Side-by-side technical data
Huawei nova 15 vs Huawei nova 16s
Comparison between Huawei nova 15 and Huawei nova 16s: 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 16s is the more complete choice for camera-focused buyers: it has a 50 MP telephoto and an ultrawide camera, while the nova 15's telephoto is 12 MP and it has no ultrawide. Overall, the two are closely matched, so the choice comes down to priorities.
The nova 15 uses an LTPO OLED display; the nova 16s has OLED, with a higher 1280 × 2800 px resolution and 461 ppi density against 1084 × 2412 px and 395 ppi. Their aspect ratios differ too: 20:9 on the nova 15 and 19.5:9 on the nova 16s. The nova 16s favors sharper detail, while the nova 15 offers LTPO.
The nova 16s has a 7,000 mAh battery versus 6,000 mAh in the nova 15, and both support 100 W charging. Its telephoto provides 3.3 x optical zoom against 3 x; the nova 15's lens has an f/2.4 aperture versus f/2.6. The nova 15 also uses metal in its body and a Si-Carbon Li-Ion battery, while the nova 16s has a Li-Polymer battery.
Huawei nova 15
The Huawei nova 15 suits buyers who prefer an LTPO OLED display and a Si-Carbon Li-Ion battery.
Huawei nova 16s
The Huawei nova 16s is the better buy for camera-focused buyers, with a 50 MP telephoto and an ultrawide camera.
The verdict
Your pick: Huawei nova 16s, ahead on Camera and Connectivity.
| Category | nova 15 | nova 16s |
|---|---|---|
| Design & display | 7.8 | 7.5 |
| Performance & hardware | 6.2 | 6.5 |
| Camera | 7.2 | 7.7 |
| Connectivity | 8.1 | 8.5 |
| Battery & charging | 7.4 | 7.4 |
Which one is for you?
Huawei nova 15, if you care about…
- Display Technology
- LTPO OLED
- against OLED
- Body Materials
- Glass, Plastic, Metal
- against Glass, Plastic
- Battery Type
- Si-Carbon Li-Ion
- against Li-Polymer
Huawei nova 16s, if you care about…
- Battery Capacity
- 7,000 mAh
- against 6,000 mAh
- Display Pixel Density
- 461 ppi
- against 395 ppi
- Display Horizontal Resolution
- 1,280 px
- against 1,084 px
- Display Vertical Resolution
- 2,800 px
- against 2,412 px
Specification comparison
Performance
| Specification | nova 15 | nova 16s |
|---|---|---|
| Processor Model | Huawei Kirin 8020 | Huawei Kirin 8020 |
| Processor Process Size | 6 nm | 5 nm Best value |
| Graphics GPU | Maleoon 920 | Maleoon 910 |
| Maximum CPU Clock | 2.29 GHz | 2.5 GHz Best value |
| Maximum Storage Capacity | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| AnTuTu Score | 742,000 | 1,013,800 |
| Geekbench 6 Single-Core | 1,350 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi-Core | 3,570 | — |
| CPU Description | 1x2.29 GHz + 3x2.05 GHz + 4x1.3 GHz | 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 | 12 GB | 12 GB |
| RAM Type | LPDDR4X | LPDDR4X |
| AnTuTu version | v10 | v11 |
Design
| Specification | nova 15 | nova 16s |
|---|---|---|
| Body Colors | Black, White, Purple, Green | Black, White, Blue, Pink, Purple, Cyan |
| Body Thickness | 7.2 mm Best value | 7.3 mm |
| Body Width | 75.5 mm | 75.5 mm |
| Body Height | 161.9 mm | 159.6 mm |
| Weight | 196 g Best value | 199 g |
| Usable Surface | 88.6 % | 90.3 % Best value |
| Body Materials | Glass, Plastic, Metal Best value | Glass, Plastic |
| Resistance Features | IP65 | IP65 |
Battery
| Specification | nova 15 | nova 16s |
|---|---|---|
| Battery Capacity | 6,000 mAh | 7,000 mAh Best value |
| Battery Type | Si-Carbon Li-Ion Best value | Li-Polymer |
| Fast Charge Power | 100 W | 100 W |
| Battery Features | Fast Charging, Reverse Charging, Non-Removable, Rechargeable, Battery Level Indicator, Charger Included | Fast Charging, Reverse Charging, Non-Removable |
Display
| Specification | nova 15 | nova 16s |
