Head to head

Apple iPhone 18 vs Huawei nova 16 SE

Full specification and price comparison for Pakistan, updated 6 Jan 2026.

The short answer

The Apple iPhone 18 and the Huawei nova 16 SE finish within three points of each other on our combined specification score, so neither is a clear winner. Apple iPhone 18 leads on performance. The Huawei nova 16 SE is the cheaper of the two at PKR 127,999 against PKR 384,999.

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The verdict

Spec-derived

Too close to call. These two finish within three points of each other, so the right answer depends on which category matters most to you.

Performance Apple iPhone 18 leads

Gaming score where available, otherwise chipset tier plus usable RAM.

Camera Apple iPhone 18 leads

Camera Score where available, otherwise sensor resolution and lens count. Megapixels alone do not measure image quality.

Display Level

Pixel density, refresh rate and panel technology.

Memory & storage Huawei nova 16 SE leads

Highest advertised RAM and internal storage configuration.

Value for money Huawei nova 16 SE leads

Combined spec score divided by current Pakistani retail price.

What actually differs

  • Huawei nova 16 SE costs PKR 257,000 less.
  • Huawei nova 16 SE charges 39W faster.
  • Apple iPhone 18 offers 4 GB more RAM.
  • Huawei nova 16 SE ships with 500 GB more storage.
  • Huawei nova 16 SE has a 2 MP higher-resolution main sensor.

Buy the Apple iPhone 18 if…

you care most about performance and camera.

Buy the Huawei nova 16 SE if…

you care most about memory & storage and value for money.

Not enough published data to score: Battery & charging. Those categories are excluded from the overall figure rather than estimated.

Full specification comparison

Specification Apple iPhone 18 Huawei nova 16 SE
Price in Pakistan
Retail price PKR 384,999 PKR 127,999 Cheaper
Design & build
Release date September 2026 August 5, 2026 — China
Dimensions Not listed Not officially confirmed
Weight Not listed 229 g
Water resistance IP68 (dust tight, water resistant up to 6m for 30 minutes) IP65 (reported)
Display
Screen size 6.7 inches 6.84 inches Better
Resolution 1290 × 2796 pixels (estimated from panel leaks) Better 1276 × 2776 pixels
Panel type LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED (leaked via display suppliers) 120Hz ProMotion LTPS OLED 120Hz Up to 8,000 nits (reported)
Protection Ceramic Shield Kunlun Glass
Performance
Chipset Apple A19 Bionic Huawei Kirin 8020 (7nm)
CPU 6-core Apple custom (2 performance + 4 efficiency) (expected) Octa-core 1 × high-performance core + 3 × performance cores + 4 × efficiency cores
GPU 5-core Apple GPU (leaked increment) Huawei Maleoon
Operating system iOS 19 (leaked roadmap) HarmonyOS 6.1
Memory & storage
RAM 8 GB (base leak) / 12 GB Better 8GB
Internal storage 8 GB (base leak) / 12 GB 128GB / 256GB / 512GB Better
Card slot No No
Camera
Main camera 48 MP wide (sensor-shift OIS) 12 MP ultra-wide 12 MP telephoto 3× (non-periscope) 50 MP f/1.9 RYYB, reported Huawei Red Maple multispectral sensor LED flash, HDR, panorama, AI photography Better
Selfie camera 12 MP TrueDepth 32 MP f/2.2 HDR, AI photography Better
Video recording 4K@24/30/60fps ProRes Cinematic Mode (8K still NOT leaked by reliable Apple analysts) Up to 4K@30fps, reported
Battery & charging
Battery capacity Non-removable Li-Ion Li-Ion (non-removable) 8,500 mAh
Wired charging Wired fast charging (~27W) MagSafe wireless (~15W) Reverse wireless 66W fast charging, reported Better
Connectivity & extras
SIM 4G LTE/5G Dual Nano-SIM
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 7 (leaked via Broadcom roadmap) Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth 5.4 Bluetooth 6.0
NFC Yes Yes
Sensors Face ID accelerometer gyro proximity compass barometer Fingerprint Side-mounted Accelerometer Gyroscope Proximity Ambient Light Compass Color Spectrum / Multispectral Sensor
USB Not listed USB Type-C OTG

“Better” marks the higher (or, for price and weight, the lower) figure. It is a specification difference, not a judgement about real-world experience.

Questions people ask

Which is better, Apple iPhone 18 or Huawei nova 16 SE?

Apple iPhone 18 and Huawei nova 16 SE finish within a few points of each other, so neither is a clear winner on paper. Pick the one that leads in the category you care about most.

What is the price of Apple iPhone 18 and Huawei nova 16 SE in Pakistan?

Apple iPhone 18 is listed at PKR 384,999 and Huawei nova 16 SE at PKR 127,999. That makes Huawei nova 16 SE cheaper by PKR 257,000. Retail prices move often, so treat these as indicative.

Which has the better camera, Apple iPhone 18 or Huawei nova 16 SE?

Apple iPhone 18 scores higher in our camera assessment. Apple iPhone 18 uses a 48 MP main sensor against 50 MP on Huawei nova 16 SE, though sensor size and processing matter more than resolution alone.

Which is better for gaming, Apple iPhone 18 or Huawei nova 16 SE?

Apple iPhone 18 is the stronger gaming phone here. Apple iPhone 18 runs the Apple A19 Bionic while Huawei nova 16 SE runs the Huawei Kirin 8020 (7nm).

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Tools that use this data

Camera Score Tool Battery Score Tool Gaming Performance Checker AI Mobile Recommendation Tool All comparisons

Scores are calculated from the published hardware specification of each device using the same formula for every phone on WhatMobilePK — they are not paid placements and they are not laboratory test results. Prices are indicative Pakistani retail prices and change frequently.