The Huawei nova 9 is a mid-range smartphone announced on 23 September 2021 and released a week later, pairing a curved 6.57-inch OLED display with a 50 MP main camera and fast 66W charging. It targets buyers who want a premium-feeling design and a polished imaging experience at an accessible price point.
The catch is its software situation: depending on the region it ships with HarmonyOS 2.0 (China) or EMUI 12 (Europe) and no Google Play Services, and the Snapdragon 778G chipset is implemented as a 4G-only variant. The specifications below are drawn from the source listing and should be confirmed against Huawei’s official product and support pages, since regional variants and availability can differ.
Full Specifications
Network
| Technology: | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE |
| 2G bands: | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| CDMA 800 | |
| 3G bands: | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands: | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 – Europe |
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 18, 19, 26, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 – China | |
| Speed: | HSPA, LTE |
Launch
| Announced: | 2021, September 23 |
| Status: | Available. Released 2021, September 30 |
Body
| Dimensions: | 160 x 73.7 x 7.8 mm (6.30 x 2.90 x 0.31 in) |
| Weight: | 175 g (6.17 oz) |
| SIM: | Nano-SIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
Display
| Type: | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10 |
| Size: | 6.57 inches, 106.0 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution: | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~392 ppi density) |
Platform
| OS: | HarmonyOS 2.0 (China), EMUI 12 (Europe), no Google Play Services |
| Chipset: | Qualcomm SM7325 Snapdragon 778G 4G (6 nm) |
| CPU: | Octa-core (4×2.4 GHz Kryo 670 & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 670) |
| GPU: | Adreno 642L |
Memory
| Card slot: | No |
| Internal: | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS |
Main Camera
| Quad: | 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide) 2 MP, f/2.4, (depth) 2 MP, f/2.4, (macro) |
| Features: | LED flash, panorama, HDR |
| Video: | 4K, 1080p, 720p@960fps, gyro-EIS |
Selfie camera
| Single: | 32 MP, f/2.0, (wide) |
| Features: | HDR |
| Video: | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, 720p@240fps, gyro-EIS |
Sound
| Loudspeaker: | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack: | No |
Comms
| WLAN: | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/a/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth: | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| Positioning: | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) |
| NFC: | Yes |
| Radio: | No |
| USB: | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
Features
| Sensors: | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
Battery
| Type: | Li-Po 4300 mAh |
| Charging: | 66W wired, 60% in 18 min, 100% in 38 min Reverse wired |
Misc
| Colors: | Starry Blue, Black, Green, Violet |
| Models: | NAM-AL00, NAM-LX9 |
| Price: | About 120 EUR |
Our Tests
| Performance: | AnTuTu: 469798 (v9) GeekBench: 2973 (v5.1) GFXBench: 28fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
| Display: | 608 nits max brightness (measured) |
| Camera: | Photo / Video |
| Loudspeaker: | -27.3 LUFS (Good) |
| Battery (old): | Endurance rating 96h |
Price and Availability
The Huawei nova 9 offers a compelling combination of features and performance. While the base price is around €120, the actual cost may vary depending on your location and retailer. Below, you’ll find the approximate price of the Huawei nova 9 converted into various currencies. Please note that these are estimates based on recent exchange rates as of June 11, 2026 and may not reflect the exact price you’ll find at a retailer.
- United States: $138
- Japan: ¥22,229
- United Kingdom: £104
- Australia: A$198
- Canada: C$193
- Taiwan: NT$4,385
- Denmark: kr896
- Saudi Arabia: ﷼519
- South Korea: ₩211,021
- Germany: €120
- Brazil: R$717
- Vietnam: ₫3.632.611
- Kenya: KSh 17,962
- India: ₹13,200
- Indonesia: Rp 2.481.565
- Nigeria: ₦187,475
- Pakistan: ₨38,554
- Philippines: ₱8,501
- Bangladesh: ৳১৭,০১২
Value: What You Get for the Money
With a listed price of around 120 EUR in the source data, the nova 9 reads as strong value on paper, offering an OLED panel, a 50 MP camera and 66W charging that often appear on costlier phones. Buyers should treat that figure cautiously, as pricing and availability vary by region and over time; check current local listings before committing.