|---|---|---|
| Display Aspect Ratio | 20:9 | 19.5:9 |
| Display Technology | LTPO OLED Best value | OLED |
| Display Diagonal | 6.7″ Best value | 6.68″ |
| Display Horizontal Resolution | 1,084 px | 1,280 px Best value |
| Display Vertical Resolution | 2,412 px | 2,800 px Best value |
| Display Pixel Density | 395 ppi | 461 ppi Best value |
| Display Refresh Rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Touch Sampling Rate | 300 Hz | 300 Hz |
| Display Features | Aluminosilicate Glass, HDR Vivid, 120Hz, 2160Hz PWM, Hole-Punch Notch, SGS Certified, DCI-P3, Scratch Resistant, Dual-Edge Display, Capacitive Touch, Multi-Touch, Frameless, LTPO, Always-On Display | Aluminosilicate Glass, HDR Vivid, Hole-Punch Notch, SGS Certified, 2160Hz PWM, DCI-P3, Capacitive Touch, Multi-Touch, Frameless, LTPO, Scratch Resistant |
Sensors
| Specification | nova 15 | nova 16s |
|---|---|---|
| Fingerprint Sensor Placement | Side | Side |
Sensor
| Specification | nova 15 | nova 16s |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor Features | Fingerprint Sensor, Accelerometer, Compass, Gyroscope, Gravity Sensor, Light Sensor, Cooling System, Virtual Proximity Sensing | Fingerprint Sensor, Accelerometer, Compass, Gravity Sensor, Gyroscope, Light Sensor, Cooling System, Virtual Proximity Sensing |
Software
| Specification | nova 15 | nova 16s |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | HarmonyOS 6 | Android 16 |
| OS Family | HarmonyOS | Android |
| OS Version | 6 | 16 |
Connectivity
| Specification | nova 15 | nova 16s |
|---|---|---|
| SIM Configurations | Dual Nano-SIM, Dual SIM Dual Standby | Dual Nano-SIM, Dual SIM Dual Standby |
| 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 | 2G GSM 850, 2G GSM 900, 2G GSM 1800, 2G GSM 1900, 3G UMTS 800, 3G UMTS B850, 3G UMTS B900, 3G UMTS 1700 AWS, 3G UMTS 1900, 3G UMTS 2100, 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 B12, 4G LTE B13, 4G LTE B17, 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 B40, 4G LTE B41, 4G LTE B66, 5G NR n1, 5G NR n2, 5G NR n3, 5G NR n5, 5G NR n7, 5G NR n8, 5G NR n20, 5G NR n28a, 5G NR n28b, 5G NR n38, 5G NR n40, 5G NR n41, 5G NR n66, 5G NR n71, 5G NR n77, 5G NR n78, 5G NR n80, 5G NR n81, 5G NR n82, 5G NR n83A, 5G NR n83B, 5G NR n84 |
| Cellular Technologies | GSM, CDMA, HSPA, LTE, 5G | GSM, HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| 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 | 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) |
| Wi-Fi Features | Dual Band, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, MIMO | Dual Band, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wi-Fi Display, MIMO |
| Bluetooth Version | Bluetooth 6.0 | Bluetooth 6.0 |
| Bluetooth Profiles | A2DP, LE, L2HC | A2DP, LE, L2HC |
| Navigation Systems | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, NavIC | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS, Galileo, NavIC |
| Connectivity Features | Virtual Proximity Sensing, Infrared, NFC, USB Type-C, USB 2.0, USB OTG, Computer Sync, OTA Sync, Tethering, VoLTE, USB Charging, USB Mass Storage, USB Host 2.0, Satellite Connectivity | Virtual Proximity Sensing, Infrared, NFC, USB Type-C, USB OTG, Computer Sync, OTA Sync, Tethering, VoLTE, USB Charging, USB Mass Storage, USB Host 2.0, Satellite Connectivity |
| USB Version | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
Audio
| Specification | nova 15 | nova 16s |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Features | Stereo Speakers, A2DP, LE, L2HC | Stereo Speakers |
Technical
| Specification | nova 15 | nova 16s |
|---|---|---|
| Model numbers | PSN-AL00 | EMA-LX9 |
