Side-by-side technical data
Huawei nova 12i vs Huawei nova 15 Ultra
Comparison between Huawei nova 12i and Huawei nova 15 Ultra: 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 15 Ultra is the more complete choice: its 120 Hz LTPO OLED display, 5G and 100 W charging set it apart from the nova 12i. The 12i may suit buyers who want more megapixels in the main camera: 108 MP versus 50 MP.
The nova 15 Ultra’s display combines 1320 × 2856 px with 460 ppi; the nova 12i has 1080 × 2388 px and 391 ppi. The panel technology differs too: LTPO OLED versus IPS LCD. For performance, the Ultra has a Kirin 9010S, 12 GB of RAM and an AnTuTu score of 865,000; the 12i has a Snapdragon 680, 8 GB and 328,079.
The Ultra adds telephoto and ultrawide cameras, optical image stabilization and 4K video; the 12i lacks those two cameras and records main-camera video at 1080p at 30 fps. Its battery is 6,500 mAh versus 5,000 mAh, and charging is 100 W versus 40 W, with wireless and reverse wireless charging as well. 5G and Wi-Fi 7 are also exclusive to the nova 15 Ultra.
Huawei nova 12i
The Huawei nova 12i is the better buy for buyers who want a 108 MP main camera rather than the nova 15 Ultra’s 50 MP.
Huawei nova 15 Ultra
The Huawei nova 15 Ultra is the better buy for buyers who want a 120 Hz LTPO OLED display, 5G and 100 W charging.
The verdict
Your pick: Huawei nova 15 Ultra, ahead on Design & display, Performance & hardware, Camera, Connectivity and Battery & charging.
| Category | nova 12i | nova 15 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Design & display | 6.0 | 8.6 |
| Performance & hardware | 4.6 | 6.6 |
| Camera | 4.5 | 9.2 |
| Connectivity | 5.8 | 8.1 |
| Battery & charging | 5.8 | 9.7 |
Which one is for you?
Huawei nova 12i, if you care about…
- Weight
- 199 g
- against 209 g
Huawei nova 15 Ultra, if you care about…
- Battery Capacity
- 6,500 mAh
- against 5,000 mAh
- AnTuTu Score
- 865,000
- against 328,079
- RAM Capacity
- 12 GB
- against 8 GB
- Wi-Fi Standards
- Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g
- against Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
Specification comparison
Performance
| Specification | nova 12i | nova 15 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Processor Model | Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 | Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 9010S |
| Processor Process Size | 6 nm | 5 nm Best value |
| Graphics GPU | Qualcomm Adreno 610 | Maleoon 910 |
| Storage Type | eMMC 5.1 | — |
| Maximum CPU Clock | 2.4 GHz | 2.5 GHz Best value |
| Maximum Storage Capacity | 256 GB | 1 TB Best value |
| AnTuTu Score | 328,079 | 865,000 Best value |
| Geekbench 6 Single-Core | 416 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi-Core | 1,466 | — |
| CPU Description | Octa-core CPU with 4x2.4 GHz and 4x1.9 GHz cores. | 1xC2T Taishan V121 at 2.19 GHz + 3xC6T Taishan V121 at 2.18 GHz + 4xC4T Cortex-A510 at 1.55 GHz |
| Processor Type | Octa-Core | Deca-Core |
| 64-Bit Processor | Yes | Yes |
| RAM Capacity | 8 GB | 12 GB Best value |
| RAM Type | LPDDR4X | LPDDR4X |
| AnTuTu version | v10 | v10 |
Design
| Specification | nova 12i | nova 15 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Body Colors | Green, Black, White | Black, White, Purple, Green |
| Body Thickness | 8.4 mm | 6.8 mm Best value |
| Body Width | 74.7 mm | 78 mm |
| Body Height | 163.3 mm | 163 mm |
| Weight | 199 g Best value | 209 g |
| Usable Surface | 89.1 % | 90.4 % Best value |
| Body Materials | Plastic | Glass, Aluminium Alloy, Plastic Best value |
| Resistance Features | — | IP68, IP69 |
| Waterproof Depth | — | 2 m |
Battery
| Specification | nova 12i | nova 15 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Battery Capacity | 5,000 mAh | 6,500 mAh Best value |
| Battery Type | Li-Polymer | Si-Carbon Li-Ion Best value |
| Fast Charge Power | 40 W | 100 W Best value |
