The start of 2025 marks the return of a popular smartphone from HUAWEI Philippines under its nova series line-up. Unveiled are two new models the HUAWEI nova 13 and HUAWEI nova 13 Pro.
We had the opportunity to get hands-on experience with the HUAWEI nova 13 Pro, a new mid-range smartphone designed for selfie enthusiasts and those who seek a balance of performance and elegance in one device.
The HUAWEI nova 13 Pro boasts cutting-edge features, AI capabilities, and places a strong emphasis on design, introducing a fresh and appealing look that is sure to captivate younger users.
Price and Availability
Pre-orders for the new HUAWEI nova 13 series will run from January 17 to 30, 2025. Customers who pre-order will receive a FREE WATCH GT 4 valued at PHP 12,999. Below are the suggested retail prices for the HUAWEI nova 13 series:
- HUAWEI nova 13 Pro (Black and Green) – PHP 32,999
- HUAWEI nova 13 – Black, Green and White – PHP 24,999
There is a PHP1,000 Early Bird Voucher for the HUAWEI nova 13 and nova 13 Pro (Black, Green, and White) available for Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok. The voucher can be collected from January 17 to February 28 and redeemed during the same period.
Now, let’s dive in to the review!
Unboxing
Clad in an all-white matte box finish, the packaging design of the HUAWEI nova 13 Pro is simple yet the material used is durable which is made from thick cardboard material.
The top cover box features a few printed elements, including the model name, nova logo, HUAWEI logo, and AppGallery icon which is all accentuated with a striking UV foil lamination. On one side of the box, you’ll find a sticker displaying the IMEI numbers, company information, specifications, and certification marks.
Upon opening the top cover, the phone is the first item you’ll immediately see, it’s wrapped in a protective plastic material. Beneath the phone lies a separate carton box containing some of the included accessories, with a few more additional accessories placed just bellow it.
All items included in the box are as follows:
- HUAWEI nova 13 Pro Unit
- SIM Ejector Tool
- Clear Protective Case
- USB-A to USB-C Cable
- 100W Power Adapter
A screen protector is already pre-applied to the phone, you can use it immediately out of the box without needing to purchase one.
Design and Build Quality
The design of the HUAWEI nova 13 Pro is sleek and premium that features double-sided quad curved sides and rounded corners with overall dimensions of 163.4 x 74.9 x 7.82 mm. While holding the phone for extended periods may feel slightly hefty due to its 209 gram weight including the battery, but it still remains manageable and comfortable to use.
You can choose between three available colorways in Black, White and our review unit in Loden Green, the brand’s signature color.
The back panel design is one of the standout features of this phone, as HUAWEI introduces a multidimensional Plaid-Rhythm design to the new nova 13 series. A plaid design is usually an interwoven pattern compose of stripes in different sizes in horizontal and vertical lines, crossing at right angles
We liked the effect whenever light hits the back panel and when tilted sideways, the interwoven patterns reveal beautiful green hues with vertical and horizontal line patterns that shift and enhanced by a shimmering effect.
The elongated pill-shaped camera module or the Super Star Orbit Ring, located at the top left corner, features a slightly raised camera bump that seamlessly integrates with the back panel’s design. If you look closely on the silver outer ring if the camera module, the nova logo is meticulously etched that adds a sophisticated touch.
It houses four camera openings neatly arranged in a square formation along with two LED flash placed on the top and bottom. They are encased with a 5D glass material which also adds elegance to the camera module’s aesthetics.
Finally, a silver foil finish on the nova logo is positioned at the bottom of the phone to add a touch of sophistication to its design.
The bottom edge holds the SIM card tray, microphone, speaker grille, and USB-C port to charge and transfer files from the phone.
Another secondary microphone and speaker grille is placed on the top edge.
On the right side edge you get access for your volume buttons and power/lock button.
The left edge is entirely clean as it showcase the sleek silver frame material in this area.
On the front panel, the HUAWEI nova 13 Pro has thin bezels all-around the curved glass display making it look more premium and maximizing the screen-to-body ratio for an immersive viewing experience from watching videos, playing games or browsing the web.
The front-facing camera gets a pill-shaped cutout at the top center that houses the new two selfie camera lenses. So far, the cutout design is not distracting when we watch videos or play games, we still get a good immersive experience on the screen.
