Head to head

Huawei nova 16 SE vs Sony Xperia 1 VIII

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

The short answer

The Sony Xperia 1 VIII is the stronger phone of the two, scoring 86 against 81 on our combined specification score. It leads on performance, camera and memory & storage. The Huawei nova 16 SE still wins on battery & charging 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 439,999.

View raw data
Add another phone to this comparison

Up to 4 devices can share one comparison table.

The verdict

Spec-derived

Sony Xperia 1 VIII takes it by 5.5 points on our weighted spec score.

Performance Sony Xperia 1 VIII leads

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

Camera Sony Xperia 1 VIII leads

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

Battery & charging Huawei nova 16 SE leads

Cell capacity in mAh weighted with rated wired charging output.

Display Level

Pixel density, refresh rate and panel technology.

Memory & storage Sony Xperia 1 VIII 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 312,000 less.
  • Huawei nova 16 SE packs a 3,500 mAh larger battery.
  • Huawei nova 16 SE charges 21W faster.
  • Sony Xperia 1 VIII offers 8 GB more RAM.
  • Sony Xperia 1 VIII ships with 512 GB more storage.
  • Huawei nova 16 SE has a 2 MP higher-resolution main sensor.

Buy the Huawei nova 16 SE if…

you care most about battery & charging and value for money.

Buy the Sony Xperia 1 VIII if…

you care most about performance, camera and memory & storage.

Full specification comparison

Specification Huawei nova 16 SE Sony Xperia 1 VIII
Price in Pakistan
Retail price PKR 127,999 Cheaper PKR 439,999
Design & build
Release date August 5, 2026 — China May 13, 2026.
Dimensions Not officially confirmed 161.9 x 74.5 x 8.5 mm
Weight 229 g 197g Better
Water resistance IP65 (reported) IP68 dust/water resistant
Display
Screen size 6.84 inches Better 6.5 Inches
Resolution 1276 × 2776 pixels Better 1080 x 2340 Pixels (FHD+)
Panel type LTPS OLED 120Hz Up to 8,000 nits (reported) LTPO OLED, 120Hz, HDR
Protection Kunlun Glass Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Performance
Chipset Huawei Kirin 8020 (7nm) Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
CPU Octa-core 1 × high-performance core + 3 × performance cores + 4 × efficiency cores Octa-core
GPU Huawei Maleoon Adreno 840
Operating system HarmonyOS 6.1 Android 16
Memory & storage
RAM 8GB 12GB / 16GB Better
Internal storage 128GB / 256GB / 512GB 256GB / 512GB / 1TB Better
Card slot No microSDXC (up to 2TB)
Camera
Main camera 50 MP f/1.9 RYYB, reported Huawei Red Maple multispectral sensor LED flash, HDR, panorama, AI photography Better 48MP Main Sensor 48MP Ultra-Wide 48MP Periscope Telephoto ZEISS Optics AI Camera Assistant OIS HDR Panorama
Selfie camera 32 MP f/2.2 HDR, AI photography Better 12MP Selfie Camera HDR
Video recording Up to 4K@30fps, reported 4K Video Recording
Battery & charging
Battery capacity Li-Ion (non-removable) 8,500 mAh Better Li-Po 5000mAh, non-removable
Wired charging 66W fast charging, reported Better 45W Fast Charging Wireless Charging Reverse Wireless Charging
Connectivity & extras
SIM Dual Nano-SIM Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual standby)
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi 7, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth Bluetooth 6.0 v5.4
NFC Yes Yes
Sensors Fingerprint Side-mounted Accelerometer Gyroscope Proximity Ambient Light Compass Color Spectrum / Multispectral Sensor Fingerprint Sensor: Side Mounted Accelerometer Gyroscope Proximity Compass Barometer
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 Sony Xperia 1 VIII?

Sony Xperia 1 VIII comes out ahead on our combined spec score, leading by 5.5 points. It wins on performance, camera 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 Sony Xperia 1 VIII in Pakistan?

Huawei nova 16 SE is listed at PKR 127,999 and Sony Xperia 1 VIII at PKR 439,999. That makes Huawei nova 16 SE cheaper by PKR 312,000. Retail prices move often, so treat these as indicative.

Which has the better camera, Huawei nova 16 SE or Sony Xperia 1 VIII?

Sony Xperia 1 VIII scores higher in our camera assessment. Huawei nova 16 SE uses a 50 MP main sensor against 48 MP on Sony Xperia 1 VIII, though sensor size and processing matter more than resolution alone.

Which phone has the better battery, Huawei nova 16 SE or Sony Xperia 1 VIII?

Huawei nova 16 SE leads on battery. Huawei nova 16 SE carries a 8500 mAh cell and Sony Xperia 1 VIII a 5000 mAh cell, with 66W and 45W wired charging respectively.

Which is better for gaming, Huawei nova 16 SE or Sony Xperia 1 VIII?

Sony Xperia 1 VIII is the stronger gaming phone here. Huawei nova 16 SE runs the Huawei Kirin 8020 (7nm) while Sony Xperia 1 VIII runs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

Related comparisons

Huawei nova 16 SE vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max Sony Xperia 1 VIII vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max Huawei nova 16 SE vs Tecno Camon 19 Pro 5G Sony Xperia 1 VIII vs Tecno Camon 19 Pro 5G Huawei nova 16 SE vs Tecno Camon 30 5G Sony Xperia 1 VIII vs Tecno Camon 30 5G Huawei nova 16 SE vs Tecno Camon 40 Pro 4G Sony Xperia 1 VIII 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.