AI Plus Nova 5G Review: For Rs 7,999, This Phone Is Too Good To Be True

Getting a phone for less than Rs 10,000 that you can flaunt and have a good all-round user experience is hard. If you can stretch your budget and go a bit higher, a whole new world awaits, one that is beaming with possibilities. But what if you have a super-tight budget? The tables turn suddenly, and you’re left with fewer options. The segment isn’t necessarily a hotbed of innovation, relying instead on the tried and tested formula of providing just enough basics to cover the bare necessities a phone could ask for.

NxtQuantum Shift Technologies, a new tech startup which has former Realme CEO Madhav Sheth at the helm, wants to change that stereotype with the brand-new AI Plus Nova 5G. This phone, no matter where you look, seems heavy on specs and surprisingly light on the pocket. Some might even say that it is too good to be true. For a starting price of Rs 7,999, you’re getting more than your money’s worth at least as far as hardware is concerned. But if NxtQuantum is anything to go by, its software is its biggest USPs. For a new brand that’s trying to break into India’s hyper-competitive smartphone space, the AI Plus Nova gets a lot right on paper. So, how does it fare in the real world? Let’s find out in this India Today Tech review.

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AI Plus Nova 5G review: Design and display

The AI Plus Nova 5G has raised the bar, especially from the design perspective. For a device belonging to this price segment, the phone features a premium look and feel. It has a boxy build, but with a slim profile. It is light and sleek to fit in your hand perfectly. I have been using the green variant (it also comes in blue, white, pink, purple and black colour options), and I love how minimalistic the design is. The rear panel features a subtle rectangular-shaped camera island, hosting dual shooters.

The company has paid attention to the details. The island on the back panel is divided in half (horizontally) with a darker shade of green. Additionally, the power button on the edge is in contrast with the rest of the colour profile. It is red. Following such details, the AI Plus Nova 5G keeps the boredom away.

This minimalistic approach also means the phone remains fairly stable when placed on a flat surface, without excessive wobble. While the design is grip-friendly, to counter sweaty/greasy fingers, the smartphone comes with a protective case in the box.

Coming to the display, the AI Plus Nova 5G features a large 6.75-inch display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. It is bright enough to remain perfectly legible even under direct sunlight, and the vivid colours on the display make everything look more immersive. The bezels could be more uniform, but it is understandable at this price.

AI Plus Nova 5G review: Performance and battery

Powered by a Unisoc T8200 chip, the AI Plus Nova 5G runs on NxTQ OS, which is based on Android 15. The best part, the phone comes with no bloatware, which is a rare sight with entry-level smartphones. The new NxTQ OS is the name of the Android skin that the brand is offering over Android 15. It has a privacy dashboard so that you can track which apps are accessing your data. There is an app store, design tool, community app and wallpaper app from the platform.

With this new OS, the phone offers a smooth and snappy performance. Whether it is scrolling Instagram or WhatsApp chatting or binge-watching videos on YouTube, the phone delivers a largely lag-free performance.

To really put it through its paces, I also ran a few benchmark tests on the device. On Geekbench, the phone clocked 742 for single-core, and 1995 for multi-core.

The smartphone packs a big 5,000mAh battery. I have been using it for almost 2 weeks now, and I can say that it can power through daily tasks easily. While I only used the phone for WhatsApp chatting, Instagram scrolling, watching YouTube videos and occasional reading, the AI Plus Nova 5G was able to pull off 8-9 hours.

While the battery is good for a phone in sub-Rs 8,000 segment, the 10W charging speed leaves you asking for more. It took nearly 2 hours to charge from 2 per cent to 88 per cent.

AI Plus Nova 5G review: Camera

The AI Plus Nova 5G comes with a 50-megapixel primary sensor on the back and a 5-megapixel front camera. While the specifications seem promising, the real-world performance is underwhelming. The camera struggles with fine details, often producing shots that lack the desired sharpness and clarity. Softness creeps in, particularly in complex textures or low-light environments. For casual photography and social media posts, it gets the job done, but it’s unlikely to impress serious shutterbugs.

In daylight, colours appear vivid, yet the overly smooth finish leaves images looking slightly flat. Portrait mode performs similarly. While the edge detection is better as compared to other smartphones in the price segment, the smoothing effect makes the results look a bit artificial.

AI Plus Nova 5G: Is it worth it?

At Rs 7,999, the AI Plus Nova 5G is surely worth it. It sports a beautiful design that at first you may not even tell it is under Rs 10,000. Other than the looks, the phone also features other premium features. For instance, a 6.7-inch HD+ display, 5,000mAh battery and a 50-megapixel primary camera. For budget-conscious buyers, it comes as a breath of fresh air, one that is easy to recommend.