Huawei Nova 9: an Android without Google, but Super Device instead
21.10.2021
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
The Huawei Nova 9 tends towards the upper bracket in terms of hardware performance. More exciting than the hardware, however, is its software, an area where Huawei can really go wild.
Huawei has become increasingly quiet. Political turmoil with the U.S. and a trade embargo with the nation, then still under President Donald Trump, took a lot of wind out of the Chinese company’s sails.
But not all of it. While fans are still eagerly awaiting the Huawei P50 Pro with its Leica lenses, Huawei introduced the Nova 9. Some competition for the Oppo Reno 6 Pro then, as the Nova 9 does share quite a few hardware traits.
Still, the Nova’s hardware isn’t that exciting. You can definitely tell there’s been a crisis behind the scenes. The software is much more scintillating. After all, the Nova 9 is the first Huawei smartphone that comes with Emui 12. This doesn’t just herald an updated user interface, but also a strong integration into its own ecosystem with the so-called Super Device.
The hardware: plagued by setbacks, but still going
After checking the Nova 9’s specs for the first time, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. There’s no 5G, as Huawei is currently not allowed to do that either. Hence, a Snapdragon 778. The question now is: how did Huawei manage to get U.S.-based Qualcomm to sell them Snapdragons? Huawei hasn’t given us an answer for the time being.
Still, this couldn’t be a flagship. Just look at the rest of the specs on the Nova 9. There’s a 6.57-inch diagonal 120 Hz OLED screen with 10-bit colour depth and a 1080 × 2340 resolution. Plus: 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory.
The camera isn’t made by Leica, but it still sounds promising. Its selfie cam has 32 megapixels, and four lenses are installed at the back.
- 50 megapixel main camera
- 8 megapixel wide-angle lens
- 2 megapixel depth sensor
- 2 megapixel macro lens
The whole thing is powered by a 4300 mAh battery that can be powered with 66 watts. A charger comes included.
The software: Android stays, for now. With Emui on top
The Huawei Nova 9 ships with Android 11, but without Google Services. And don’t worry that Android might disappear overnight and be replaced by either HarmonyOS or nothing at all. No update of this magnitude can be launched on its own. Android doesn’t allow that. And once something is installed on your phone, it can’t be uninstalled that easily. Apps are provided by the App Gallery, which is growing visibly and now has pretty much all the key programs you’ll need. There are still some banking apps missing, but they’ll come soon enough.
Huawei has superimposed its Emui 12 user interface over Android. Not only does it make Android look different, providing things such as app folders that you can enlarge, but also the «Super Device» feature.
A Super Device is a collection of devices that behave as if they are one. Models that are in Huawei’s ecosystem can freely communicate with each other via NFC after a one-time authorisation. I already tested a pre-release version of Super Device on a P40 Pro, a Huawei Watch, Freebuds and a Matebook. And it looks promising.
The connections aren’t displayed in some complicated menu, but with a diagram.
Source: Huawei
Devices in the inner circle, near the centre, are connected. The grey devices outside can be connected to the central device by drag and drop. Going by Huawei, this should be a smartphone, since you always carry it with you.
Politically and technologically exciting
The specs on Huawei’s Nova 9 won’t blow anyone away. The price, however, is notable.
Sure, I am wondering what the camera can do and how long the battery will last. However, the big question surrounding the Nova isn’t just to do with hardware, but software especially. Super Device sounds exciting, granting you a lot of control over what gets to communicate with whom and where.
See you again in our test. Or hack, if necessary.
Hacking the Huawei Nova 9
Want to add Google Services to the Huawei Nova 9?
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Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
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