For additional durability, the phone has an IP54 rating against limited dust and water splashes only, luckily, HUAWEI provided a clear plastic case and a screen protective film for the display. This is good enough to prevent scratches and accidental drops.
Display
The HUAWEI nova 13 Pro is equipped with a large screen at 6.76-inch LTPO OLED display with a 1.5K resolution of 2776 x 1224 pixels and a high pixel density of 449ppi to produce better image quality.
Video content viewed on the display is truly an immersive experience, as the screen supports up to 1 billion colors and HDR technology for that lifelike color reproduction.
The adaptive 120Hz refresh rate automatically adjusts based on the content being displayed, it helps to reduce power consumption and extend battery life of the phone. The high refresh rate also ensures smooth transitions and an improved scrolling experience when playing mobile games, especially FPS titles, and web browsing.
You can customize the color mode and temperature in the display settings by choosing between Normal or Vivid, both offering a wide range of color gamuts. Plus, users can also adjust the color temperature from default, warm, or cool options. This array of settings allows you to tailor the screen’s appearance to suit your personal preference and visual comfort for the type of video content you are viewing.
Overall, we liked the screen’s brightness and image quality as it delivers vibrant colors with good details.
For visual health, the HUAWEI nova 13 Pro has integrated an AI Eye Comfort Display feature (2160Hz PWM Dimming) on this device that intelligently recognizes image content to automatically adjusting brightness, contrast, and color tones to optimize viewing comfort.
Some other eye comfort features on the phone are an eBook mode that turns the screen into black and white to reduce eye strain and make reading more comfortable. If you want to avoid a grayscale display, the Eye Comfort mode offers a convenient solution which you can schedule it and manually adjust the blue light levels to create a warmer tone to help reduce eye strain and fatigue.
Performance
At the core of the HUAWEI nova 13 Pro, it is powered by a Kirin 8000 processor with maximum clock speeds up to 2.4 GHz. It is paired with a Maleoon 910 for its GPU.
The internal memory is supported by 12GB of RAM with an additional 3GB of virtual RAM to assist in running large programs and switch apps easily.
The 512GB internal storage of the phone is pretty big enough to save all your photos, videos, apps and other important files. The storage of the phone is no longer expandable in case you want more space. However, you can use alternatives like a portable hard drive to store your files via the USB-C port.
Here are the benchmark scores we got for the HUAWEI nova 13 Pro.
- GeekBench 6 CPU: 933 Single Core / 2698 Multi-Core
- GeekBench 6 GPU: 2058 OpenCL Score
- CPDT: 696.08 MB/s Write, 1.32 GB/s Read
- PCMark: 9048 Work 3.0 Performance
- 3DMark: 3571 Wild Life (21.39 fps)
HUAWEI nova 13 Pro Benchmark Scores
In our day-to-day experience with the phone, it consistently delivered impressive performance across a variety of activities. Multitasking was a breeze, and switching between apps was smooth. So far, we have encountered no noticeable slowdowns, lags, or stutters during usage.
We easily edited videos using the CapCut app for our social media posts and enhanced photos when needed.
Playing graphic-intensive games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, COD, etc., performed well with stable frame rates and manageable temperatures. Casual games posed no problem for this device.
As for the sound quality of the HUAWEI nova 13 Pro, it’s pretty good. The voice is clear, and the mid-tones and highs come out nicely. You can hear a slight bass, and the audio is well-balanced and equal from the phone due to the speaker grille placed at both edges.
For confirming payments and add a layer of security when unlocking the phone, you have two biometrics a face recognition and an in-display fingerprint reader plus a regular 6-digit lockscreen password.
Camera and Photo Samples
Focusing on the camera capabilities of the HUAWEI nova 13 Pro, the rear has a triple camera setup comprising a 50MP main camera paired with a physical Adjustable Aperture that has a range from F/1.4, F/2.0, F/2.8, and F/4.0.
The other camera lenses are a 12 MP Telephoto Portrait Camera with F/2.4 aperture and an 8MP ultra-wide macro camera with F/2.2 aperture.
The main camera and telephoto portrait camera is equipped with an OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) to lessen hand shakes and improve video quality.
The front-facing camera is another standout feature of this model, and I can say it is one of the best selfie portrait cameras on the market that I have tried.
