Honor Play20A vs Huawei nova 16 SE

Verdict

The Honor Play20A is not clearly ahead in any section, while the Huawei nova 16 SE leads in display, performance, connectivity & features, camera and battery.

The biggest difference is display: 39 vs 90 points.

Play20A leads in 1 field
nova 16 SE leads in 15 fields
12 ties

28 scored fields compared

Score by section

Section scores	Play20A	nova 16 SE
Overall
Performance	22	58
Camera	3	35
Battery	47	76
Display	39	90
Design & durability	–	66
Connectivity & features	11	44

Full specifications

Only differences

Performance

Chipset performance index: Play20A: 18/100; nova 16 SE: 50/100(Better)
Chipset: Play20A: Helio G81; nova 16 SE: Kirin 8020
RAM (max): Play20A: 4 GB; nova 16 SE: 8 GB(Better)
Storage (max): Play20A: 128 GB; nova 16 SE: 512 GB(Better)
Process node: Play20A: 12 nm; nova 16 SE: Unknown

Camera

Main camera resolution: Play20A: 13 MP; nova 16 SE: 50 MP(Better)
Main sensor size: Play20A: Unknown; nova 16 SE: 1/1.56″
Optical stabilization (OIS): Play20A: No; nova 16 SE: No
Ultra-wide camera: Play20A: No; nova 16 SE: No
Telephoto camera: Play20A: No; nova 16 SE: No
Periscope lens: Play20A: No; nova 16 SE: No
Optical zoom: Play20A: No; nova 16 SE: No
Video recording: Play20A: Unknown; nova 16 SE: 4K 30 fps
Front camera: Play20A: 5 MP; nova 16 SE: 32 MP(Better)
Front camera 4K video: Play20A: No; nova 16 SE: Yes

Battery

Battery capacity: Play20A: 6000 mAh; nova 16 SE: 8500 mAh(Better)
Wired charging: Play20A: 15 W; nova 16 SE: 66 W(Better)
Wireless charging: Play20A: No; nova 16 SE: No
Reverse charging: Play20A: No; nova 16 SE: Yes(Better)
Reverse charging type: Play20A: No; nova 16 SE: Wired

Display

Screen size: Play20A: 6.9″; nova 16 SE: 6.84″
Panel type: Play20A: LCD; nova 16 SE: OLED(Better)
Refresh rate: Play20A: 90 Hz; nova 16 SE: 120 Hz(Better)
Pixel density: Play20A: 254 ppi; nova 16 SE: 444 ppi(Better)
Peak brightness: Play20A: Unknown; nova 16 SE: 8000 nits
Resolution: Play20A: 720x1600; nova 16 SE: 1272x2756
Screen protection: Play20A: Unknown; nova 16 SE: Aluminosilicate glass

Design & durability

Weight: Play20A: Unknown; nova 16 SE: 229 g
Thickness: Play20A: Unknown; nova 16 SE: 8 mm
Dust & water resistance: Play20A: None; nova 16 SE: IP65–IP67(Better)
Back material: Play20A: Unknown; nova 16 SE: Aluminum
Frame material: Play20A: Unknown; nova 16 SE: Plastic

Connectivity & features

5G: Play20A: No; nova 16 SE: No
Wi-Fi: Play20A: Unknown; nova 16 SE: Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth: Play20A: Unknown; nova 16 SE: 6.0
USB speed: Play20A: USB 2.0; nova 16 SE: USB 2.0
USB port: Play20A: USB-C 2.0; nova 16 SE: USB-C 2.0
DisplayPort output: Play20A: No; nova 16 SE: No
NFC: Play20A: No; nova 16 SE: Yes(Better)
eSIM: Play20A: No; nova 16 SE: No
Ultra-wideband (UWB): Play20A: No; nova 16 SE: No
Satellite connectivity: Play20A: No; nova 16 SE: No
Stereo speakers: Play20A: No; nova 16 SE: Yes(Better)
3.5 mm headphone jack: Play20A: Unknown; nova 16 SE: No
Fingerprint reader: Play20A: Side-mounted; nova 16 SE: Side-mounted
3D face unlock: Play20A: No; nova 16 SE: No
Infrared blaster: Play20A: No; nova 16 SE: Yes(Better)
FM radio: Play20A: Unknown; nova 16 SE: No
microSD slot: Play20A: Yes(Better); nova 16 SE: No
Card slot: Play20A: microSD; nova 16 SE: No

General

Operating system: Play20A: Android 15; nova 16 SE: HarmonyOS 6.1
Launch price: Play20A: Unknown; nova 16 SE: About 320 EUR
Year: Play20A: 2026; nova 16 SE: 2026

Show raw spec text

Original text from the source spec sheet, for reference.

—	Play20A	nova 16 SE
Network
Technology	GSM / HSPA / LTE	GSM / HSPA / LTE
2G bands	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bands	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
4G bands	LTE	LTE
Speed	HSPA, LTE	HSPA, LTE
Launch
Announced	2026, August 16	2026, August 05
Status	Available. Released 2026, August	Available. Released 2026, August 13
Body
Dimensions	-	163.3 x 78 x 8 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.31 in)
Weight	-	229 g (8.08 oz)
SIM	Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM	Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM IP65 dust tight and water resistant (low pressure water jets)
Build	–	Glass front, plastic frame, aluminum back
Display
Type	TFT LCD, 90Hz	OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, 2160Hz PWM, 8000 nits (peak)*
Size	6.9 inches, 114.9 cm2	6.84 inches, 114.8 cm2 (~90.2% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution	720 x 1600 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~254 ppi density) Small rear display	1272 x 2756 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~444 ppi density)
Protection	–	Aluminosilicate glass * Measured at an isolated spot during video playback only
Platform
OS	Android 15, MagicOS 9	HarmonyOS 6.1
Chipset	Mediatek Helio G81 (12 nm)	Kirin 8020
CPU	Octa-core (2x2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 & 6x1.7 GHz Cortex-A55)	Octa-core (1x2.29 GHz & 3x2.05 GHz & 4x1.3 GHz)
GPU	Mali-G52 MC2	Maleoon 920 2cu
Memory
Card slot	microSDXC (dedicated slot)	No
Internal	64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM	128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM
Main Camera
Single	13 MP	–
Features	LED flash	LED flash, panorama, HDR
Video	Yes	4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS
Dual	–	50 MP, f/1.9, (wide), 1/1.56", dual-pixel PDAF Auxiliary lens
Selfie camera
Single	5 MP	32 MP, f/2.2, (wide)
Video	Yes	4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS
Sound
Loudspeaker	Yes	Yes, with stereo speakers
3.5mm jack	Unspecified	No
Comms
WLAN	Yes	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6/7, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth	Yes	6.0, A2DP, LE, L2HC (320-960 kbps HD audio)
Positioning	GPS	GPS (L1+L5), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC, GLONASS
NFC	No	Yes
Radio	Unspecified	No
USB	USB Type-C 2.0, OTG	USB Type-C 2.0, OTG
Infrared port	–	Yes
Features
Sensors	Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer	Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, compass Virtual proximity sensing
Battery
Type	6000 mAh	8500 mAh
Charging	15W wired	66W wired 5W reverse wired
Misc
Colors	Midnight Black, Light Blue, Starry Purple	Black, White, Orange, Blue
Models	–	CAS-AL50
Price	–	About 320 EUR