Huawei just revealed a new smartphone, and this one actually has Google apps
Meet the Huawei Nova 5T
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly claimed that this handset wouldn't include access to Google's services.
New Huawei phones aren't allowed to include the Google Play Store, making it very hard to access most of the apps you use, but one has just launched that does have them.
This is the Huawei Nova 5T, launched in August in China. That's why it's exempt from the ban, as it fell under a grace period, unlike the Huawei Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro launched in September, which don't have access to Google Play services.
- What you need to know about the Huawei ban
- What we thought of the Huawei Mate 30 Pro
- Is the Nova 5T just the Honor 20 Pro, again?
The Huawei Nova 5T seems to be a decent smartphone for its £399 (roughly $500, AU$745) price tag, joining the Huawei P Smart (2019) as a tempting non-flagship Huawei device, but we need to test it fully to say for certain. It'll be available in November from most retailers.
What is the Huawei Nova 5T?
In many ways, the Huawei Nova 5T is the Honor 20 Pro, from Huawei's sub-brand Honor. It has the same 6.26-inch display, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, four-camera array, and more.
Well, the four-camera array is slightly different. The Huawei Nova 5T has a 48MP main camera, 16MP snapper with ultra-wide angle lens, 2MP macro camera and 2MP 'bokeh' camera. Instead of that last snapper, the Honor 20 Pro had an 8MP telephoto.
The front-facing camera is a 32MP camera housed in a 'punch-hole' cut-out.
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There's a 3,750mAh battery in the Nova 5T, which is a decent size for a smartphone, and is slightly above average, which will be sure to power the slightly-outdated Kirin 980 chipset. There's also 6GB RAM and 128GB storage.
All in all, the Huawei Nova 5T is a decent mid-range device, and could be a great smartphone for people looking for an affordable device with impressive camera performance. Since it could be one of the last Huawei devices with Google apps, if you're a fan of the brand, it's definitely worth looking in to.
Tom Bedford was deputy phones editor on TechRadar until late 2022, having worked his way up from staff writer. Though he specialized in phones and tablets, he also took on other tech like electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness, mobile gaming and more. He is based in London, UK and now works for the entertainment site What To Watch.
He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist.