Side-by-side technical data
Huawei nova 12i vs Huawei nova 16 Ultra
Comparison between Huawei nova 12i and Huawei nova 16 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 16 Ultra is the more complete choice for buyers seeking stronger cameras, more performance and a larger battery: its overall NeoScore is 8.2 versus 5.3 for the nova 12i. The nova 12i has one clear appeal for anyone who prefers a lighter phone: 199 g versus 220 g.
The nova 16 Ultra’s LTPO OLED display runs at 120 Hz, compared with 90 Hz on the nova 12i’s IPS LCD, and provides 460 ppi versus 391 ppi. Its main camera pairs 200 MP with a 1/1.28″ sensor and optical image stabilization; the nova 12i has 108 MP and a 1/1.67″ sensor. The Ultra also adds telephoto and ultrawide cameras, which the 12i lacks. For performance, it scores 1,013,800 in AnTuTu versus 328,079 and has 12 GB of RAM versus 8 GB.
The nova 16 Ultra’s 7,000 mAh battery is larger than the nova 12i’s 5,000 mAh battery, charges at 100 W versus 40 W, and supports wireless and reverse wireless charging. It also has 5G and Wi-Fi 7, while the 12i tops out at LTE and Wi-Fi 5. The nova 12i suits buyers who put a lower weight first; the Ultra brings the more substantial upgrades.
Huawei nova 12i
The Huawei nova 12i is the better buy for anyone prioritizing a lighter phone: it weighs 199 g, compared with 220 g for the nova 16 Ultra.
Huawei nova 16 Ultra
The Huawei nova 16 Ultra is the better buy for buyers seeking more versatile cameras, with a 200 MP main sensor, telephoto and ultrawide cameras.
The verdict
Your pick: Huawei nova 16 Ultra, ahead on Design & display, Performance & hardware, Camera, Connectivity and Battery & charging.
| Category | nova 12i | nova 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Design & display | 6.0 | 8.4 |
| Performance & hardware | 4.6 | 6.5 |
| Camera | 4.5 | 8.3 |
| Connectivity | 5.8 | 8.5 |
| Battery & charging | 5.8 | 9.7 |
Which one is for you?
Huawei nova 12i, if you care about…
- Weight
- 199 g
- against 220 g
Huawei nova 16 Ultra, if you care about…
- Battery Capacity
- 7,000 mAh
- against 5,000 mAh
- AnTuTu Score
- 1,013,800
- 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 16 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 | 1,013,800 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. | 2xC2T Taishan V121 at 2.50 GHz, 6xC6T Taishan V121 at 2.05 GHz, and 4xC4T Cortex-A510 at 1.50 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 | v11 |
Design
| Specification | nova 12i | nova 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Body Colors | Green, Black, White | Black, White, Blue |
| Body Thickness | 8.4 mm | 7.1 mm Best value |
| Body Width | 74.7 mm | 78 mm |
| Body Height | 163.3 mm | 163 mm |
| Weight | 199 g Best value | 220 g |
| Usable Surface | 89.1 % | 90.4 % Best value |
| Body Materials | Plastic | Glass, Aluminium Alloy, Leather Best value |
| Resistance Features | — | IP68, IP69 |
| Waterproof Depth | — | 2 m |
Battery
| Specification | nova 12i | nova 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Battery Capacity | 5,000 mAh | 7,000 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 | Fast Charging, Wireless Charging, Reverse Wireless Charging, Reverse Charging, Non-Removable, Rechargeable, Battery Level Indicator, Charger Included Best value |
| Wireless charging power | — | 50 W |
| Reverse wireless charging power | — | 7.5 W |
Display
| Specification | nova 12i | nova 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Display Aspect Ratio | 20:9 | 19.5:9 |
| Display Technology | IPS LCD | LTPO OLED Best value |
| Peak Display Brightness | — | 6,000 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 | Hole-Punch Notch, SGS Certified, 2160Hz PWM, HDR Vivid, DCI-P3, Scratch Resistant, Dual-Edge Display, Kunlun Glass, Capacitive Touch, Multi-Touch, Frameless, LTPO |
Sensors
| Specification | nova 12i | nova 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Fingerprint Sensor Placement | Side | Under Display |
Sensor
| Specification | nova 12i | nova 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor Features | Fingerprint Sensor, Accelerometer, Compass, Gravity Sensor, Light Sensor, Virtual Proximity Sensing, Ultrasonic Proximity Sensor | Fingerprint Sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Gravity Sensor, Light Sensor, Cooling System, Virtual Proximity Sensing |
Software
| Specification | nova 12i | nova 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | EMUI 14 | HarmonyOS 6 |
| OS Family | EMUI | HarmonyOS |
| OS Version | 14 | 6 |
Connectivity
| Specification | nova 12i | nova 16 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 800, 3G UMTS B850, 3G UMTS B900, 3G UMTS 1700 AWS, 3G UMTS 1900, 3G UMTS 2100, 3G UMTS B1, 3G UMTS B4, 3G UMTS B5, 3G UMTS B8, 3G UMTS B19, 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, HSPA, UMTS, LTE | GSM, 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 | Virtual Proximity Sensing, Satellite Connectivity, Infrared, NFC, USB Charging, USB Mass Storage, USB OTG, USB Host 2.0, USB Type-C, Computer Sync, OTA Sync, Tethering, VoLTE |
| USB Version | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
| Max. download speed | 390 Mbps | — |
| Max. upload speed | 150 Mbps | — |
Audio
| Specification | nova 12i | nova 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Features | A2DP, LE, Loudspeaker, EDR | Stereo Speakers, A2DP, LE, L2HC Best value |
Technical
| Specification | nova 12i | nova 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Model numbers | CTR-AL20, CTR-L81 | HIP-AL00 |
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