Head to head

Huawei nova 16 SE vs Xiaomi 15

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

The short answer

The Xiaomi 15 is the stronger phone of the two, scoring 91 against 81 on our combined specification score. It leads on performance, camera and memory & storage. The Huawei nova 16 SE still wins on 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 349,999.

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The verdict

Spec-derived

Xiaomi 15 takes it by 10.2 points on our weighted spec score.

Performance Xiaomi 15 leads

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

Camera Xiaomi 15 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 Xiaomi 15 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 222,000 less.
  • Huawei nova 16 SE packs a 3,100 mAh larger battery.
  • Xiaomi 15 charges 24W faster.
  • Xiaomi 15 offers 8 GB more RAM.
  • Xiaomi 15 ships with 512 GB more storage.

Buy the Huawei nova 16 SE if…

you care most about value for money.

Buy the Xiaomi 15 if…

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

Full specification comparison

Specification Huawei nova 16 SE Xiaomi 15
Price in Pakistan
Retail price PKR 127,999 Cheaper PKR 349,999
Design & build
Release date August 5, 2026 — China October 29, 2024
Dimensions Not officially confirmed 152.3 × 71.2 × 8.1 mm
Weight 229 g 191g (varies slightly by color variant) Better
Water resistance IP65 (reported) IP68 Dust & Water Resistant (up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes)
Display
Screen size 6.84 inches Better 6.36 Inches
Resolution 1276 × 2776 pixels Better 1200 × 2670 Pixels (1.5K)
Panel type LTPS OLED 120Hz Up to 8,000 nits (reported) LTPO OLED, 68 Billion Colors HDR10+, Dolby Vision
Protection Kunlun Glass Xiaomi Shield Glass / Dragon Crystal Glass
Performance
Chipset Huawei Kirin 8020 (7nm) Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite (3nm)
CPU Octa-core 1 × high-performance core + 3 × performance cores + 4 × efficiency cores Octa-core (2×4.32 GHz + 6×3.53 GHz Oryon cores)
GPU Huawei Maleoon Adreno 830
Operating system HarmonyOS 6.1 Android 15, HyperOS 2
Memory & storage
RAM 8GB 12GB / 16GB LPDDR5X Better
Internal storage 128GB / 256GB / 512GB 256GB / 512GB / 1TB UFS 4.0 Better
Card slot No No microSD support
Camera
Main camera 50 MP f/1.9 RYYB, reported Huawei Red Maple multispectral sensor LED flash, HDR, panorama, AI photography 50MP Wide (f/1.6, OIS) 50MP Telephoto 50MP Ultrawide Leica optics, HDR, Panorama
Selfie camera 32 MP f/2.2 HDR, AI photography 32MP Selfie Camera
Video recording Up to 4K@30fps, reported Up to 8K, 4K Dolby Vision HDR
Battery & charging
Battery capacity Li-Ion (non-removable) 8,500 mAh Better Silicon-Carbon Li-Ion 5400mAh (China) / 5240mAh (Global)
Wired charging 66W fast charging, reported 90W wired HyperCharge, 50W wireless charging, 10W reverse wireless charging Better
Connectivity & extras
SIM Dual Nano-SIM Dual Nano-SIM, Dual Standby
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 6E, Dual-band
Bluetooth Bluetooth 6.0 6.0
NFC Yes Yes
Sensors Fingerprint Side-mounted Accelerometer Gyroscope Proximity Ambient Light Compass Color Spectrum / Multispectral Sensor Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensor Accelerometer Gyroscope Proximity Sensor Compass Barometer
USB USB Type-C OTG USB Type-C 3.2, OTG, DisplayPort support

“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 Xiaomi 15?

Xiaomi 15 comes out ahead on our combined spec score, leading by 10.2 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 Xiaomi 15 in Pakistan?

Huawei nova 16 SE is listed at PKR 127,999 and Xiaomi 15 at PKR 349,999. That makes Huawei nova 16 SE cheaper by PKR 222,000. Retail prices move often, so treat these as indicative.

Which has the better camera, Huawei nova 16 SE or Xiaomi 15?

Xiaomi 15 scores higher in our camera assessment. Both use comparable main sensors, so day to day results come down to processing.

Which is better for gaming, Huawei nova 16 SE or Xiaomi 15?

Xiaomi 15 is the stronger gaming phone here. Huawei nova 16 SE runs the Huawei Kirin 8020 (7nm) while Xiaomi 15 runs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite (3nm).

Related comparisons

Huawei nova 16 SE vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max Xiaomi 15 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max Huawei nova 16 SE vs Tecno Camon 19 Pro 5G Xiaomi 15 vs Tecno Camon 19 Pro 5G Huawei nova 16 SE vs Tecno Camon 30 5G Xiaomi 15 vs Tecno Camon 30 5G Huawei nova 16 SE vs Tecno Camon 40 Pro 4G Xiaomi 15 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.