Screen size
equal specsnova 12s6.7"
nova 16z6.7"
Quick verdict
nova 16z leads the measured specs 7-4.
Measured wins
nova 12s
4
spec wins
Ties
11
equal specs
nova 16z
7
spec wins
Overall winner
Screen size
equal specsTechnology
nova 12s
GSM / HSPA / LTE
nova 16z
GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
2G bands
nova 12s
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
nova 16z
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bands
nova 12s
HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
nova 16z
HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands
nova 12s
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66
Resolution
equal specsRefresh rate
equal specsPeak brightness
Pixel density
equal specsCPU speed
RAM
Storage
equal specsMain camera
equal specsFront camera
Battery
Wired charging
Weight
Thickness
IP rating
Wi‑Fi
Bluetooth
USB
equal specs5G support
NFC
equal specs3.5mm jack
equal specsSD card
equal specsStereo speakers
equal specsnova 16z
LTE
Speed
nova 12s
HSPA, LTE
nova 16z
HSPA, LTE, 5G
5G bands
nova 12s
-
nova 16z
SA/NSA
Announced
nova 12s
2024, March 19
nova 16z
2026, June 01
Status
nova 12s
Available. Released 2024, April 13
nova 16z
Released Jun 6, 2026
Dimensions
nova 12s
161.3 x 75 x 6.9 mm (6.35 x 2.95 x 0.27 in)
nova 16z
161.8 x 75.5 x 7.2 mm (6.37 x 2.97 x 0.28 in)
Weight
nova 12s
168 g (5.93 oz)
nova 16z
196.5 g (6.95 oz)
SIM
nova 12s
· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
nova 16z
Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Build
nova 12s
-
nova 16z
Glass front, plastic frame
Other
nova 12s
-
nova 16z
IP65 dust tight and water resistant (low pressure water jets)
Type
nova 12s
OLED, 1B colors, HDR, 120Hz
nova 16z
OLED, 1B colors, HDR Vivid, 120Hz, 2160Hz PWM
Size
nova 12s
6.7 inches, 108.3 cm2 (~89.5% screen-to-body ratio)
nova 16z
6.7 inches, 108.3 cm2 (~88.6% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution
nova 12s
1084 x 2412 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~395 ppi density)
nova 16z
1084 x 2412 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~395 ppi density)
Protection
nova 12s
-
nova 16z
Aluminosilicate glass
OS
nova 12s
EMUI 14, no Google Play Services
nova 16z
HarmonyOS 6.1
Chipset
nova 12s
Qualcomm SM7325 Snapdragon 778G 4G (6 nm)
nova 16z
Kirin 8020
CPU
nova 12s
Octa-core (4x2.4 GHz Kryo 670 & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 670)
nova 16z
-
GPU
nova 12s
Adreno 642L
nova 16z
-
Card slot
nova 12s
No
nova 16z
No
Internal
nova 12s
256GB 8GB RAM
nova 16z
256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM
Dual
nova 12s
50 MP, f/1.9, (wide), PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 112˚ (ultrawide)
nova 16z
50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/1.56", Dual Pixel PDAF 12 MP, f/2.4, 69mm (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom
Features
nova 12s
Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR
nova 16z
Color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR
Video
nova 12s
4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS
nova 16z
4K, 1080p, gyro-EIS, HDR Vivid
Dual
nova 12s
60 MP, f/2.4, 100˚ (ultrawide)
nova 16z
-
Features
nova 12s
HDR
nova 16z
HDR, panorama
Video
nova 12s
4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS
nova 16z
4K, 1080p, gyro-EIS, HDR Vivid
Single
nova 12s
-
nova 16z
50 MP, f/2.4, (ultrawide), 1/2.5"
Loudspeaker
nova 12s
Yes, with stereo speakers
nova 16z
Yes, with stereo speakers
3.5mm jack
nova 12s
No
nova 16z
No
WLAN
nova 12s
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
nova 16z
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6/7, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth
nova 12s
5.2, A2DP, LE
nova 16z
6.0, A2DP, LE, L2HC (320-960 kbps HD audio)
Positioning
nova 12s
GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC
nova 16z
GPS (L1+L5), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), GLONASS, NavIC
NFC
nova 12s
Yes
nova 16z
Yes
Radio
nova 12s
No
nova 16z
No
USB
nova 12s
USB Type-C 2.0, OTG
nova 16z
USB Type-C 2.0, OTG
Infrared port
nova 12s
-
nova 16z
Yes
Sensors
nova 12s
Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass
nova 16z
Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, compass
Other
nova 12s
Virtual proximity sensing
nova 16z
Virtual proximity sensing BDS Satellite Calling and Messaging - China only
Type
nova 12s
4500 mAh
nova 16z
Si/C Li-Ion 6000 mAh
Charging
nova 12s
66W wired, 3-62% in 15 min, 3-100% in 30 min Reverse wired
nova 16z
100W wired, SCP, UFCS, PD, PPS, QC 5W reverse wired
Colors
nova 12s
Black, Green, White, Gold
nova 16z
Black, White, Blue/Pink
Models
nova 12s
FOA-LX9
nova 16z
PKN-AL00
Price
nova 12s
About 300 EUR
nova 16z
About 340 EUR