Huawei showed off its beautiful midranger the NOVA Plus at IFA just a few weeks ago. For those of you living in Canada who have been waiting for the phone, the NOVA Plus will be coming to Rogers, Fido, and Virgin Mobile on October 18th.

The NOVA Plus certainly isn’t the most powerful phone that Huawei has to offer. Instead it is supposed to be a midrange device, and that’s precisely what it is: a 5.5-inch Full HD display, 16-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front camera, all powered by Snapdragon 625. It has a beautifully-crafted 2.5D glass on the front, and the matte aluminum back makes it feel like a premium device.

However, as is the case with every midrange smartphone, the NOVA Plus’ success will largely depend on the price, and if its European pricing is any indication, I’m just not sure if the device will do well in Canada. The problem is that Huawei has given the NOVA Plus a €430 price tag in Europe. That’s approximately $480. If the Canadian pricing is similar, there simply aren’t enough incentives for consumers to go for the NOVA Plus over other midrangers.

Major Android manufacturers have a large selection of midrange offerings, including Samsung. Both the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) and the Galaxy A7 (2016) have comparable specs to the NOVA Plus and are priced under $400. Hell, even the OnePlus 3 – the phone that OnePlus couldn’t sell because it was too popular – is priced at $399!

Huawei’s rapid growth had a lot to do with its disruptive pricing. It disrupted the mainstream market because just like OnePlus, it offered phones with robust specs that were half the price of a normal flagship device. In fact, many Chinese OEMs rose to the top through this approach, but there seems to be a paradigm shift happening. Huawei’s P9 was the first phone from the Chinese company to have a premium price tag: it neared $700 and perhaps rightfully so. Now the rumor has it that Xiaomi will also be launching a phone with a hefty price tag.

The issue isn’t that companies whose success largely depended on disruptive pricing have started selling premium smartphones with premium price tags. After all, the Galaxy S7 and the iPhone sell like hotcakes. The issue arises when the aforementioned companies sell midrange phones with premium price tags. The Android market is already heavily saturated with lower to mid-tier devices, and most of them all offer similar specs and a similar design. That means price is a key differentiator.

The Android market is already heavily saturated with lower to mid-tier devices, and most of them all offer similar specs with a similar design. That means price is a key differentiator.

Though Huawei may not be expecting to break sales records with the NOVA Plus, it shows that Chinese OEMs may be shifting their focus away from “affordable flagship killers.” Would you be interested in buying the NOVA Plus if it’s priced at $400+? Let us know in the comments below!

[press]

Huawei NOVA Plus smartphone arrives in Canada, available at Rogers, Virgin Mobile and Fido

TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2016 /CNW/ – Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider and one of the world’s largest smartphone manufacturers, announced today that the Huawei NOVA Plus, a new smartphone designed to meet the needs of today’s most dynamic consumers, will be available inCanada beginning as early as October 18, 2016.

“We are pleased to have Rogers, Virgin Mobile and Fido carrying the new Huawei NOVA Plus,” said Huawei Canada President Sean Yang. “We continue to see a growing demand for Huawei smartphones in Canada and we are confident the new NOVA Plus will bring Canadians the same high quality features and stylish design that have helped make Huawei one of the world’s most popular smartphone brands.”

Featuring a sleek design, a vivid camera and performance updates for enhanced usability, the Huawei NOVA Plus runs on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow). The NOVA Plus comes with a category-leading 16 megapixel camera with optical image stabilization, and allows users to capture the perfect selfie or take thousands of shots on a single charge.

The device’s ultra-thin industrial design features a curved section of 2.5D glass, which improves scratch resistance, delivers improved touch-screen response and gives the device a refined look. The Huawei NOVA Plus also features a next-gen 3D fingerprint sensor for improved security and convenience.

For more information on the Huawei NOVA Plus, please visit www.huawei.ca.

About Huawei

Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Huawei’s 150,000 employees worldwide are committed to creating maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers. Our innovative ICT solutions, products and services have been deployed in over 170 countries and regions, serving more than one third of the world’s population. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees, and was recently name by Interbrand as one of the world’s top 100 brands – the first Chinese company to receive this recognition.

Huawei Canada has been in operation since 2008. Huawei’s innovative wireless products and services support many of Canada’s leading telecommunications companies, and Huawei’s Canada Research Centre in is a national leader in advanced communications technologies. We are proud to be a key part of Canada’s ICT Ecosystem.

[/press]