Huawei Nova 13i VS Huawei Nova Y73

In terms of physical footprint, the Nova 13i is the more compact of the two. It is shorter, narrower, and has a smaller overall volume (102.47 cm³ vs 105.60 cm³), and it also comes in 4 g lighter at 199 g. The difference is not dramatic, but over a long day of use, the slightly smaller frame and reduced weight make the Nova 13i marginally easier to handle single-handed. The Nova Y73, being a larger device, will feel more expansive in the hand — a trade-off some users prefer for media consumption, though it edges toward feeling bulkier in a pocket.

The most meaningful differentiator in this group is the IP rating. The Nova 13i carries an IP65 certification, while the Nova Y73 is rated IP64. Both are dust-tight (the ″6″ prefix), but the final digit is where they diverge: a ″5″ means the 13i can withstand sustained water jets from any direction, whereas a ″4″ means the Y73 is only protected against water splashing from any direction. In practice, this means the Nova 13i offers meaningfully better water resistance — it can handle rain, sink splashes, or an accidental shower spray with more confidence than the Y73.

Overall, the Nova 13i has a clear edge in this group. It is lighter, more compact, and — most importantly — carries a stronger IP rating. Neither phone has a rugged build or a foldable form factor, so those are non-factors here. For users who prioritize portability and better real-world water protection, the Nova 13i is the stronger choice on design alone.

The Huawei Nova 13i features an LCD, LED-backlit display with a larger 6.76″ screen size, compared to the Huawei Nova Y73's 6.67″ LCD, IPS display. The Nova 13i also has a higher pixel density at 391 ppi, while the Nova Y73's pixel density is 264 ppi, meaning the Nova 13i offers sharper visuals.

In terms of resolution, the Nova 13i again has the advantage with a higher 1080 x 2388 px resolution, compared to the Nova Y73's 720 x 1604 px resolution. Both devices have a 90Hz refresh rate, providing smooth scrolling and transitions. However, only the Nova 13i supports HDR10, while the Nova Y73 lacks HDR support altogether.

The Nova 13i also supports an Always-On Display feature, which the Nova Y73 does not. Neither device supports HDR10+, Dolby Vision, or has branded damage-resistant glass. Both devices have a touch screen but lack a secondary screen.

Both the Huawei Nova 13i and Huawei Nova Y73 come with 256GB of internal storage and 8GB of RAM. The Nova 13i is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G chipset, while the Nova Y73 uses the HiSilicon Kirin 710A chipset. The Nova 13i's CPU speed is 4 x 2.4 GHz and 4 x 1.9 GHz, compared to the Nova Y73's 4 x 2.2 GHz and 4 x 1.7 GHz.

When it comes to Geekbench results, the Nova 13i scores 1466 in multi-core and 416 in single-core on Geekbench 6, while the Nova Y73 scores 1125 in multi-core and 319 in single-core. On Geekbench 5, the Nova 13i scores 1550 in multi-core and 385 in single-core, while the Nova Y73 scores 1149 in multi-core and 316 in single-core. These results indicate that the Nova 13i generally performs better in benchmarking tests.

The GPU clock speed of the Nova 13i is 845 MHz, while the Nova Y73's GPU clock speed is 650 MHz. The Nova 13i uses a 6 nm semiconductor size, while the Nova Y73 uses a 12 nm semiconductor size. Both phones support 64-bit processing and have integrated graphics, with DirectX 12 compatibility, big.LITTLE technology, and 8 CPU threads. The Nova 13i has a slightly faster RAM speed at 2133 MHz, compared to the Nova Y73’s 2200 MHz. The Nova Y73 also has a lower maximum memory amount, supporting up to 6GB of RAM, whereas the Nova 13i supports up to 8GB of RAM.

The Huawei Nova 13i features a dual-lens main camera with 108 MP and 2 MP sensors, while the Huawei Nova Y73 has a single 50 MP main camera. The Nova 13i’s main camera has a wide aperture of 2.4f and 1.9f for the two lenses, whereas the Nova Y73’s main camera has a wider 1.8f aperture. Both phones have an 8 MP front camera with a 2f aperture.

