Huawei nova 3 vs Samsung Galaxy Alpha

Compare recorded specifications, size and practical differences.

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Key differences

Calculated from recorded specifications using minimum difference thresholds. These are differences, not an overall ranking. For three phones, numeric highlights compare the two extremes.

  • Display technology

    OLED versus LCD

    nova 3:
    LCD
    Galaxy Alpha:
    OLED
  • Weight

    Galaxy Alpha: 51 g lighter

    nova 3:
    166 g
    Galaxy Alpha:
    115 g
  • Width

    Galaxy Alpha: 8.2 mm narrower

    nova 3:
    73.7 mm
    Galaxy Alpha:
    65.5 mm
  • Screen diagonal

    Galaxy Alpha: 1.6 in smaller diagonal

    nova 3:
    6.3 in
    Galaxy Alpha:
    4.7 in
  • Chipset

    nova 3:
    Hisilicon Kirin 970 (10 nm)
    Galaxy Alpha:
    Exynos 5430 Octa (20 nm)
  • Rear camera layout

    nova 3:
    Dual
    Galaxy Alpha:
    Single

Physical size

Relative size, not calibrated actual size. Front and side outlines share one scale and a bottom baseline. Generic outlines use recorded body dimensions, excluding camera bumps.

  1. 1. nova 3

    Height:
    157 mm +24.6 mm versus Galaxy Alpha
    Width:
    73.7 mm +8.2 mm versus Galaxy Alpha
    Depth:
    7.3 mm +0.6 mm versus Galaxy Alpha
  2. 2. Galaxy Alpha

    Height:
    132.4 mm
    Width:
    65.5 mm
    Depth:
    6.7 mm

Weight

Bars start at zero and share a scale within this chart.

  1. 1. nova 3

    166 g

    +51 g versus Galaxy Alpha

  2. 2. Galaxy Alpha

    115 g

Screen size

Approximate rectangular screens calculated from recorded diagonal and aspect ratio at one relative scale. Rounded corners and cutouts are not subtracted. These are not phone outlines or calibrated actual sizes.

  1. 1. nova 3

    Screen diagonal:
    6.3 in
    Aspect ratio (height:width):
    19.5:9
    Approximate rectangular screen area:
    97.4 cm²
  2. 2. Galaxy Alpha

    Screen diagonal:
    4.7 in
    Aspect ratio (height:width):
    16:9
    Approximate rectangular screen area:
    60.9 cm²

nova 3 has approximately 60% more rectangular screen area than Galaxy Alpha.

Memory variants

Each row compares the same storage capacity. Cells show recorded RAM alternatives, not combined maxima. Not recorded does not mean unavailable in every market.

Recorded RAM for nova 3, Galaxy Alpha, compared at the same storage capacity.
Storagenova 3Galaxy Alpha
32 GB Unknown 2 GB RAM
nova 3: Original memory entry

128 GB · 6 GB RAM - PAR-TL20 · PAR-AL00 · PAR-LX9128 GB · 4 GB RAM - PAR-LX1M · PAR-LX1 · PAR-LX9

Practical features

Explicit Yes and No values are shown directly. Qualified or regional records retain their details. Unknown means the record is missing.

1. nova 3

NFC:
See details Yes (PAR-LX1 model only)
Headphone jack:
Yes
Memory card support:
See details microSD · up to 256 GB (uses SIM 2 slot)

2. Galaxy Alpha

NFC:
Yes
Headphone jack:
Yes
Memory card support:
No

Battery capacity

Capacity is not battery life. No endurance test is implied.

Recorded battery capacity

Bars start at zero and share a scale within this chart.

  1. 1. nova 3

    3750 mAh

    +1890 mAh versus Galaxy Alpha

  2. 2. Galaxy Alpha

    1860 mAh

Specifications

Open a section for more detail. On narrow screens, swipe sideways or use Left/Right arrow keys while the table is focused. Unknown means missing data, not No. Recorded zero values are shown as recorded.

