#SmartphonesFaceoff: OnePlus 6 v/s Huawei Nova 3
What's the story
In India's mid-premium smartphone segment, Huawei has launched Nova 3 for Rs. 34,999 (6GB/128GB) to compete against the likes of Honor 10, ASUS ZenFone 5Z and the well-established OnePlus 6.
Here, we compare to find how Nova 3 fares against OnePlus 6 which also starts at Rs. 34,999 (6GB/64GB storage).
Design
At a glance
Up front, both smArtphones feature notch-based displays with slim bottom bezels. However, the notch on OnePlus 6 is slimmer compared to Nova 3, as the latter houses dual front cameras.
On the back, both phones come with glass panels and vertically-stacked cameras.
Notably, OnePlus 6 offers a premium finish while Nova 3 offers a striking purple back or basic black.
None is a clear winner in the design department.
Display
All about the screen
Nova 3 sports a 6.3-inch (1080x2340 pixels) full HD+ IPS LCD display with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and about 409 ppi density.
The OnePlus 6 features a 6.28-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080x2280 pixels, 19:9 aspect ratio and a pixel density of 402ppi.
The difference isn't significant but OnePlus 6 offers deeper blacks, thanks to its AMOLED display.
Primary Camera
For the shutterbugs
On the back, Nova 3 gets a 16MP+24MP dual camera setup with an f/1.8 aperture for both sensors and support for PDAF, EIS, and AI scene recognition.
On the other hand, OnePlus 6 has a dual-rear camera setup featuring 20MP+16MP sensors with OIS and EIS, and f/1.7 aperture for both sensors.
OnePlus 6 has an advantage of OIS and wider aperture.
Selfie Camera
For the love of Selfies
OnePlus 6 sports a 16MP f/2.0 sensor with EIS and AI-based Portrait photography, while Nova 3 gets a 24MP+2MP setup which offers AI-based features such as Portrait mode.
Here, Nova 3 has a clear edge considering it uses the 2MP sensor for providing optical depth as against just the software enhancements offered by the OnePlus 6.
Internals
All the important stuff
OnePlus 6 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage (this variant), while Nova 3 gets an octa-core Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 970 chipset, paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage (expandable up to 256GB).
Clearly, Nova 3 has an advantage as it offers more storage than OnePlus 6 and also supports microSD card which OnePlus 6 doesn't.
Sensors & Software
Lifeblood of your smartphone
Both the smartphones come with an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, digital compass, gyroscope, proximity sensor, a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.
Further, Nova 3 comes with IR Face Unlock while OnePlus flagship uses the front camera for facial unlocking.
Moreover, OnePlus 6 runs Android 8.1 Oreo-based near stock OxygenOS 5.1 while Nova 3 runs Android Oreo-based EMUI 8.2.
It's a personal choice in terms of software.
Battery & Connectivity
Staying connected
Both Nova 3 and OnePlus 6 support VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11a/c, GPS/A-GPS, USB Type-C and headphone jack. However, Nova 3 comes with Bluetooth v.4.2 while OnePlus 6 gets Bluetooth v5.0, meaning better connectivity and increased range.
Moreover, Nova 3 packs a 3,750mAh battery with support for fast charging while OnePlus 6 gets a 3,300mAh battery with Dash charging.
Winner: Nova 3 for the bigger battery.
Our result
How things stack up!
At Rs. 34,999, Nova 3 is a better option when compared to the entry-level OnePlus 6 as it offers extra storage, bigger battery, and better selfie camera.
However, OnePlus 6 comes with upto 8GB RAM and upto 256GB storage while Nova 3 is offered in a single configuration (6GB/128GB).
That said, if budget is not a constraint, OnePlus 6 (with higher configuration) is a good pick.