In the capitalism rule book, usually a company that has high-end covered would not associate itself with anything budget, let alone entry-level. But not in the case of Huawei—or any other Chinese company for that matter—which is back to woo the young and trendy with a phone that will not break the bank. Folks, this is the Huawei nova 15 Ultra. It is the top spec model of the newly launched nova 15 series, which also includes the nova 15 and nova 15 Pro. Before talking about the star model, let’s look at what the base nova 15 and the nova 15 Pro.
nova 15
The nova 15 [CH] starts things off in a very Huawei way. It runs on the Kirin 8020 chip and features a 120 Hz 6.7-inch OLED display with FHD+ resolution at 2,412 x 1,084 pixels. Powering it all is a generous 6,000 mAh battery paired with 100 W wired super-fast charging, which already feels slightly excessive for what is technically the entry point. Imaging duties are handled by a triple rear camera setup comprising a 50 MP main camera, a 12 MP RYYB telephoto portrait camera with OIS, and a 15 MP Red Maple imaging camera. Around the front sits a 50 MP portrait camera with AIS-assisted video recording. It supports NearLink as well, albeit the E1.0 version. Design-wise, it carries over the look of the nova 14 series, and there is no IP rating here.
nova 15 Pro
The nova 15 Pro [CH] steps things up in both hardware and attitude. It adopts the newer horizontal camera layout that also defines the Ultra, and it runs on the 5 nm Kirin 9010S chip. The display grows to a 6.84-inch OLED panel with FHD+ resolution at 2,856 x 1,320 pixels and a 1 to 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate, with optional Kunlun glass protection. The battery increases to 6,500 mAh while retaining 100 W wired charging.
On the camera front, it features a 50 MP RYYB main camera with OIS, a 12 MP RYYB telephoto portrait camera with OIS, and a 13 MP RYYB ultra-wide macro camera. A Red Maple Original Color Lens with 1.5 million multispectral channels joins the system, while the front camera setup includes a 50 MP portrait camera with AIS for video. Connectivity and sensors are fully loaded, NearLink is upgraded to E2.0, and both the nova 15 and 15 Pro support satellite image transmission and text messaging. The Pro also brings IP65 dust and water resistance into the picture.
nova 15 Ultra
Now for the star of the show, the Huawei nova 15 Ultra [CH].
The Ultra is built on Huawei’s all-new Starshine architecture and immediately separates itself with dual fast charging. You get 100 W wired super-fast charging Turbo and 50 W wireless super-fast charging, backed by a 6,500 mAh silicon anode battery. This is no longer just a youth phone pretending to be premium. It is very much flexing.
Photography is where Huawei lets the nova 15 Ultra run wild. At the rear sits a 50 MP RYYB variable aperture main camera ranging from f1.4 to f4.0 with a 10-level physical aperture system and dual stabilization via OIS and AIS. Joining it is a 50 MP RRB periscope telephoto camera offering 3.7x optical zoom, up to 100x digital zoom, and full stabilization. Rounding things off is a 50 MP RYYB ultra-wide macro camera delivering a 118-degree field of view and a 2.5 cm super macro capability. Red Maple imaging is applied across both front and rear cameras for more accurate color reproduction.
Up front, Huawei fits a 50 MP ultra light-gathering portrait camera with a large 1/2.5-inch sensor, supporting 0.5x to 10.8x front zoom and QPD full-pixel precise autofocus. Alongside it sits another Red Maple Original Color Lens with 1.5 million multispectral channels, neatly housed in the pill-shaped cutout.
The display is a 6.84-inch Ultra Dynamic TrueColor Eye-Care OLED panel with a resolution of 2,856 x 1,320 pixels, a 1 to 120 Hz LTPO adaptive refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 4,000 nits. It supports AI HDR display, AI smart eye care, and Vivid Audio with HDR visuals. Notably, this is the first time the nova series has received Vivid Audio certification.
Audio performance gets a serious upgrade as well. The nova 15 Ultra features symmetrical dual stereo speakers enhanced by the HUAWEI Histen 9.6 algorithm, creating a 100-degree ultra-wide spatial sound field. Calls also benefit from AI bidirectional noise reduction, triple-microphone wind noise suppression, and AI-generated voice restoration that can filter out noise even when the other party’s device fails to do so. Huawei claims clarity is maintained even in environments approaching 95 dB.
Privacy is another area Huawei pushes hard. Built-in anti-scam protection can extend to family members, meaning you can be alerted when a loved one is on a high-risk scam call. There are also message and image sharing options that allow content to be viewed only once, which feels both practical and slightly ominous.
Physically, the nova 15 Ultra measures 163 mm in length, 78 mm in width, and just 6.8 mm in thickness, with a weight of 209 g. Slim, dense, and unapologetically premium with a price that isn’t premium. That’s good news for consumers looking for a top-spec device with a more sane sticker.
Pricing
Speaking of which, here is the pricing of the new nova 15 series:
- Huawei nova 15 starts at 2,699 yuan [CH] (about US$375).
- Huawei nova 15 Pro starts at 3,499 yuan [CH] (about US$485).
- Huawei nova 15 Ultra starts at 4,199 yuan [CH] (about US$585).
Images: Huawei [CH].