1. nova 32. Galaxy Alpha

Everyday essentials
Everyday essentials — specifications for nova 3, Galaxy Alpha.
Specificationnova 3Galaxy Alpha
Dimensions (HxWxD)
  • 157 Х 73.7 Х 7.3 mm
  • 132.4 Х 65.5 Х 6.7 mm
Weight
  • 166 g
  • 115 g
Technology
  • IPS LCD
  • Super AMOLED
Screen size
  • 6.3" inch
  • 4.7" inch
Screen resolution
  • 1080 x 2340 px
  • 720 x 1280 px
Internal memory Recorded storage / RAM variants. Entries are alternatives, not a combined maximum. Ambiguous formats stay as recorded.
  • 128 GB
  • 6 GB RAM - PAR-TL20
  • PAR-AL00
  • PAR-LX9128 GB
  • 4 GB RAM - PAR-LX1M
  • PAR-LX1
  • PAR-LX9
  • 32 GB
  • 2 GB RAM
Memory card support
  • microSD
  • up to 256 GB (uses SIM 2 slot)
  • No
Battery Capacity is not battery life. No endurance test is implied.
  • 3750 mAh
  • Non-removable Li-Po
  • 1860 mAh
  • Removable Li-Ion
Operating system OS
  • Android 8.1 (Oreo)
  • upgradable to Android 9.0 (Pie); EMUI 9
  • Android 4.4.4 (KitKat)
  • upgradable to 5.0.2 (Lollipop)
Chipset
  • Hisilicon Kirin 970 (10 nm)
  • Exynos 5430 Octa (20 nm)
NFC
  • Yes (PAR-LX1 model only)
  • Yes
Headphone jack
  • Yes
  • Yes
Display
Display — specifications for nova 3, Galaxy Alpha.
Specificationnova 3Galaxy Alpha
Touchscreen
  • capacitive touchscreen
  • capacitive touchscreen
Display colors
  • 16M
  • 16M
Screen area
  • 97.4 cm2
  • 60.9 cm2
Screen format
  • 19.5:9 (height:width)
  • 16:9 (height:width)
Screen to body ratio
  • 84.2%
  • 70.2%
PPI /points per inch/
  • 409 PPI
  • 312 PPI
Screen protection Unknown
  • Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Camera and Video
Camera and Video — specifications for nova 3, Galaxy Alpha.
Specificationnova 3Galaxy Alpha
Rear camera, main
  • 16 MP
  • Dual
  • 12 MP
  • Single
Camera specs
  • 16 MP
  • 27mm (wide)
  • f/1.8
  • PDAF -24 MP B/W
  • PDAF
  • 12 MP
  • f/2.2
  • 31mm (standard)
  • AF
Functions
  • HDR
  • LED flash
  • panorama
  • HDR
Video
  • 1080p@30fps
  • 2160p@30fps
  • 1080p@60fps
  • 720p@120fps
Front camera, selfie
  • 24 MP
  • Dual
  • 2.1 MP
  • Single
Specifications
  • 24 MP
  • f/2.0
  • 26mm (wide) 2 MP
  • depth sensor
  • 2.1 MP
Performance

Scores marked * are historical catalogue entries. Test conditions are unspecified; no new testing is implied.

