Huawei nova 11 Pro review

Introduction

What are the requirements for a new model to constitute an upgrade over the previous one in the series? Normally, a chipset upgrade is on that list, perhaps some improvements in the camera department, some tweaks in the display, a bigger battery or faster charging - something along those lines. Well, the Huawei nova 11 Pro doesn't appear to bring any of those - so is there something that makes it better than the nova 10 Pro?

Well, the rear design is different, for one. Huawei has toned down the pretty tacky camera island styling of the previous generation and introduced two colorways with faux leather rear panels and a debossed 'nova' pattern.

And, because we know a few things about the handset already, we'll spill some tea. Just because the charging specs are the same, doesn't necessarily mean the results are the same - we got some properly impressive numbers there.

The nova 11 Pro may only be doing the bare minimum to earn the right of incrementing on the model name, but the 10 Pro already had some solid specs, so maybe it's not fair to dismiss the 11 quite so easily. For example, the rather unique front camera system that includes a 60MP ultrawide unit and a 50-ish-mm-equivalent zoom camera has been carried over and can be just the right selling point for a selfie-crazed crowd.

On the back, the 2MP depth sensor that's been scrapped now is unlikely to be missed, but the now introduced laser AF should help in the dark and with closeups. And closeups is where the otherwise modest in resolution ultrawide (8MP) can do better than most, thanks to its AF capability. The 50MP main camera proved a capable performer on the old model too, so we're not complaining it returns, mostly unchanged.

It's kind of a similar story in other areas. The fancy dual-curved 6.78-inch display had both the pixels and the hertz not to be in immediate need of upgrade. The Snapdragon 778G chip may not be cutting-edge, but it remains a solid contender in the midrange space, too. And with a generous 256BG base storage version (128GB on the nova 10 Pro) and a 512GB option, you won't be starved for memory either.

Huawei nova 11 Pro specs at a glance:

• Body: 164.3x74.4x7.9mm, 188g; Glass front, glass back or eco leather back.
• Display: 6.78" OLED, 1B colors, HDR10, 120Hz, 1200x2652px resolution, 19.89:9 aspect ratio, 429ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM7325 Snapdragon 778G 4G (6 nm): Octa-core (4x2.4 GHz Kryo 670 & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 670); Adreno 642L.
• Memory: 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM.
• OS/Software: HarmonyOS 3.0.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.9, PDAF, Laser AF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 112˚, AF.
• Front camera: Ultra wide angle: 60 MP, f/2.4, 17mm, 100˚, AF; Telephoto: 8 MP, f/2.2, 52mm (portrait), AF.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K, 1080p, 720p@960fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS.
• Battery: 4500mAh; 100W wired, 50% in 15 min (advertised), Reverse wired.
• Connectivity: LTE; Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 6; BT 5.2; NFC.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers; Virtual proximity sensing.

Huawei nova 11 Pro unboxing

The nova 11 Pro ships in a classic white box with the logos and models names painted with a reflective rainbow-y finish. There's also a Kunlun Glass logo front and center, denoting Huawei's use of their own brand of display protection.

Inside, other than the phone, you'll find the same 100W charger from before that brought us surprises this time, alongside a 6A-rated USB-A-to-C cable to go with it. Also included is a soft silicone protective case that covers the sides and back without obstructing view of the nova-patterned back.