It is fitted with dual camera lens with a 60MP ultra-wide lens at F/2.4 aperture with autofocus and an 8MP close-up portrait camera with F/2.2 aperture.
The phone supports a wide range of focal lengths on both rear and front cameras to be able to capture from various distance and scenarios. The rear camera has a total of five focal zoom lengths with a 0.6x, 1x, 2x, 3x, and 5x.
Other phones have around 2 to 3 zoom options on their front camera, but on the nova 13 Pro you’re getting the highest multifocal capabilities for your selfies from a wide to zoom. It has a total of four focal lengths 0.7x, 0.8x 1x, and a 2x zoom if you need to show face details especially for makeup. With the 0.7x , there’s no need to stretch your arm too far to capture group selfies, but if you do, you can include even more of your background.
Watch the video to see the impressive wide-angle capabilities of the HUAWEI nova 13 Pro’s camera
The camera app of the HUAWEI nova 13 Pro features a simple user interface with all the functions properly placed and easy to access.
At the top of the viewfinder, you can enable camera functions such as AI Mode, Moving Picture, Flash, Color Filter, and Settings. However, they have now added a shortcut arrow just below the shutter button for easier access to these features especially when using the camera with one hand. Additionally, the Aspect Ratio and Assistive Grid options have been included which is more convenient.
By default, you have six available shooting modes ready on the camera app with Aperture, Portrait, Photo, Video, Vlog, and a Night mode for low light conditions. Tapping the more options will give you another set of shooting modes with PRO, Slow-Mo, Panorama, Time-Lapse, Documents, SuperMacro, High-Res, and Story Creator.
Check out these sample photos we’ve captured on the HUAWEI nova 13 Pro.
0.6x,1x, 2x, 3x, 5x Photo Mode, Main Camera, Outdoor, Sunny Weather
2x Photo Mode, Main Camera, Indoor, Ambient Lighting
2x Portrait Mode, Main Camera, Indoor, Ambient Lighting
1x Photo Mode, Main Camera, Indoor, Ambient Lighting
3x Photo Mode, Main Camera Outdoor, Cloudy Weather
0.6x,1x, 2x, 3x, 5x Photo Mode, Main Camera, Outdoor, Low Lighting
0.7x Photo Mode, Front Camera, Indoor, Low Lighting
0.7x, 0.8x,1x, 2x Selfie Portrait, Front Camera, Outdoor, Sunny Weather
3x Photo Mode, Main Camera, Outdoor, Sunny Weather
1x Photo Mode with adjusted Brightness, Main Camera Outdoor, Low Lighting
Embedded in the HUAWEI nova 13 Pro’s camera app is an AI eraser tool, perfect for removing unwanted objects or people from a photo.
AI Best Expression Feature
We often encounter challenges when taking group selfies, such as someone in the photo having their eyes closed or one of your friends did an awkward expression ruining that nice shot.
Debuting on the HUAWEI nova 13 Pro is the AI Best Expression feature. With just a tap on a person’s face together with the help of AI technology, it provides multiple face expression options of that individual in your photos. Once you select the desired expression, it blends in and swaps the face into the photo.
A few notes when using the AI Best Expression feature, it cannot be applied to group photos with more than 15 people, and only expressions with consistent angles and minimal changes can be detected to ensure a natural effect.
The camera app also offers three Portrait Styles with Natural, Delicate, and Stylish to allow users to enhance selfies and tailor the look to match your desired aesthetic. I prefer the Delicate style as it neatly refines more of the texture like facial details, hair texture, and a slight color effect.
The main camera can produce images that are vibrant, well-exposed with excellent color reproduction and contrast when shot in good lighting condition or the ambient lighting of an indoor area is bright. The included OIS feature in the camera is a great help to reduce motion blur for images to be sharp. In low lighting situations, the photos turned out decent with the noise levels are reduced, but still has details, and colors are fine though we could see from the image quality some softening upon close inspection.
The ultra-wide performs well in good lighting conditions almost matches the quality of the main sensor in terms of sharpness and the colors are vibrant with more of a blue-ish side during well-lit conditions.
For portrait photography, the zoom’s focal length capabilities can capture more close-up shots and depth producing natural-looking bokeh’s, clear facial details, and good edge detection of the subject.
The front camera does a great job, especially with HUAWEI’s XD Portrait Engine, which helps enhance the quality of our selfies to create more natural-looking self-portraits without the need for a generic filter. Photos came out with clear facial details, natural skin color, and the wide 0.7x has no lens distortion.
