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Huawei unveils 3 new Nova 5 phones in China as US tensions simmer

The company has new midrange phones but don't expect to see them in many places outside of China.

Eli Blumenthal Senior Editor
Eli Blumenthal is a senior editor at CNET with a particular focus on covering the latest in the ever-changing worlds of telecom, streaming and sports. He previously worked as a technology reporter at USA Today.
Expertise 5G, mobile networks, wireless carriers, phones, tablets, streaming devices, streaming platforms, mobile and console gaming,
Eli Blumenthal
2 min read
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Huawei's new Nova 5

Huawei

Huawei is adding three new smartphones to its midrange lineup -- the Nova 5, Nova 5i and Nova 5 Pro -- even as tensions with the US continue to limit where these new phones can be sold. 

The Nova 5 and 5 Pro feature tear-drop notches at the center of their 6.39-inch OLED displays, with each offering four rear cameras (48-megapixel main lens, 16-megapixel ultrawide, 2-megapixel macro and 2-megapixel depth sensor) and a 32-megapixel front camera. Each also offers in-display optical fingerprint sensors, fast charging over USB-C and a 3.5mm headphone jack. 

The biggest differences between the two are in the processor and storage. The Nova 5 runs Huawei's new Kirin 810 processor while the Nova 5 Pro uses the same Kirin 980 chipset found in last year's Mate 20 flagship. GizmoChina reports that the Nova 5 will be offered with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage while the Pro will come with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. 

Both have micoSD card slots, though only the Pro supports NFC. 

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Huawei's Nova 5i 

Huawei

On the lower end of the line is the Nova 5i. Featuring a hole-punch design, the 5i has a 6.4-inch LCD display, runs on Huawei's Kirin 710 processor and will be offered in either 6GB or 8GB of RAM with 128GB of storage (expandable via microSD). Like its more powerful siblings, the 5i has four rear cameras (24-megapixel main, 8-megapixel ultrawide, 2-megapixel macro and 2-megapixel depth) and a 24-megapixel sensor front lens. 

A fingerprint sensor is available on the back of the phone, though like the Nova 5 there is no NFC support. All three are running Huawei's EMUI 9.1 atop Android 9 Pie.

The Nova 5 is available for preorder now starting at 2799 yuan (roughly $407) and ships July 20. The Nova 5 Pro and 5i are available to preorder now. The 5 Pro starts at 2999 yuan (roughly $436) and the 5i at 2199 yuan (approximately $320), with both shipping June 28.