7.3mm, 166g; aluminum frame + glass back (gradient finish for Iris Purple/Blue variants); rear-mounted fingerprint scanner (physical, capacitive); IP52 dust/water resistance (protection against splashes and dust); dual Nano-SIM (dual-standby, no microSD expansion slot).

2. Performance & Storage

SoC: HiSilicon Kirin 970 (10nm process); CPU: Octa-core (4×2.36GHz Cortex-A73 + 4×1.8GHz Cortex-A53); GPU: Mali-G72 MP12; dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for AI tasks (scene recognition, portrait bokeh, beauty optimization).
OS: Android 8.1 Oreo with Huawei EMUI 8.2; officially upgradable to Android 10 with EMUI 10.0; no further major OS updates.
RAM/Storage: 6GB/8GB LPDDR4X RAM; 128GB UFS 2.1 internal storage; no expandable storage (no microSD slot).

3. Cameras (Selfie-Focused Dual Front + Dual Rear Setup)

Rear Cameras:
- 24MP main: f/1.8 aperture, 1/2.3″ sensor, 1.0µm pixels, PDAF, OIS, 4K@30fps video recording, EIS.
- 16MP ultra-wide: f/2.2 aperture, 120° field of view, fixed focus; ideal for landscape, group photos and macro shots.
- Features: AI scene recognition (22 categories), Leica-like color tuning (Standard/Vivid modes), portrait mode with adjustable bokeh, night mode, 2x hybrid zoom.
Front Cameras:
- 24MP main: f/2.0 aperture, 1/2.8″ sensor, 0.9µm pixels, fixed focus; 1080p@30fps video.
- 2MP depth sensor: f/2.4 aperture; enables portrait selfies with background blur and AI beauty customization (skin smoothing, facial contour adjustment).
- Features: AI HDR, face recognition unlock, AR stickers for social media sharing.

4. Battery & Charging

Battery: Non-removable Li-Polymer 3750mAh; mixed usage up to 1.5 days; talk time up to 25h (4G).
Charging: 18W Huawei Fast Charge (9V/2A, USB-C 2.0); 0–50% charge in ~30 mins; no wireless charging support.

5. Connectivity & Extras

Network: 4G LTE Cat13 (600Mbps downlink), 3G HSPA+, 2G GSM; global band support for international roaming; no 5G.
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (dual-band), Bluetooth 4.2 (A2DP, LE), NFC (payment support in select regions), USB-C 2.0, GPS/GLONASS/BeiDou/Galileo, infrared remote control.
Sensors: Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, ambient light, compass.
Launch Price: ~CNY 2,999 (China, 6GB/128GB); ~€399 (Europe, 6GB/128GB).

Key Features & Series Significance

Balanced Mid-Range Package: Combined solid performance, versatile imaging, and stylish design at a price point below Huawei’s flagship P-series, expanding the brand’s mid-range market share.

Selfie-Centric Dual Front Cameras: The 24MP + 2MP setup delivered studio-grade portrait selfies with adjustable bokeh, catering to the Nova series’ core young user base.

Flagship-Level Chipset in Mid-Range: Kirin 970 (same as Huawei P20/ Mate 10) brought flagship AI and performance to mid-range pricing, a competitive edge over peers.

Gradient Design Trend: Iris Purple and Blue gradient glass backs aligned with 2018’s smartphone design trend, appealing to style-conscious consumers.

EMUI 8.2 AI Optimizations: AI scene recognition and beauty tuning enhanced both rear and front camera outputs, simplifying professional-level photography for casual users.