Side-by-side technical data
Huawei nova 12 vs Huawei nova 16 SE
Comparison between Huawei nova 12 and Huawei nova 16 SE: camera, battery, fast charging, display, performance and colors, side by side. More phones from Huawei.
NeoTeo's verdict
Which of the two is the better buy
The Huawei nova 16 SE is the stronger all-round pick for battery, display, and connectivity: its 8,500mAh battery dwarfs the nova 12's 4,600mAh, and it adds Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0. It also leads overall, while the nova 12 counters with faster charging and 12GB of RAM.
The nova 12 is slimmer and lighter, at 7 mm and 191 g against the nova 16 SE's 8 mm and 229 g. It also charges at 100W, compared with 66W for the newer phone. For screen sharpness, the nova 16 SE comes out ahead with 444 ppi versus 395 ppi.
For photos, the nova 16 SE adds optical image stabilization and a 13MP ultrawide camera, versus 8MP on the nova 12. The nova 12 has the higher-resolution 60MP selfie camera, compared with 32MP, and records slow motion at 960 fps versus 480 fps. Both phones have 120Hz OLED displays and up to 512GB of storage.
Huawei nova 12
The Huawei nova 12 is the better buy for a slimmer, lighter phone with 100W charging and 12GB of RAM.
Huawei nova 16 SE
The Huawei nova 16 SE is the better buy for longer-lasting power, with an 8,500mAh battery versus the nova 12's 4,600mAh.
The verdict
Your pick: Huawei nova 16 SE, ahead on Camera, Connectivity and Battery & charging. Unless Design & display or Performance & hardware decides it for you.
| Category | nova 12 | nova 16 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Design & display | 7.9 | 7.2 |
| Performance & hardware | 6.7 | 5.6 |
| Camera | 6.0 | 7.0 |
| Connectivity | 6.3 | 8.5 |
| Battery & charging | 6.2 | 7.3 |
Which one is for you?
Huawei nova 12, if you care about…
- RAM Capacity
- 12 GB
- against 8 GB
- Weight
- 191 g
- against 229 g
- Fast Charge Power
- 100 W
- against 66 W
- Body Thickness
- 7 mm
- against 8 mm
Huawei nova 16 SE, if you care about…
- Battery Capacity
- 8,500 mAh
- against 4,600 mAh
- Wi-Fi Standards
- Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g, Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
- against Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
- Bluetooth Version
- Bluetooth 6.0
- against Bluetooth 5.2
- Display Pixel Density
- 444 ppi
- against 395 ppi
Specification comparison
Performance
| Specification | nova 12 | nova 16 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Processor Model | Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 830 | Huawei Kirin 8020 |
| Processor Process Size | 7 nm | 6 nm Best value |
| Graphics GPU | Mali-G78 | Maleoon 920 2cu |
| Maximum CPU Clock | 2.49 GHz Best value | 2.29 GHz |
| Maximum Storage Capacity | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| AnTuTu Score | — | 1,013,800 |
| Geekbench 6 Single-Core | — | 1,350 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi-Core | — | 3,570 |
| CPU Description | 2x ARM Cortex-A78 at 2.49 GHz + 6x ARM Cortex-A55 | Octa-core CPU: 1 × 2.29 GHz, 3 × 2.05 GHz, 4 × 1.3 GHz |
| Processor Type | Octa-Core | Octa-Core |
| 64-Bit Processor | Yes | Yes |
| RAM Capacity | 12 GB Best value | 8 GB |
| RAM Type | — | LPDDR4X |
| AnTuTu version | — | v11 |
Design
| Specification | nova 12 | nova 16 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Body Colors | Black, Blue, White | Black, White, Orange, Blue, Cyan |
| Body Thickness | 7 mm Best value | 8 mm |
| Body Width | 75.4 mm | 78 mm |
| Body Height | 161.5 mm | 163.3 mm |
| Weight | 191 g Best value | 229 g |
| Usable Surface | 88.9 % | 90.2 % Best value |
| Body Materials | Plastic, Glass | Glass, Plastic, Metal Best value |
| Resistance Features | — | IP65 |
Battery
| Specification | nova 12 | nova 16 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Battery Capacity | 4,600 mAh | 8,500 mAh Best value |
| Battery Type | Li-Polymer | Li-Polymer |
| Fast Charge Power | 100 W Best value | 66 W |
| Battery Features | Fast Charging, Reverse Charging, Non-Removable, Rechargeable, Battery Level Indicator, Charger Included | Fast Charging, Reverse Charging, Non-Removable, Battery Level Indicator, Charger Included, Rechargeable |
