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The Ai+ Nova 2 Power 5G enters India’s sub-Rs 20,000 smartphone segment with a 7,000mAh battery, 120Hz display and MediaTek Dimensity 7100 chipset.
The Ai+ Nova 2 Power 5G starts at Rs 16,999 for the 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage model.
Buying a smartphone under Rs 20,000 is becoming a little more complicated, with rising component costs forcing brands to rethink what they used to offer at this price. The impact is already visible in India’s smartphone market, where shipments in the July-September quarter of 2026 fell to their lowest level in a decade. On the other hand, the buyers continue to expect better cameras, displays, performance and battery life without stretching their budgets.
Amid these changing market conditions, homegrown brand Ai+ has recently launched the Nova 2 Power 5G mobile phone in India. The smartphone brings a 7,000mAh battery, a 120Hz display and MediaTek’s Dimensity 7100 processor to the sub-Rs 20,000 segment. These specifications make it an interesting addition to the budget smartphone market. But how does it fare beyond the spec sheet? I spent some time with the Ai+ Nova 2 Power 5G to get a closer look at its design, display, performance, cameras and battery life. Here’s my first full review.
Ai+ Nova 2 Power 5G Review: Design
The Ai+ Nova 2 Power 5G does not follow the usual budget smartphone design language. It features a gradient rear panel with a sparkling finish and a camera island that gives the device a distinct look. The smartphone is available in five colour options: Deep Purple, Blue Fusion, Blue Gold Fusion, Midnight Black and Ocean Green. The device has an all-plastic build, which is expected at this price point, but I am not particularly fond of the glossy finish on the rear panel.
The glossy surface attracts fingerprints and smudges rather easily. I also noticed that removing the brand sticker during unboxing left behind stubborn adhesive residue, which took considerable effort to clean. It may seem like a small detail, but it affects the overall first impression, especially when some phones in this segment offer a cleaner and more polished out-of-box experience.
Looking at the rear layout, the device features a square camera island with rounded corners that houses two camera lenses, an LED flash and a circular ambient light. The Nova 2 Power 5G also feels noticeably heavy in hand, which is understandable considering the large battery packed inside. The handset weighs 222g.
The volume rockers and an orange-accented power button, which doubles as a fingerprint sensor, are placed on the right edge. At the bottom, you’ll find a USB Type-C port, a microphone and a speaker grille, while the hybrid SIM tray is positioned on the left. The top houses a secondary speaker alongside a noise-cancelling microphone.
The Ai+ Nova 2 Power 5G also carries an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance. According to the company, the rating should provide protection against dust ingress and light water splashes, although I did not test this claim during the review period.
Ai+ Nova 2 Power 5G Review: Display
A large screen and a high refresh rate look good on paper, but the display is also where the Ai+ Nova 2 Power 5G makes a few compromises. It features a 6.75-inch IPS LCD panel with an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1,570 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate. The higher refresh rate makes scrolling through social media, browsing websites and moving between apps feel smooth. However, I would have liked a sharper display at this screen size.
I spent some time watching YouTube videos, podcasts and shows on JioHotstar and Amazon Prime Video. Colours looked reasonably good, and the screen was fine for casual viewing. However, the lack of AMOLED-level contrast is noticeable, particularly when watching content with darker scenes. The HD+ resolution is another limitation. Text and smaller details lack the sharpness I would expect, especially when reading articles or browsing websites.
The 450-nit brightness also means outdoor visibility is not its strong point. I could use the phone comfortably in the shade, but reading content under direct sunlight was a different story. The thick bezels, particularly around the chin, also take away from the overall screen experience. Viewing angles are acceptable, although colours and brightness change slightly when viewed from the sides.
For security, the Nova 2 Power 5G uses a fingerprint scanner built into the power button. It was quick and responsive during my initial use, with no noticeable delay in unlocking the device.
On the other hand, the stereo speakers are loud enough for watching videos without headphones, and dialogue remains clear at moderate volume. Music is a different story. The sound lacks depth, vocals can become harsh at higher volume levels, and there is noticeable distortion when pushed to the maximum. I could also feel the back panel vibrating while holding the device.
