Home » Huawei Nova 5T vs Nova 3: What’s changed?

Huawei Nova 5T vs Nova 3: What’s changed?

Written By Vaughn Chua
Published • August 28th, 2019
ComparisonsMobile
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Huawei has just unveiled their latest smartphone and newest member of the Nova 5 series, the Nova 5T. It’s set to launch in the Philippines tomorrow, and in a way, will succeed the Nova 3 in the country from last year. How much improvement does the Nova 5T bring to the table? Let’s find out by comparing the two.

Author’s Note: The Nova 4 series is excluded as they’re exclusive to China.

Here are their detailed specs:

Huawei Nova 5T	Huawei Nova 3
6.26-inch FHD+ (2340 x 1080) 19.5:9 IPS display, 412ppi	6.3-inch FHD+ (1080 x 2340) 18.5:9 IPS display, 409ppi
HiSilicon Kirin 980 (7nm) 2.6GHz octa-core CPU	HiSilicon Kirin 970 2.4GHz octa-core CPU
Mali-G76 MP10 GPU	Mali-G72 MP12 GPU
8GB RAM	6GB RAM
128GB of storage	128GB storage
n/a	Expandable up to 256GB (uses SIM2)
48MP F1.8 (main) Sony IMX586+ 16MP F2.4 (ultrawide) + 2MP F2.4 (macro) + 2MP F2.4 (depth) quad-rear cameras	16MP (f/1.8) + 24MP B/W (f/1.8) PDAF rear cameras, EIS, w/ LED Flash
32MP F2.0 front camera	24MP + 2MP front cameras
Dual-SIM (nano)	Dual-SIM (nano)
4G LTE	4G LTE
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 4.2
NFC	n/a
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
USB 2.0 Type-C	USB 2.0 Type-C
Fingerprint scanner (side-mounted)	Fingerprint scanner (rear-mounted)
n/a	IR blaster
n/a	3.5mm audio port
Face Unlock	Face Unlock
EMUI 9.1 (Android 9 Pie) w/ GPU Turbo 3.0	EMUI 8.2 (Android 8.1 Oreo)
3,750mAh battery w/ 22.5W SuperCharge	3,750mAh non-removable battery w/ 18W Fast Charging
154.3 x 74 x 7.9 mm	157 x 73.7 x 7.3 mm
174 g	166 g
Black, Crush Blue, Midsummer Purple	Black, Blue, Purple, Gold

So what changed in the Nova 5T as compared to the Nova 3?

Better performing CPU
Better performing GPU
GPU Turbo 3.0
Larger RAM capacity
No more expandable storage
Higher main camera resolution
Dedicated macro lens
Higher front camera resolution
No secondary front camera
No IR Blaster
No 3.5mm audio port
Bluetooth 5.0
Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
EMUI 9.1 out-of-the-box
Android 9 Pie out-of-the-box
Faster charging speed

There’s a lot of changes in the Nova 5T in terms of aesthetics. One of which is the absence of the thick notch. Instead, it now comes with a punch-hole front camera design, which is better for those who want a “smaller” distraction in their screen.

For the performance, The Nova 5T comes with the latest Kirin 980 chipset, which is the same chipset that is powering the P30 series, which is, of course, better than the Nova 3’s Kirin 970. The former also has a larger RAM capacity at 8GB, which is better at handling background tasks compared to the latter’s 6GB.

In the camera department, the Nova 5T has a higher main rear camera resolution along with a dedicated macro lens for close up shots. The front camera resolution is higher as well; we can safely assume that the selfie qualities are better than the Nova 3.

Features-wise, the Nova 5T doesn’t have support for microSD cards, unlike the Nova 3. Given that it has a 128GB of storage, this is large enough for heavy users who install plenty of apps and are into mobile photography or videography. It also has NFC and an updated Bluetooth version that can support hi-res wireless headphones. Lastly, the fingerprint scanner is now located at the side of the phone.

For the battery, both devices have the same battery capacity. However, the Nova 5T has a faster-charging speed with its 22.5W SuperCharge technology.

Given all these changes, it’s fair to say that you could still stick around with your Huawei Nova 3 if you’re just a casual user. However, if you are into gaming, photography, and you want a device with an updated OS right out of the box, upgrading to the Nova 5T should be worth it.