Huawei nova 8i Unboxing and First Impressions

Huawei has officially launched the HUAWEI nova 8 and 8i smartphones, which feature 64-megapixel AI quad cameras, a 66W HUAWEI SuperCharge, and a gorgeous design with promising performance.

The Huawei nova 8i is priced at ₱13,999 and it's available for pre-order with exclusive freebies worth ₱6,427 such as HUAWEI Band 4 worth ₱1890, Wireless Charging Lamp worth ₱2,499, and Huawei Cloud storage with benefits up to ₱2,308.

We got a chance to test the new nova 8i courtesy of Huawei Philippines and here are our unboxing and initial impressions.

Huawei Nova 8i Specs

Android 10, EMUI 11
6.67-inch Full HD+ Huawei Edgeless display, 2376 x 1080 resolution, 391ppi
2.0GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 octa-core processor
Adreno 610 GPU
8GB RAM / 128GB internal storage
64MP f/1.9, PDAF + 8MP,f/2.2 ultra-wide + 2MP, f/2.4 macro + 2MP depth sensor rear cameras, LED flash
16MP selfie camera
Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
Dual SIM, Dual standby
4G LTE
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
Bluetooth 5.0
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
USB Type-C
4,300mmAh battery, 66W SuperCharge
Colors: Interstellar Blue, Moonlight Silver, Starry Black
190g

Unboxing
The nova 8i comes in a simple white box with the company's branding and a QR code for accessing the App Gallery. At the bottom of the package, is the technical specifications.

Inside the box, it includes the nova 8i, a card with a QR code for locating apps on the App Gallery, a protective soft case, the SIM ejector PIN, a 66W SuperCharge wall charger, a Type-C cable, wired headphones, and a user guide.

Design and Built
The nova 8i features a premium visual design with a superb grip feel. With precision-engineered rounded edges, the NCVM craftsmanship displays exquisite color and shadow contrast, while the 4D curvature adds impeccable smoothness to the overall touch.

The nova 8i is available in three different color schemes: Moonlight Silver, Interstellar Blue, and Starry Black. The Moonlight Silver looks very stunning with its highly reflective rear cover.

At the back is the quad-cameras placed in a circular casing with 64-megapixel f/1.9 main camera, an 8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle lens, a 2-megapixel, f/2.4 macro, and a 2-megapixel f/2.4 depth sensor along with the LED flashlight. There is also the HUAWEI branding below.

The volume rocker and the power button, which also serves as a fingerprint scanner are located on the right side of the device. When either button is pressed, it gives a nice good tactile feedback.

Bottom view

Top view

The speaker grille, USB-C port, microphone, and SIM tray are located on the bottom of the device, while the 3.5mm audio jack is located and another microphone is placed on the top.

The SIM tray can accommodate two nano-SIM cards that are inserted back to back in the slot, hence there is no support for a microSD card for additional storage.

The Huawei nova 8i has a 6.67-inch Full HD+ Huawei Edgeless display with a 94.7 percent screen-to-body ratio, which gives the impression of having a super-narrow bezel upfront. There's also the punch hole 16-megapixel selfie camera.

Under the Hood
The nova 8i is a powered device with Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 chipset clocked up to 2.0GHz, paired with Adreno 610 GPU, 8GB RAM, and 128GB internal storage. It also packs a 4,300mmAh battery with fast charging support.

First Impressions
The HUAWEI nova 8i is a visually gorgeous smartphone with a well-crafted design and a very premium appearance. It comes equipped with a fast processor and a pair of high-quality cameras on both the back and front. In our opinion, it's an excellent bargain smartphone given its affordable price of only of ₱13,999 and the enticing additional value that comes with pre-ordering including the HUAWEI Band 4 worth ₱1,890, Wireless Charging Lamp worth ₱2,499, and Huawei Cloud storage with benefits up to ₱2,308.

Stay tuned for our in-depth review, camera samples, as we test the HUAWEI nova 8i features and capabilities.

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