At a launch event in Johannesburg last night, Huawei officially unveiled two new mid-range smartphones in the nova 13 series along with a new MatePad 11.5 tablet. All three new devices are already available on the Huawei online store, with the nova 13 smartphones requiring a small deposit while the MatePad tablet can be bought outright.
In classic Huawei style, it has chosen to focus on the design and camera capabilities of the nova 13. It features a material-like plaid texture on the rear of the green colourway, although there is also a plain black option if you’re not into plaid.
Saying ‘cheese’ is optional with the nova 13
The other main feature, for the nova 13 at least, is what Huawei calls ‘AI Best Expression’. Together with the 60MP front-facing ultra-wide selfie camera, the feature allows you to edit the faces of the people in your shot to change their expressions. Now there are no more excuses for closed eyes or awkward smiles in your group selfies.
The nova 13 also features a host of rear sensors for photography, including a 50MP main shooter, an 8MP ultra-wide macro sensor, a 10-channel colour temperature sensor, and a sensor for laser autofocus.
Other notable specs include the 6.7in OLED FHD+ (1,084 x 2,412) display that supports up to a 120Hz refresh rate, Huawei’s own Kirin 8000 chipset with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery that’ll do 100W of wired charging.
Little was mentioned of the nova 13i, but you should expect lower specs at nearly half the price of the nova 13. It drops the screen down to a 6.7in 90Hz FHD+ (1,080 x 2,388) IPS LCD panel and uses a Snapdragon 680 chipset with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
The differences carry to the rear where a 108MP sensor replaces the 50MP sensor of the nova 13 while a the 8MP ultra-wide sensor is substituted for a 2MP depth sensor. Instead of the 60MP ultra-wide front-facing selfie in the nova 13, you get an 8MP shooter in the nova 13i.
A MatePad for your nova
Alongside the nova 13 series, Huawei has also released a new MatePad tablet which it said will “redefine paperless productivity.” The tablet sports an 11.5in ‘PaperMatte’ display with a 2,200 x 1,440 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and the promise it won’t strain your eyes.
As usual, Huawei is big on its value-added items. For the nova 13’s asking price of R13,000, you’ll also get a Huawei Band 9 and FreeBuds 2 SE. Similarly, the nova 13i also comes with a Band 9 for an eventual price of R7,000.
The MatePad 11.5 costs R7,000 and comes with a companion keyboard and wireless mouse for your monetary efforts.