| Battery Features | Fast Charging, Non-Removable, Battery Level Indicator, Charger Included, Rechargeable | Non-Removable, Rechargeable, Fast Charging, Wireless Charging, Reverse Wireless Charging, Reverse Charging, Battery Level Indicator, Charger Included Best value |
| Wireless charging power | — | 50 W |
| Reverse wireless charging power | — | 7.5 W |
Display
| Specification | nova 12i | nova 15 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Display Aspect Ratio | 20:9 | 19.5:9 |
| Display Technology | IPS LCD | LTPO OLED Best value |
| Peak Display Brightness | — | 4,000 nits |
| Display Diagonal | 6.7″ | 6.84″ Best value |
| Display Horizontal Resolution | 1,080 px | 1,320 px Best value |
| Display Vertical Resolution | 2,388 px | 2,856 px Best value |
| Display Pixel Density | 391 ppi | 460 ppi Best value |
| Display Refresh Rate | 90 Hz | 120 Hz Best value |
| Touch Sampling Rate | 270 Hz | 300 Hz Best value |
| Display Features | Hole-Punch Notch, Curved Glass, Capacitive Touch, Multi-Touch, Frameless, 90Hz | Kunlun Glass, HDR Vivid, 2160Hz PWM, Hole-Punch Notch, DCI-P3, 10-Bit Panel, Scratch Resistant, Dual-Edge Display, LTPO, Capacitive Touch, Multi-Touch, Frameless, Variable Refresh Rate, Always-On Display |
Sensors
| Specification | nova 12i | nova 15 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Fingerprint Sensor Placement | Side | Under Display |
Sensor
| Specification | nova 12i | nova 15 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor Features | Fingerprint Sensor, Accelerometer, Compass, Gravity Sensor, Light Sensor, Virtual Proximity Sensing, Ultrasonic Proximity Sensor | Fingerprint Sensor, Accelerometer, Compass, Gyroscope, Gravity Sensor, Light Sensor, Virtual Proximity Sensing, Cooling System |
Software
| Specification | nova 12i | nova 15 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | EMUI 14 | HarmonyOS 6 |
| OS Family | EMUI | HarmonyOS |
| OS Version | 14 | 6 |
Connectivity
| Specification | nova 12i | nova 15 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| SIM Configurations | Dual Nano-SIM, Dual SIM Dual Standby, Dual SIM | Dual Nano-SIM, Dual SIM Dual Standby |
| Cellular Bands | 2G GSM 850, 2G GSM 900, 2G GSM 1800, 2G GSM 1900, 3G UMTS 1700 AWS, 3G UMTS 1900, 3G UMTS 2100, 3G UMTS 800, 3G UMTS B850, 3G UMTS B900, 3G UMTS B1, 3G UMTS B2, 3G UMTS B4, 3G UMTS B5, 3G UMTS B8, 3G UMTS B19, 4G LTE B1, 4G LTE B2, 4G LTE B3, 4G LTE B4, 4G LTE B5, 4G LTE B7, 4G LTE B8, 4G LTE B18, 4G LTE B19, 4G LTE B20, 4G LTE B26, 4G LTE B28A, 4G LTE B28B, 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 1700 AWS, 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 |
| Cellular Technologies | GSM, HSPA, UMTS, LTE | GSM, CDMA, HSPA, LTE, 5G Best value |
| Wi-Fi Standards | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g Best value |
| Wi-Fi Features | Dual Band, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, Wi-Fi Password Sharing | Dual Band, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, MIMO |
| Bluetooth Version | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 6.0 Best value |
| Bluetooth Profiles | A2DP, LE, EDR | A2DP, LE, L2HC |
| Navigation Systems | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, NavIC Best value |
| Connectivity Features | NFC, USB Type-C, USB 2.0, USB Charging, USB Mass Storage, USB Host 2.0, 3.5 mm Audio Jack, Computer Sync, OTA Sync, FM Radio, Tethering, VoLTE | USB Charging, USB Mass Storage, USB OTG, USB Host 2.0, USB Type-C, NFC, Computer Sync, OTA Sync, Tethering, Infrared, VoLTE, Virtual Proximity Sensing, Satellite Connectivity |
| USB Version | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
| Max. download speed | 390 Mbps | — |
| Max. upload speed | 150 Mbps | — |
Audio
| Specification | nova 12i | nova 15 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Features | A2DP, LE, Loudspeaker, EDR | Stereo Speakers, A2DP, LE, L2HC Best value |
Technical
| Specification | nova 12i | nova 15 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Model numbers | CTR-AL20, CTR-L81 | SLY-AL00 |
