These all-screen mid-ranged smartphones may be priced the same, but are they that similar on specs, camera and performance as they are on price?
| SPECS | Vivo V7 | Huawei Nova 2i |
| Display | 5.7″ 720 x 1440 IPS LCD (~282 ppi) | 5.9″ 1080 x 2160 IPS
LCD (~409 ppi) |
| Dimensions & Features | 149.3 x 72.8 x 7.9mm, 139 g, Dual stand-by, Dual SIM Tray | 156.2 x 75 x 7.5 mm, 164g, Hybrid Dual SIM Tray |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 | HiSilicon Kirin 659 |
| CPU | Octa-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A53 | Octa-core (4×2.36 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4×1.7 GHz Cortex-A53) |
| GPU | Adreno 506 | Mali T830-MP2 |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM, 32 GB
(expandable up to 256GB) |
4 GB RAM, 64GB (expandable up to 256GB) |
| Connectivity | LTE, 802.11n, BT 4.2, GPS, microUSB 2.0, USB On-The-Go, 3.5mm audio jack | LTE Cat. 6, 802.11n, BT 4.2, GPS, microUSB 2.0, 3.5mm audio jack |
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Ion 3000mAh | Non-removable Li-Ion 3340mAh |
| Price | PhP 14,990/$300 | PhP 14,990/$300 |
Design
You can tell that the Nova 2i is slightly longer than the V7 at a first look, with both having curved edges and almost the same bezel size. And like most all-screen phones both the finger-print scanners are located at the back near the rear cameras.
Even being priced the same, you get two rear cameras for the Nova 2i and one for the V7. Coming in to SIM Slots, you get a dedicated SIM tray for the Vivo and a hybrid for the Huawei. Lastly, the bottom bunk with the speakers, headphone jacks and charging ports.
Display
The Vivo has a 5.7” 720 x 1440 while the Nova 2i has a 5.9” 1080 x 2160 resolution both having an IPS LCD display. Colors are more vibrant on the Nova 2i and most videos on the V7 can only be viewed in 720p.
Camera
The Vivo has a 16 MP rear camera while the Huawei has a Dual 16 MP + 2 MP rear camera. Detail clarity seem at par although color vibrancy leans more to the Nova 2i as seen on the shots presented.
Both phones also have a depth effect mode which looks better with the Vivo compared to the Huawei, struggling to differentiate subject from background.
The night-shots on the two phones have a dark over-all result but can be resolved with a night-mode for the Nova 2i.
Selfies have a more color accurate result with the V7 staying true to the original skin complexion of the subject even on low-lit and night-time shots.
Both front cameras also have a portrait mode which is almost indistinguishable.
Video recording on both phones can also go up to 1080p at 30 fps. When it comes to color and details, see for yourselves.
| Phone | Rear Camera | Front Camera | |
| Vivo V7 | 16 MP (f/2.0, 1/3″, 1.0 µm), phase detection autofocus, LED flash
Video: |
24 MP, f/2.0 | |
| Huawei Nova 2i | Dual 16 MP + 2 MP phase detection autofocus, LED flash Video: 1080p@30fps |
Dual 13 MP, f/2.0 + 2 MP |
Chipset/Processor/Rom
The Vivo V7 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 while the Nova 2i has a HiSilicon Kirin 659 chipset, both having 4 GB RAM. Using the following benchmarking tools, we received these results in the process:
| Device | AnTuTu | Geekbench (single-core) | Geekbench (multi-core) | PCMark Work 2.0 |
| Vivo V7 | 54876 | 773 | 3860 | 5632 |
| Huawei Nova 2i | 62283 | 856 | 2823 | 4916 |
Playing video-games on the Vivo may not have the smoothest framerate and tends to lag a bit compared to the Huawei which has a smoother framerate than the latter.
As mentioned, both scanners are at the rear end of the phone with equal speed and accuracy.
Battery
Through our Manila Shaker Battery Rating, we can confirm the following overall lifespan of both devices:
| Device | Battery | Battery Time | Charging-Time |
| Vivo V7 | 3000 mAh | 32h 30m | 1h 50m |
| Huawei Nova 2i | 3340 mAh | 39h 43m | 2h 15m |
Audio
Audio output also seem at par as with their placements, hear for yourselves.
Price
Both the Vivo V7 and Huawei Nova 2i are at the same price of $300 or ₱14,990.00, although prices will differ in countries after taxes. How about you guys? Which phone do you prefer to spend $300 on? Comment down below what you think.