Display
| Specification | nova 12 | nova 16 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Display Aspect Ratio | 20:9 | 19.5:9 |
| Display Technology | OLED | OLED |
| Peak Display Brightness | — | 8,000 nits |
| Display Diagonal | 6.7″ | 6.84″ Best value |
| Display Horizontal Resolution | 1,084 px | 1,272 px Best value |
| Display Vertical Resolution | 2,412 px | 2,756 px Best value |
| Display Pixel Density | 395 ppi | 444 ppi Best value |
| Display Refresh Rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Touch Sampling Rate | 300 Hz | 300 Hz |
| Display Features | HDR, Hole-Punch Notch, SGS Certified, DCI-P3, Full sRGB, 10-Bit Panel, Scratch Resistant, Curved Glass, AGC Glass, Capacitive Touch, Multi-Touch, Frameless, Always-On Display, 120Hz | Aluminosilicate Glass, Hole-Punch Notch, LTPO, Capacitive Touch, Multi-Touch, Scratch Resistant, Frameless, DCI-P3, SGS Certified, Always-On Display, 2160Hz PWM |
Sensors
| Specification | nova 12 | nova 16 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Fingerprint Sensor Placement | Under Display | Side |
Sensor
| Specification | nova 12 | nova 16 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor Features | Fingerprint Sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Gravity Sensor, Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Cooling System | Fingerprint Sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Gravity Sensor, Light Sensor, Cooling System, Virtual Proximity Sensing |
Software
| Specification | nova 12 | nova 16 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | HarmonyOS 4 | HarmonyOS 6 |
| OS Family | HarmonyOS | HarmonyOS |
| OS Version | 4 | 6 Best value |
Connectivity
| Specification | nova 12 | nova 16 SE |
|---|---|---|
| SIM Configurations | Dual Nano-SIM, Dual SIM Dual Standby, Dual SIM | Dual Nano-SIM, Dual SIM Dual Standby, Dual SIM |
| Cellular Bands | 2G GSM 850, 2G GSM 900, 2G GSM 1800, 2G GSM 1900, 2G CDMA BC0, 2G CDMA B2, 2G CDMA B3, 2G CDMA B5, 2G CDMA B8, 3G UMTS B1, 3G UMTS B4, 3G UMTS B5, 3G UMTS B8, 3G UMTS B19, 3G UMTS 1700 AWS, 3G UMTS 1900, 3G UMTS 2100, 3G UMTS 800, 3G UMTS B850, 3G UMTS B900, 4G LTE B1, 4G LTE B3, 4G LTE B4, 4G LTE B5, 4G LTE B8, 4G LTE B18, 4G LTE B19, 4G LTE B26, 4G LTE B34, 4G LTE B38, 4G LTE B39, 4G LTE B40, 4G LTE B41 | 2G GSM 850, 2G GSM 900, 2G GSM 1800, 2G GSM 1900, 2G CDMA BC0, 2G CDMA B2, 2G CDMA B3, 2G CDMA B5, 2G CDMA B8, 3G UMTS B1, 3G UMTS B4, 3G UMTS B5, 3G UMTS B8, 3G UMTS B19, 3G UMTS B850, 3G UMTS B900, 3G UMTS 1900, 3G UMTS 2100, 4G LTE B1, 4G LTE B3, 4G LTE B4, 4G LTE B5, 4G LTE B8, 4G LTE B18, 4G LTE B19, 4G LTE B26, 4G LTE B34, 4G LTE B38, 4G LTE B39, 4G LTE B40, 4G LTE B41, 5G NR n1, 5G NR n3, 5G NR n5, 5G NR n8, 5G NR n28a, 5G NR n28b, 5G NR n38, 5G NR n41, 5G NR n77, 5G NR n78 |
| Cellular Technologies | GSM, CDMA, HSPA, CDMA2000, LTE, 5G | GSM, HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Wi-Fi Standards | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g, Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) Best value |
| Wi-Fi Features | Dual Band, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, MIMO | Dual Band, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, MIMO |
| Bluetooth Version | Bluetooth 5.2 | Bluetooth 6.0 Best value |
| Bluetooth Profiles | A2DP, LE, L2HC | A2DP, LE, L2HC |
| Navigation Systems | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, NavIC | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, NavIC |
| Connectivity Features | Virtual Proximity Sensing, NFC, USB Type-C, USB 2.0, USB OTG, USB Charging, USB Mass Storage, Computer Sync, OTA Sync, Tethering, VoLTE | Infrared, NFC, USB Charging, USB Mass Storage, USB OTG, USB Host 2.0, USB Type-C, Computer Sync, OTA Sync, Tethering, VoLTE, Satellite Connectivity |
| USB Version | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
Audio
| Specification | nova 12 | nova 16 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Features | Stereo Speakers | Stereo Speakers, A2DP, LE, L2HC |
Technical
| Specification | nova 12 | nova 16 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Model numbers | BLK-AL00 | CAS-AL50 |
