The impressive four-camera Huawei nova 2i will be getting two new party tricks with an upcoming OTA software update. “Face unlock” and “AR lens” will be available for all existing nova 2i users by 30 January 2018.
Facial recognition isn’t exactly new, but has regained popularity thanks to the likes of the iPhone X. It has however, improved in terms of security, speed and accuracy, and has become a handy alternative to a PIN/Password unlock or fingerprint scan.
The Face unlock feature on the nova 2i, using advanced facial recognition software, can quickly recognise your facial features and unlock the screen within milliseconds. Wet fingers? No problem.
The new feature also offers two options to unlock: “Direct unlock” or “Slide to unlock.” The Slide to unlock setting lets you take advantage of smart lock screen notifications. If the system recognises that the user does not have Face ID registered, it will automatically hide content from any notifications, such as SMS, WeChat, WhatsApp, Line and more.
How secure is the Face unlock feature on the nova 2i? Huawei says it uses a three-dimensional approach to protection. Firstly, your face information is stored in the Kirin chipset’s CPU TEE (Trusted Execution Environment) area.
Not only that, the algorithm security collects more than 1,000 information points on a user’s face.
Finally, it prevents the phone from being unlocked when a user’s eyes are closed.
Moving on to the fun bit—AR lens. The nova 2i’s two front-facing cameras enable more creativity with augmented reality. You can now superimpose yourself with your idol, or take a photo or video in front of famous landmarks without actually being there.
How to upgrade
On your nova 2i, head over to your Settings > System Update.
Click on the upper right corner button (the one with the three points), then select “Download latest full package.”
As a refresher, the nova 2i features an expansive 5.93-inch Full HD (2160×1080) FullView display with an 18:9 screen ratio.
It’s powered by an octa-core Kirin 659 processor, mated to 4GB of RAM amnd 64GB of storage.
In terms of camera, the nova 2i takes it to the next level. It has two front-facing cameras—13MP f/2.0 + 2MP f/2.2 units with front-facing LED flash. On the rear, it’s again a two-camera setup: 16MP f/2.2 + 2MP f/2.4 combo.
The nova 2i is in-built with a 3,340mAh battery that charges via microUSB.
Read more about the nova 2i here.
Pricing and availability
It is available in Graphite Black, Prestige Gold and Limited Edition Aurora Blue. It retails for MYR1,299 and definitely a phone to beat in its price segment.