When it comes to video recording, the Nova 13i supports 2160 x 30 fps video from its main camera, while the Nova Y73 supports 1080 x 30 fps. Both devices support slow-motion video recording, have continuous autofocus during video recording, and have phase-detection autofocus for photos. The Nova 13i also has built-in optical image stabilization, but the Nova Y73 does not.

In terms of other camera features, both phones support HDR, have manual exposure, manual ISO, serial shot mode, and manual focus. Both can create panoramas in-camera and have touch autofocus. The Nova 13i offers more advanced controls, including manual white balance, shutter speed adjustments, and a dual-tone LED flash with two LEDs, while the Nova Y73 has a single LED flash. Neither phone has a front-facing LED flash, 360° panorama shooting, or supports HDR10 or Dolby Vision recording.

The Huawei Nova 13i runs on Android 14, while the Huawei Nova Y73 operates on Android 12. Both devices share a number of privacy and security features, including clipboard warnings, location privacy options, camera/microphone privacy options, and the ability to block app tracking. However, the Nova 13i includes additional privacy features such as notification permissions and media picker support, which the Nova Y73 lacks.

Both phones offer dark mode, theme customization, dynamic theming, and a child lock. The Nova 13i includes extras like an extra dim mode, focus modes, customizable notifications, Live Text, full-page screenshots, and split screen support. Additionally, it supports PiP, widgets, offline voice recognition, and voice commands, all of which are also available on the Nova Y73.

Notably, the Nova 13i supports more advanced features like playing games while downloading, on-device machine learning, and tracking the current position of the device. The Nova 13i also supports direct OS updates, while the Nova Y73 does not. Both phones are free and open source, support a multi-user system, and lack Quick Start features. The Nova Y73 lacks a battery health check feature, which is present on the Nova 13i.

The Huawei Nova 13i is equipped with a 5000 mAh battery, while the Huawei Nova Y73 features a larger 6620 mAh battery. Both phones support fast charging at 40W, but neither supports wireless charging. Neither device has a removable battery, and both have a rechargeable battery. Additionally, both phones include a battery level indicator to monitor battery status.

Both the Nova 13i and the Nova Y73 have similar battery-related features, including support for fast charging, a rechargeable battery, and a battery level indicator. The key difference lies in the battery power, with the Nova Y73 offering a larger capacity at 6620 mAh compared to the 5000 mAh battery in the Nova 13i.

Both the Huawei Nova 13i and Huawei Nova Y73 lack a 3.5 mm audio jack, meaning users cannot directly plug in wired headphones. The Nova 13i does feature stereo speakers, while the Nova Y73 does not. Neither phone supports aptX, LDAC, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, or aptX Lossless, which are technologies used for higher-quality audio streaming over Bluetooth.

Neither device includes a radio feature, which is often used for FM or internet radio streaming. Overall, the audio specifications show that both phones offer limited wired audio options, with the Nova 13i having an advantage in having stereo speakers, while the Nova Y73 lacks them.

Both the Huawei Nova 13i and Huawei Nova Y73 support dual SIM cards, have USB Type-C with USB version 2, and feature NFC. The Nova 13i offers Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), and Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), while the Nova Y73 only supports Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n). Both phones support GPS and Galileo, and feature a fingerprint scanner, accelerometer, and a cellular module.

In terms of connectivity speed, the Nova 13i offers a download speed of 390 MBits/s, while the Nova Y73 supports faster download speeds of 600 MBits/s, though both share the same upload speed of 150 MBits/s. The Nova Y73 also has Bluetooth 5.1, while the Nova 13i is equipped with Bluetooth 5. Both phones lack a memory card slot, infrared sensor, and barometer, and neither has emergency SOS via satellite or crash detection.

The Nova Y73 includes an infrared sensor, which the Nova 13i lacks, but the Nova 13i supports a broader range of Wi-Fi versions and features a compass, which both phones share. Neither phone has a stylus, 3D facial recognition, an iris scanner, DLNA certification, or a built-in projector. Both devices also support motion and optical tracking, but neither has a gyroscope or barometer.

Both the Huawei Nova 13i and Huawei Nova Y73 come with a video light, which can be useful for illuminating photos and videos in low-light environments. Neither phone features sapphire glass display protection, a curved display, or an e-paper display.

The specifications in this group are identical for both devices, with both phones lacking the aforementioned advanced display features. The only distinguishing feature in this category is the presence of the video light, which is included on both models.