Huawei Nova 16, Nova 16z, and Nova 16 Pro Officially Released, Featuring Satellite Messaging

Huawei has officially launched its new smartphones from the Nova line, namely the Huawei Nova 1<0xA0>16, Nova 16z, and Nova 16 Pro, in China on Monday (1/6/2026). These three handsets serve as successors to the Huawei Nova 15 Series released last year, bringing several significant improvements.

These enhancements include larger battery capacities, support for 100W fast charging, and a satellite messaging feature via the BeiDou satellite network. Among the three, the Huawei Nova 16 Pro stands as the most premium model. In terms of camera capabilities, for instance, this phone is equipped with a 200 MP main camera and a 50 MP periscope telephoto lens. In addition to its higher specifications, the Nova 16 Pro features a striking new rear camera module design in a large oval shape that resembles eyeglass frames.

The Huawei Nova 16z serves as the most affordable model, featuring the Kirin 8020 chipset and a 6,000 mAh battery capacity. The specifications for the Nova 16 Pro include a 6.84-inch LTPO OLED display with a resolution of 1,320 x 2,856 pixels, an adaptive refresh rate of 1-120 Hz, and 10-bit colour. The display also supports PWM dimming technology and is protected by Huawei’s Kunlun Glass.

In the photography sector, Huawei has integrated a 200 MP main camera with a 1/1.28-inch RYYB sensor paired with an f/1.8 aperture and OIS support. This is accompanied by a 50 MP ultrawide camera that supports autofocus and macro photography from distances of up to 7 cm. Huawei also included a 50 MP periscope telephoto camera based on an RYYB sensor with 3.7x optical zoom and OIS technology. For selfies, there is a 50 MP front camera housed in a pill-shaped punch-hole cutout, equipped with a 1.5 million-channel spectral sensor to assist with colour reproduction. Regarding performance, the Nova 16 Pro is powered by the Kirin 9010S chipset, paired with 12 GB of RAM and internal storage options of up to 1 TB.