Recording videos with the nova 13 Pro offers impressive resolutions, with both the rear and front cameras capable of shooting at a maximum of 4K 30fps, as well as 1080p and 720p at two frame rate options a 30fps or 60fps for smoother footage.
The ability to record ultra-wide shots with the rear camera is available at 4K resolution. For selfie videos, you can use the 0.7x focal length, which is ideal for vlogging, especially when capturing beautiful landscapes or backgrounds.
Software
The HUAWEI nova 13 Pro operates on the latest EMUI 14.2, offering a clean and user-friendly experience.
It has minimal bloatware, and you’ll find the common apps there such as the phone, text, gallery, weather, etc., along with HUAWEI’s proprietary apps.
You can customize the phone by changing wallpapers, selecting theme designs, adjusting icons or fonts, enabling an always-on display, and using Magazine Unlock to display different high-resolution images on the lock screen each time it is turned on.
I’m glad that installing the essential Google apps and other social media apps has become much easier and less of a hassle on the nova 13 Pro. Through the AppGallery, you can install Gmail, Google Maps, Google Drive, YouTube, Instagram, and more.
If some apps are not available, you can use GBox, another app that allows easy access to Google apps or services, and other common apps. There might be instances where you need to download an APK file to install an app, but so far, I’ve encountered no issues with this process.
The software also comes with a few smart features for productivity, cross device collaboration, or file synchronization between multiple devices.
- SuperHub – Drag text, images, and files on a docking area to temporarily store it and then drag the respective item, or all items, to other apps as needed.
- SuperDevice – It connects and integrates the phone with other HUAWEI devices for multitasking, file sharing, and device control for a more seamless experience.
- Multi-Window – Allows two apps to run side by side simultaneously for better multitasking.
- Floating Windows – Can resize or move an open apps in a window format over other content without interrupting your current task.
Battery Life
The HUAWEI nova 13 Pro is equipped with a 5,000 mAh battery and it comes with 100W fast charging support with HUAWEI’s SuperCharge Turbo technology, a notch above its predecessor.
HUAWEI claims with the 100W SuperCharge Turbo the phone can charge up its massive battery to 50% in just 9 minutes only.
You can charge the phone faster with HUAWEI’s Turbo Charging mode and don’t worry, it’s safe and very efficient to quickly juice up the HUAWEI nova 13 Pro in no time. To activate Turbo Charging mode, a charging animation will appear as soon as you plug in the phone with the included power adapter. Simply touch and hold the center of the screen to enable the Turbo Charging feature.
In our test, we started charging the phone with an 11% battery remaining, using Turbo Charging mode and in just 15 minutes, the battery reached 66% already. It took us only around 32 minutes to fully charge the phone from 11% to 100%.
Even with the 100W SuperCharge Turbo, the phone’s temperature remains stable, with minimal warmth on the back panel. This was possible thanks to its AI-powered temperature control to manage battery heat.
In case you want to extend your phone’s battery life, you can enable the Power Saving mode and maintain the quality of the battery with the Smart Charge and Custom Charging Limit options.
During my personal usage, the phone lasted up to two days with 8% battery remaining, even while I used it extensively to cover events I attended mainly for taking photos and videos and updating my social media platforms for posting afterwards. Heavy users might find the battery lasting only a full day, but there’s no need to worry, the phone’s 100W Turbo Charging capability will quickly recharge it in no time.
What We Like
- New Plaid Rhythm Design
- Large, Sharp and Vibrant Display
- 120Hz Refresh Rate
- AI Eye Comfort Feature
- Large Storage Capacity
- 12GB RAM with Virtual RAM Expansion
- Great Cameras
- Multi-Focal Lengths and Adjustable Aperture
- 4K and 1080p Video Recording
- AI Best Expression
- 100W Fast Charging
- Turbo Charging Feature
- Google Apps Working
- SuperHub and SuperDevice
What We Want
- Kirin 9000 Series Chipset
- Expandable Storage
- 5mm Audio Port
- More AI Editing Tools
Conclusion
As I wrap up my hands-on experience with the HUAWEI nova 13 Pro, I can confidently say it’s a device that strikes a compelling balance between style, performance, and innovation. From the new design elements like the sleek plaid-rhythm back panel, to the new camera features, and improved battery life. It’s clear that HUAWEI poured all-out effort into creating something that stands out in the competitive mid-range smartphone market.
The selfie-centric camera on the phone on the front and back paired with a high megapixel lens is ideal for content creators and social media enthusiasts especially with the wide range of focal zoom lengths and portrait modes. It allows for users the quality in their photos and videos look sharp and professional.
Another thing that impressed me, though, was how well the nova 13 Pro handled day-to-day tasks. Whether it was multitasking between apps, editing videos, or gaming, the device consistently delivered a smooth experience without breaking a sweat. And let’s not forget the battery capacity at 5,000mAh has a 100W Turbo Charging feature. It’s already a game-changer for those of us who are always on the go. In less than an hour, the phone was ready to tackle a full day of activity.
For those who are still concerned about the lack of support for Google tools and services on the HUAWEI nova 13 Pro, it’s time to set those worries aside. The HUAWEI AppGallery now allows you to install essential Google apps, and the GBox app serves as a reliable platform for accessing other apps you may need.
If you’re in search for a phone that combines aesthetic appeal with functionality, the HUAWEI nova 13 Pro is definitely worth considering. The phone feels like a reliable companion that adapts to your needs, whether for productivity, making your creative content, or pure entertainment. The HUAWEI nova 13 Pro is another great mid-range phone that any user will truly like.
Pricing and Availability
The HUAWEI nova 13 Pro in Black and Loden Green retails at PHP 32,999 and is available for pre-order on Shopee, Lazada, TikTok, HUAWEI Online Store, and HUAWEI Experience Stores nationwide. Get a freebie HUAWEI WATCH GT 4 (worth PHP 12,999) when you pre-order the HUAWEI nova 13 Pro from January 17 to 30.
Valued at PHP 24,999, the HUAWEI nova 13 is available for pre-order on Shopee, Lazada, TikTok, HUAWEI Online Store, and HUAWEI Experience Stores nationwide. Pre-order the HUAWEI nova 14 from January 17 to 30 and receive a freebie HUAWEI WATCH GT 4 (worth PHP 12,999).
Secure your HUAWEI nova 13 Pro and HUAWEI nova 13 early by paying a deposit of PHP 500 until January 16 and get PHP 1,500 off when you pay your balance from January 17 to January 24. Collect early bird vouchers worth PHP 1,000 on Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok from January 17 to February 28. Vouchers will also be redeemable from January 17 to 28.
The HUAWEI nova 13i is an online exclusive and available in Blue and White for PHP 12,999 on Shopee, Lazada, TikTok, and HUAWEI Online Store. Purchase the HUAWEI nova 13i online and get a freebie HUAWEI FreeBuds SE 2 (worth PHP 1,599). Collect vouchers from January 17 to February 15 to get PHP 1,000 off your purchase. Vouchers are redeemable from January 17 to January 15.
Full Specifications – HUAWEI nova 13 Pro
- Price: PHP32,999
- Colorway: Loden Green, White, Black
- Dimensions: 163.4 x 74.9 x 7.82 mm
- Weight: 209 grams (including the battery)
- Screen size: 6.76-inch FHD+
- Resolution: 2776 x 1224 Pixels
- Screen Panel: OLED
- Refresh Rate: 1-120 Hz
- Touch Sampling Rate: 300 Hz
- Color: 1.07 Billion
- Processor: Kirin 8000
- Storage: 512GB
- RAM: 12GB + 3GB Virtual RAM
- Battery: 5000mAh
- Charging: 100W HUAWEI SuperCharge Turbo
- Rear Camera: 50 MP (F1.4~F4.0, OIS), 12 MP Telephoto Portrait Camera (F2.4, OIS), 8 MP Ultra-Wide Macro Camera (F2.2)
- Front Camera: 60 MP Ultra-Wide Autofocus (F2.4), 8 MP Close-Up Portrait (F2.2)
- OS: EMUI 14.2
- Connectivity: NFC, USB-C Port, Bluetooth 5.2, WLAN 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax
- Sensors: Gravity Sensor, Infrared Sensor, Fingerprint sensor, Gyroscope, Compass, Ambient Light Sensor, Proximity sensor, Laser Sensor
- Location: GPS, AGPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, GALILEO, QZSS
- Network Bands: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE
