Huawei’s nova line has always been about selfies and portraits, and the next one looks set to push that further. HUAWEI Malaysia has confirmed that the HUAWEI nova 16s Series is coming soon, led by a 200MP main camera on the Pro model.
Pricing and the launch date haven’t been announced yet, but Huawei has shared enough for a good look at what’s coming.
Two models, five colours
The series has two phones:
| Model | Colours |
|---|---|
| HUAWEI nova 16s Pro | Breathing Crystal, Starry Black |
| HUAWEI nova 16s | Breathing Crystal, Starry Black, Sky White |
Huawei calls the look “a distinctive new design”, but it hasn’t shown it in detail yet. Breathing Crystal looks like the signature colour for this generation.
A 200MP RYYB main camera on the Pro
The headline feature is the nova 16s Pro’s 200MP RYYB main camera. Here’s what the specs mean:
- 1/1.28-inch sensor: a large sensor for a mid-range phone. Bigger sensors capture more light, which usually means cleaner photos at night and more natural background blur in portraits.
- RYYB: most phone cameras use a red, green and blue (RGB) colour filter. Huawei swaps the green for yellow, which lets in more light. It’s a technology Huawei has used for years, mainly to improve low-light shots.
- OIS + AIS: optical image stabilisation physically steadies the lens, while Huawei’s AI stabilisation (AIS) helps reduce blur in software. Together, they should help with handheld night shots.
The Pro also has True-to-Colour cameras on the front and back, designed to keep skin tones natural instead of over-smoothed or too warm. That’s a common complaint with selfie-focused phones.
The front camera supports 0.8x to 5x Selfie and Wefie Zoom. You can zoom out to fit the whole group in a wefie, or zoom in for a tighter portrait, without moving the phone.
Huawei hasn’t shared camera specs for the standard nova 16s yet.
AI editing built in
Both models come with a set of AI photo tools, so you can edit without a third-party app:
- AI Composition: suggests better framing for your shot
- AI Move: lets you reposition a subject within a photo
- AI Remove: erases unwanted people or objects in the background
- AI De-glare: reduces reflections, handy when shooting through glass
- AI Best Expression: helps pick the best faces in group photos so nobody is caught mid-blink
5G Kirin chip and EMUI 16
The series runs on a 5G Kirin chipset. Huawei hasn’t said which one yet, only that it’s built for streaming, social media, gaming and sharing content.
The phones run EMUI 16. One feature worth noting is the Petal Interconnect app, which lets you transfer photos across different operating systems, including to compatible Apple devices. That makes sharing photos with friends on iPhones easier.
As with other recent Huawei phones in Malaysia, expect the nova 16s Series to ship without Google Mobile Services. Apps come through Huawei’s AppGallery instead. That’s worth keeping in mind if you rely heavily on Google apps.
XMAGE Awards come to Malaysia
The phones will launch alongside the Malaysia XMAGE Awards Ceremony 2026. XMAGE is Huawei’s imaging brand, and its annual photography awards celebrate photos taken on Huawei devices.
This year marks the 10th edition of the awards. The global ceremony and an exhibition titled “A Heartwarming World” were held in Paris, and the Malaysian event will showcase work by local photographers.
Where to buy
The HUAWEI nova 16s Series will be available through the HUAWEI Official Store, as well as Huawei’s official stores on Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop.
Huawei says pricing, availability and launch promotions will be announced soon. We’ll update this post when they are.
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