HUAWEI's new Nova 16s phones go big on cameras, batteries, and bright displays

Despite the US ban that cut it off from Google’s Android ecosystem, HUAWEI hasn’t stopped making smartphones. The company continues to release phones internationally across Europe and Asia, with the latest arrivals being the HUAWEI Nova 16s and Nova 16s Pro, unveiled at IFA 2026 in Munich.

These aren’t entirely new phones. The Nova 16s series rebrands the company’s Chinese-market Nova 16 lineup for international buyers, bringing some seriously capable hardware along for the ride.

HUAWEI Nova 16s

The Nova 16s is the more affordable of the two, but HUAWEI hasn’t exactly gone easy on the hardware. It comes with a 6.68-inch OLED display with a 2,800 x 1,280 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 2,160Hz high-frequency PWM dimming, 300Hz touch sampling, 1.07 billion colors, and P3 wide color gamut.

HUAWEI also claims up to 5,500nits of peak brightness, which should make the screen considerably easier to see outdoors. The phone measures 159.6 x 75.5 x 7.3mm and weighs 199g. It comes in Sky White, Breathing Crystal, Isle Blue, and Starry Black, with HUAWEI’s wave-inspired design on the rear.

Photography gets plenty of attention, too. The Nova 16s has a 50MP Ultra Vision main camera, a 50MP RYYB periscope telephoto with 3.3x optical zoom and up to 100x digital zoom, plus a multispectral sensor. A 50MP camera handles selfies. Several AI photography tools are on board, including AI Composition, AI Move, AI De-Glare, AI Remove, and AI Best Expression.

Under the hood is the 5G-capable Kirin 8020, with 256GB or 512GB of storage. The phone runs EMUI 16, based on Android 16, and includes hands-free AI gestures for tasks like taking photos. Like most recent phones from Chinese brands, it packs a massive 7,000mAh battery and 100W SuperCharge.

HUAWEI Nova 16s Pro

The Nova 16s Pro follows the same formula but bumps several specs up a notch. It has a larger 6.84-inch OLED display with FHD+ (2856 × 1320)  resolution, an adaptive 1–120Hz LTPO refresh rate, 2160Hz PWM dimming, 300Hz touch sampling, 1.07 billion colors, and P3 gamut. Peak brightness reaches 6,000 nits, while dynamic peak brightness goes up to 4,000 nits at a larger screen area.

The Pro is also the camera-focused model. Its headline shooter is a 200MP RYYB main camera with OIS and AIS, paired with a 50MP RYYB periscope telephoto offering 3.7x optical zoom and up to 100x digital zoom. There’s also a 50MP ultrawide camera with macro support.

Around front, the wide pill-shaped cutout houses a 50MP portrait camera and a True-to-Colour camera, while multispectral sensors help improve color accuracy.

The Pro runs on the Kirin 9010S with 5G and, like the standard model, runs EMUI 16. It also packs a 7,000mAh battery with 100W charging, alongside an aerospace-grade aluminum frame, Kunlun Glass with a nano-crystal coating, stereo speakers, and a 100-degree ultrawide soundstage.

Price and availability

The HUAWEI Nova 16s starts at €599 (~$695) for 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, while the 12GB/512GB version costs €699 (~$811). The Nova 16s Pro starts at €749 (~$869) for 12GB/256GB and reaches €849 (~$985) for 12GB/512GB.

HUAWEI says availability will vary by market, so whether either phone actually makes it to your part of the world will depend on the company’s regional rollout.