Head to head

Huawei nova 16 SE vs REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus

Full specification and price comparison for Pakistan, updated 12 Aug 2026.

The short answer

The REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus is the stronger phone of the two, scoring 91 against 81 on our combined specification score. It leads on performance, battery & charging and memory & storage. The Huawei nova 16 SE still wins on camera and value for money, so it remains the better choice if that is your priority. The Huawei nova 16 SE is the cheaper of the two at PKR 127,999 against PKR 249,999.

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The verdict

Spec-derived

REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus takes it by 10.1 points on our weighted spec score.

Performance REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus leads

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

Camera Huawei nova 16 SE leads

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

Battery & charging REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus leads

Cell capacity in mAh weighted with rated wired charging output.

Display Level

Pixel density, refresh rate and panel technology.

Memory & storage REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus 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 122,000 less.
  • Huawei nova 16 SE packs a 3,000 mAh larger battery.
  • REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus charges 54W faster.
  • REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus offers 16 GB more RAM.
  • REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus ships with 512 GB more storage.

Buy the Huawei nova 16 SE if…

you care most about camera and value for money.

Buy the REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus if…

you care most about performance, battery & charging and memory & storage.

Full specification comparison

Specification Huawei nova 16 SE REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus
Price in Pakistan
Retail price PKR 127,999 Cheaper PKR 249,999
Design & build
Release date August 5, 2026 — China Expected Q4 2026
Dimensions Not officially confirmed Not listed
Weight 229 g Not listed
Water resistance IP65 (reported) No official IP rating confirmed
Display
Screen size 6.84 inches 6.85-inch Better
Resolution 1276 × 2776 pixels Better 1216 × 2688 resolution
Panel type LTPS OLED 120Hz Up to 8,000 nits (reported) AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz/165Hz
Protection Kunlun Glass Gorilla Glass protection
Performance
Chipset Huawei Kirin 8020 (7nm) Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite / Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 class chipset (rumored)
CPU Octa-core 1 × high-performance core + 3 × performance cores + 4 × efficiency cores Octa-core
GPU Huawei Maleoon Adreno GPU
Operating system HarmonyOS 6.1 Android 16 (expected) REDMAGIC OS 11/12 skin
Memory & storage
RAM 8GB 12GB / 16GB / 24GB Better
Internal storage 128GB / 256GB / 512GB 256GB / 512GB / 1TB Better
Card slot No No
Camera
Main camera 50 MP f/1.9 RYYB, reported Huawei Red Maple multispectral sensor LED flash, HDR, panorama, AI photography 50MP main camera 50MP ultrawide 2MP macro/depth
Selfie camera 32 MP f/2.2 HDR, AI photography 16MP or 32MP under-display selfie camera
Video recording Up to 4K@30fps, reported Up to 8K recording
Battery & charging
Battery capacity Li-Ion (non-removable) 8,500 mAh Better Si/C Li-Ion battery 5500mAh–7500mAh expected
Wired charging 66W fast charging, reported 120W–165W fast charging Better
Connectivity & extras
SIM Dual Nano-SIM Dual Nano-SIM
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi 7 dual-band
Bluetooth Bluetooth 6.0 v5.4
NFC Yes Yes
Sensors Fingerprint Side-mounted Accelerometer Gyroscope Proximity Ambient Light Compass Color Spectrum / Multispectral Sensor Under-display fingerprint sensor Accelerometer Gyroscope Compass Proximity sensor
USB USB Type-C OTG USB Type-C 3.2

“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, Huawei nova 16 SE or REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus?

REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus comes out ahead on our combined spec score, leading by 10.1 points. It wins on performance, battery & charging and memory & storage. Huawei nova 16 SE can still be the better buy if your priorities sit elsewhere or if you find it at a lower street price.

What is the price of Huawei nova 16 SE and REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus in Pakistan?

Huawei nova 16 SE is listed at PKR 127,999 and REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus at PKR 249,999. That makes Huawei nova 16 SE cheaper by PKR 122,000. Retail prices move often, so treat these as indicative.

Which has the better camera, Huawei nova 16 SE or REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus?

Huawei nova 16 SE scores higher in our camera assessment. Both use comparable main sensors, so day to day results come down to processing.

Which phone has the better battery, Huawei nova 16 SE or REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus?

REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus leads on battery. Huawei nova 16 SE carries a 8500 mAh cell and REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus a 5500 mAh cell, with 66W and 120W wired charging respectively.

Which is better for gaming, Huawei nova 16 SE or REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus?

REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus is the stronger gaming phone here. Huawei nova 16 SE runs the Huawei Kirin 8020 (7nm) while REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus runs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite / Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 class chipset (rumored).

Related comparisons

Huawei nova 16 SE vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max Huawei nova 16 SE vs Tecno Camon 19 Pro 5G REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus vs Tecno Camon 19 Pro 5G Huawei nova 16 SE vs Tecno Camon 30 5G REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus vs Tecno Camon 30 5G Huawei nova 16 SE vs Tecno Camon 40 Pro 4G REDMAGIC 12 Pro Plus vs Tecno Camon 40 Pro 4G

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.