Huawei is reportedly enhancing front camera video recording capabilities for its upcoming Nova 16 series, with new leaks suggesting significant improvements to selfie camera technology.
The Chinese smartphone maker appears to be targeting Apple's iPhone 17 front camera technology for its mid-range Nova lineup. According to tipster Digital Chat Station, Huawei could introduce a square selfie sensor on the Nova 16 series, following Apple's implementation on the iPhone 17.
This sensor shift would enable smooth shooting in both portrait and landscape orientations without physically rotating the phone.
Most current smartphones use rectangular sensors with standard 4:3 or 3:2 aspect ratios, requiring orientation changes for different shot types.
Huawei's Nova 16 selfie camera will reportedly feature "super stable anti-shake traits" for video recording. The enhanced stabilization aims to eliminate unwanted camera movements that typically cause blurry photos and shaky videos during handheld shooting.
The company is also working on improved focus tracking for subjects and a refined anti-shake mechanism to counteract shakiness during photo or video capture. These enhancements build on the Nova 15 series, which Huawei Central described as 'one of the best sub-flagship camera phones in the market.'
Oppo is reportedly considering similar square sensor technology for its upcoming Find X10 series flagship devices. Digital Chat Station claims Oppo's implementation will be a "super-enhanced version" that surpasses Apple's current technology.
Square selfie sensors offer practical advantages for content creators. Users can shoot once and repurpose content for different platforms, capturing vertical video for TikTok and horizontal footage for YouTube from the same recording session.
Huawei's focus on front camera improvements comes as smartphone manufacturers increasingly prioritize selfie capabilities. While rear cameras typically receive more marketing attention, front-facing cameras have become essential for video calls, social media content, and self-portraits.
The Nova 16 series enhancements follow Huawei's recent Nova 13 Pro launch on October 22, 2024 (with availability from October 25, 2024), which featured a 60MP ultrawide portrait front camera and 8MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom. That device also introduced Beidou satellite image-sending SMS capabilities for areas with low cellular signal.
Huawei's Nova series has evolved significantly since its 2016 debut at IFA Berlin. The original models featured 8-megapixel front-facing cameras, a foundation the Nova 16 series aims to surpass with a new square selfie sensor for improved orientation flexibility.