Design and Build
The body measures 160 x 73.7 x 7.8 mm and weighs a manageable 175 g, making it slim and comfortable to hold for a 6.57-inch device. Huawei offers it in Starry Blue, Black, Green and Violet, and the dual Nano-SIM tray adds everyday flexibility, though there is no microSD card slot for expandable storage.
Display Quality
The 6.57-inch OLED screen runs at a 1080 x 2340 resolution (around 392 ppi) with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, 1 billion colors and HDR10 support. Its roughly 89.9% screen-to-body ratio makes for an immersive front, while the measured 608 nits of peak brightness is adequate indoors but may feel limited under harsh direct sunlight.
Performance
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G (6 nm) with its octa-core Kryo 670 CPU and Adreno 642L GPU delivers capable mid-range performance, reflected in source-measured scores of 469,798 on AnTuTu (v9) and 2,973 on GeekBench (v5.1). It handles daily multitasking and most games comfortably, but note this is the 4G-limited implementation rather than the 5G version of the platform.
Camera System
A quad rear array is led by a 50 MP f/1.9 wide sensor with PDAF, supported by an 8 MP ultrawide plus 2 MP depth and 2 MP macro units, with video capture up to 4K and gyro-EIS. The 32 MP f/2.0 front camera also records up to 4K, making the nova 9 a selfie-friendly choice, while the secondary sensors are best viewed as supplementary rather than headline features.
Battery and Charging
The 4300 mAh Li-Po battery is rated at 96h endurance in the source’s older test and pairs with 66W wired charging that the data cites as reaching 60% in 18 minutes and 100% in 38 minutes. Reverse wired charging is also supported, so the phone can top up accessories in a pinch, though there is no wireless charging.
Software Experience
This is the most important consideration: regional units run HarmonyOS 2.0 or EMUI 12 without Google Play Services, which means Google apps are not preinstalled and must be sourced through alternative app stores. Buyers reliant on the Google ecosystem should weigh this carefully and verify the software situation for their specific market on Huawei’s official channels.
Connectivity
Connectivity covers Wi-Fi 6 (dual-band), Bluetooth 5.2, NFC and a USB Type-C 2.0 port with OTG, alongside broad satellite positioning including GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS and NavIC. There is no 3.5mm headphone jack and no FM radio, so wireless audio becomes the default for most users.
Who Should Buy It
The nova 9 suits buyers who prioritize a sharp 120Hz OLED display, fast charging and capable cameras, and who are comfortable living outside the Google app ecosystem. Those who depend on Google Play Services or want 5G connectivity should look elsewhere or confirm a compatible regional variant first.
Conclusion
The Huawei nova 9 is an appealing mid-ranger with a premium OLED screen, fast 66W charging and a versatile 50 MP camera at an attractive price. Its main trade-offs are the absence of Google Play Services and the 4G-only chipset, so it is best recommended for buyers who value design and imaging and do not rely on Google apps; everyone else should confirm software compatibility and current pricing on Huawei’s official pages before buying.
Official references
- HUAWEI Consumer Official Product Pages (consumer.huawei.com) – Primary manufacturer source for Huawei nova 9 specifications, model variants, dimensions, display, cameras, battery, charging, software, and regional feature notes; exact product URL may be retired or region-dependent.
- HUAWEI Support – Phones – Official Huawei support hub for phone manuals, support documentation, software/support notes, warranty, and service information that can help verify device-specific details.
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G Mobile Platform – Primary chipset maker reference for Snapdragon 778G platform capabilities, CPU/GPU family, wireless platform, and media features; use carefully because Huawei nova 9 uses a 4G-limited implementation.
- Bluetooth SIG Launch Studio (launchstudio.bluetooth.com) – Primary certification database for checking Bluetooth qualification details, declared Bluetooth version, and product listings by Huawei model number.
- Wi-Fi Alliance Product Finder (wi-fi.org) – Primary certification source for verifying Wi-Fi certification, supported Wi-Fi generations, and wireless interoperability claims for the device/model.
