Head to head

Huawei nova 16 SE vs Vivo iQOO 12

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

The short answer

The Vivo iQOO 12 is the stronger phone of the two, scoring 95 against 80 on our combined specification score. It leads on performance, camera and memory & storage. The Huawei nova 16 SE is the cheaper of the two at PKR 127,999 against PKR 147,999.

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The verdict

Spec-derived

Vivo iQOO 12 takes it by 14.3 points on our weighted spec score.

Performance Vivo iQOO 12 leads

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

Camera Vivo iQOO 12 leads

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

Battery & charging Level

Cell capacity in mAh weighted with rated wired charging output.

Display Level

Pixel density, refresh rate and panel technology.

Memory & storage Vivo iQOO 12 leads

Highest advertised RAM and internal storage configuration.

Value for money Vivo iQOO 12 leads

Combined spec score divided by current Pakistani retail price.

What actually differs

  • Huawei nova 16 SE costs PKR 20,000 less.
  • Huawei nova 16 SE packs a 3,500 mAh larger battery.
  • Vivo iQOO 12 charges 54W faster.
  • Vivo iQOO 12 offers 8 GB more RAM.
  • Vivo iQOO 12 ships with 512 GB more storage.
  • Vivo iQOO 12 has a 14 MP higher-resolution main sensor.

Buy the Vivo iQOO 12 if…

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

Full specification comparison

Specification Huawei nova 16 SE Vivo iQOO 12
Price in Pakistan
Retail price PKR 127,999 Cheaper PKR 147,999
Design & build
Release date August 5, 2026 — China Announced November 7, 2023 • Available (2025-26 in Pakistan)
Dimensions Not officially confirmed 163.2 × 75.9 × 8.1 mm
Weight 229 g 198.5 g Better
Water resistance IP65 (reported) No official IP rating
Display
Screen size 6.84 inches Better 6.78 inches
Resolution 1276 × 2776 pixels Better 1260 × 2800 pixels (~453 ppi)
Panel type LTPS OLED 120Hz Up to 8,000 nits (reported) AMOLED, 1B colors, HDR10+, 144Hz
Protection Kunlun Glass Not listed
Performance
Chipset Huawei Kirin 8020 (7nm) Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm)
CPU Octa-core 1 × high-performance core + 3 × performance cores + 4 × efficiency cores Octa-core (1×3.3 GHz Cortex-X4 + 5×3.2 GHz Cortex-A720 + 2×2.3 GHz Cortex-A520)
GPU Huawei Maleoon Adreno 750
Operating system HarmonyOS 6.1 Android 14 (Funtouch 14 / OriginOS 4)
Memory & storage
RAM 8GB 12GB/16GB Better
Internal storage 128GB / 256GB / 512GB 256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 4.0) 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 50 MP (wide) + 64 MP (telephoto/periscope) + 50 MP (ultra-wide) Better
Selfie camera 32 MP f/2.2 HDR, AI photography Better 16 MP
Video recording Up to 4K@30fps, reported 8K@30fps, 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps
Battery & charging
Battery capacity Li-Ion (non-removable) 8,500 mAh Better Non-removable Li-Ion 4880–5000 mAh
Wired charging 66W fast charging, reported 120W wired (fast charging) Better
Connectivity & extras
SIM Dual Nano-SIM Dual Nano-SIM
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e
Bluetooth Bluetooth 6.0 5.x
NFC Yes Yes
Sensors Fingerprint Side-mounted Accelerometer Gyroscope Proximity Ambient Light Compass Color Spectrum / Multispectral Sensor Under-display optical fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, compass, proximity
USB USB Type-C OTG USB Type-C

“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 Vivo iQOO 12?

Vivo iQOO 12 comes out ahead on our combined spec score, leading by 14.3 points. It wins on performance, camera, memory & storage and value for money. 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 Vivo iQOO 12 in Pakistan?

Huawei nova 16 SE is listed at PKR 127,999 and Vivo iQOO 12 at PKR 147,999. That makes Huawei nova 16 SE cheaper by PKR 20,000. Retail prices move often, so treat these as indicative.

Which has the better camera, Huawei nova 16 SE or Vivo iQOO 12?

Vivo iQOO 12 scores higher in our camera assessment. Huawei nova 16 SE uses a 50 MP main sensor against 64 MP on Vivo iQOO 12, though sensor size and processing matter more than resolution alone.

Which is better for gaming, Huawei nova 16 SE or Vivo iQOO 12?

Vivo iQOO 12 is the stronger gaming phone here. Huawei nova 16 SE runs the Huawei Kirin 8020 (7nm) while Vivo iQOO 12 runs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm).

Related comparisons

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