Ai+ Nova 2 Power 5G Review: Performance
The Ai+ Nova 2 Power 5G runs on MediaTek’s Dimensity 7100 processor, paired with an Arm Mali-G610 MC2 GPU. The chipset has four Cortex-A78 cores clocked at up to 2.4GHz and four Cortex-A55 cores running at up to 2GHz.
In my initial use, the device handled everyday activities such as browsing, messaging, switching between apps and watching videos without much trouble. However, app loading times were not always instant, and the phone took a little longer to respond when handling heavier tasks. This is not unexpected in this segment, but users looking for performance beyond everyday use should keep that in mind.
I also ran a few benchmark tests where the Nova 2 Power 5G scored 859,739 on AnTuTu 3D Lite, while Geekbench 7 returned 844 in single-core and 2,864 in multi-core tests.
I also tried BGMI on the device. The game was playable, but sticking to lower graphics and frame rate settings made for a better experience. It should be enough for occasional gaming, though I would not recommend it to someone who spends hours playing demanding titles.
On the software front, the phone runs NxtQuantum OS based on Android 16. Its main focus is privacy, with the NXT Privacy Dashboard allowing users to check app permissions, tracking activity and data access. Ai+ also claims its zero-trust system limits unauthorised background tracking.
Ai+ Nova 2 Power 5G Review: Battery and Charging
Battery life is where the Ai+ Nova 2 Power 5G makes a strong case for itself. It packs a 7,000mAh battery, and that extra capacity makes a difference in everyday use. I didn’t find myself reaching for the charger by the end of the day, and getting close to two days on a single charge seems realistic with moderate usage. For someone like me, who often spends over two hours travelling between Delhi and Greater Noida by Metro, having that extra battery backup is a real advantage.
However, charging is a different story. The Nova 2 Power comes with a 33W charger, which takes over two hours to fuel the battery from 0 to 100%. While I appreciate not having to charge the device every night, the slow charging speed does require some planning. A faster charging solution would have made this large battery even more useful.
Ai+ Nova 2 Power 5G Review: Cameras
The Ai+ Nova 2 Power 5G comes with a 48MP Sony IMX582 primary camera, an 8MP ultrawide sensor and a 13MP front camera. On paper, the setup covers the basics, but the results vary depending on the lighting and the lens you use.
The primary camera does a reasonable job in daylight. Photos have good colour reproduction, decent contrast and enough detail for everyday use. However, some colours appear slightly oversaturated, and bright areas occasionally lose detail. It is a usable camera for casual photography, but nothing that particularly stands out.
The 8MP ultrawide camera is a welcome addition, especially when several brands are dropping this lens from phones in this segment. However, the difference in image quality is noticeable. Photos lack the sharpness of the primary camera, and low-light shots often look dark and grainy.
Night photography is where the limitations become more apparent. Images lose detail, while artificial light sources create visible flare. Night Mode helps brighten the frame, but don’t expect it to bring back details that the sensor misses.
Portrait shots have good colours and reasonably clear subjects, although the background blur could have been better. The 13MP selfie camera, meanwhile, captures decent facial details in good lighting without making skin look overly processed.
All three cameras support 2K video recording at 30fps. Overall, the camera setup is adequate for casual photos and videos, but low-light photography leaves room for improvement.
Final Verdict
The Ai+ Nova 2 Power 5G is built around an idea that many smartphone users can relate to: having a phone that lasts longer without constantly worrying about the battery percentage. Its 7,000mAh battery delivers on that promise, making it a practical option for people who spend a lot of time travelling or away from a charging point. However, a large battery alone cannot make a smartphone a well-rounded package.
The HD+ display feels like a missed opportunity, the cameras have their limitations, and the phone’s weight takes some getting used to. Performance is reasonable for everyday use, but it isn’t meant for users who expect much from gaming or heavy multitasking. I also wish Ai+ had paired the large battery with faster charging. The Nova 2 Power 5G gets the basics right in some areas, but there are compromises elsewhere. Whether it makes sense depends on how much importance you place on battery life over the rest of the smartphone experience.
Quick Answers
Ask News18The Ai+ Nova 2 Power 5G features a 7,000mAh battery, a 6.75-inch HD+ IPS LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and MediaTek’s Dimensity 7100 processor. The device starts at Rs 16,999 in India and runs on Android 16-based NxtQuantum OS.
Ask News18November 03, 2026, 12:27 IST
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