Performance — specifications for nova 3, Galaxy Alpha.
Specificationnova 3Galaxy Alpha
Processor CPU
  • Octa-core (4x2.4 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A53)
  • Octa-core (4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A15 & 4x1.3 GHz Cortex-A7)
Graphics processor GPU
  • Mali-G72 MP12
  • Mali-T628 MP6
Antutu 7 score *
  • 206456
  • 50125
GeekBench 4 Single Core * Unknown
  • 782
GeekBench 4 Multi-Core * Unknown
  • 2457
GeekBench 4 RenderScript * Unknown
  • 1804
Antutu 8 score *
  • 231707
Unknown
General specs
General specs — specifications for nova 3, Galaxy Alpha.
Specificationnova 3Galaxy Alpha
Release date
  • 2018
  • July
  • 2014
  • August
Colors
  • Iris Purple
  • Airy blue
  • Primrose Gold
  • Red
  • Black
  • Charcoal Black
  • Sleek Silver
  • Dazzling White
  • Frosted Gold
  • Scuba Blue
Historical recorded price Legacy catalogue value; date unknown. Not a current offer.
  • 400 EUR
  • 390 EUR
Battery life Unknown
  • Stand by time- Up to 350 h (3G) Talking time- Up to 11 h (3G) Music play - Up to 37 h
Body build
  • Front/back glass
  • aluminum frame
  • aluminum frame
  • plastic back
Communication and Connectivity
Communication and Connectivity — specifications for nova 3, Galaxy Alpha.
Specificationnova 3Galaxy Alpha
SIM card
  • Single SIM (Nano-SIM)Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM
  • dual stand-by)
  • Nano-SIM
Network
  • Show all network frequencies: -2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM only) CDMA 800 & TD-SCDMA - PAR-TL20 -3G - HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 - PAR-LX1M
  • PAR-LX1
  • PAR-TL20 HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - PAR-LX9 HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100 - PAR-AL00 -4G - LTE band 1(2100)
  • 3(1800)
  • 5(850)
  • 7(2600)
  • 8(900)
  • 20(800) - PAR-LX1M
  • PAR-LX1 LTE band 1(2100)
  • 2(1900)
  • 4(1700/2100)
  • 28(700)
  • 12(700)
  • 17(700)
  • 18(800)
  • 19(800)
  • 26(850)
  • 38(2600)
  • 40(2300)
  • 41(2500) - PAR-LX9 LTE band 1(2100)
  • 34(2000)
  • 39(1900)
  • 41(2500) - PAR-TL20 LTE band 1(2100)
  • 41(2500) - PAR-AL00
  • Show all network frequencies: -2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 -3G - HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 -4G - LTE band 1(2100)
  • 2(1900)
  • 3(1800)
  • 5(850)
  • 7(2600)
  • 8(900)
  • 20(800) - G850F LTE band 1(2100)
  • 4(1700/2100)
  • 17(700) - SM-G850M
Speed
  • HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps
  • LTE-A (3CA) Cat16 1024/150 Mbps
  • HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps
  • LTE-A Cat6 300/50 Mbps
GPRS
  • Yes
  • Yes
Edge
  • Yes
  • Yes
Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
  • dual-band
  • Wi-Fi Direct
  • hotspot
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
  • dual-band
  • Wi-Fi Direct
  • hotspot
GPS
  • Yes
  • with A-GPS
  • GLONASS
  • BDS
  • Yes
  • with A-GPS
  • GLONASS
USB
  • 2.0
  • Type-C 1.0 reversible connector
  • microUSB 2.0
Bluetooth
  • 4.2
  • A2DP
  • LE
  • EDR
  • aptX HD
  • 4.0
  • A2DP
  • EDR
  • LE
Harmful irradiation Unknown
  • SAR - 1.18 W/kg (head) 0.75 W/kg (body) SAR EU - 0.37 W/kg (head) 0.51 W/kg (body)
Music and Audio
Music and Audio — specifications for nova 3, Galaxy Alpha.
Specificationnova 3Galaxy Alpha
Radio
  • No
  • No
Others
  • Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
  • Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
Other features
Other features — specifications for nova 3, Galaxy Alpha.
Specificationnova 3Galaxy Alpha
Dop
  • Sensors Infrared face recognition
  • fingerprint (rear-mounted)
  • accelerometer
  • gyro
  • proximity
  • compass - Fast battery charging 9V/2A 18W
  • Sensors Fingerprint (front-mounted)
  • accelerometer
  • gyro
  • proximity
  • compass
  • heart rate - ANT+ - Versions: G850F (Europe); G850T (T-Mobile)
  • G850M (Vodafone); G850FQ; G850Y Also known as Samsung Galaxy Alfa