Ai+ Nova 2 Pro 5G Review

Quick Summary

The Nova 2 Pro 5G is a big, battery-first phone from Ai+, an Indian newcomer, aimed at buyers who want a large screen, a 6,000 mAh cell and 5G without paying mid-range money. It starts at about Rs 17,999 for the 6 GB version. The screen, the battery and the price are its strengths. The camera and the pace of charging are the compromises, and a 6.9-inch body is not for everyone.

Design & Build Quality

This is a large phone, and you feel it the moment you pick it up. At 213 g with a 6.9-inch screen, it is a two-handed device for most people, and buyers who moved from smaller phones mention exactly this. The slim 8.2 mm body keeps it from feeling brick-like, and the five colours (blue, red, purple, green and black) give it more personality than most phones in this bracket.

A customisable light strip on the back panel pulses for calls and notifications. It is a playful extra rather than a necessity, but it sets the phone apart. There is also an extra Ai key on the side that you can assign to a function of your choice, which is handy if you use one shortcut all day. A microSD slot and a 3.5 mm headphone jack are welcome conveniences that many rivals have dropped.

Display

The screen is the main reason to look at this phone. At 6.9 inches it is a pleasure for video, reading and games, and the 144 Hz refresh rate makes scrolling and animations feel smooth, which is unusual at this price. The Full HD+ resolution keeps text crisp. With a peak brightness of 800 nits it should stay readable outdoors in normal daylight, though direct harsh sun is where phones in this class begin to struggle.

Everyday Performance

The MediaTek Dimensity 7100 is a capable mid-range 5G chip built on a 6 nm process. For social media, UPI payments, video calls, streaming and casual gaming it is quick enough, and the 6 GB or 8 GB of RAM handles a handful of apps in the background. Do not expect flagship-level speed in heavy games or long multitasking sessions. Storage is the older UFS 2.2 type, so large installs are not the fastest, but the dedicated memory card slot lets you add room cheaply.

Camera

The 48 MP main camera with a Sony sensor and an 8 MP ultra-wide lens are enough for daylight photos for sharing and social posts. Detail is acceptable when the light is good, and the 13 MP front camera does the job for video calls and casual selfies. This is the area where the phone feels most average. Low-light shots and the finer points of processing will not match phones that spend more on imaging, and video tops out at 2K at 30 fps.

Battery Life & Charging

The 6,000 mAh battery is the other headline. A big cell and a screen that can drop its refresh rate should carry most users through a full day of mixed use, and heavier users can expect to reach evening. The catch is the charger. Charging is on the slow side for a battery this large, so a top-up takes patience, and you should plug it in overnight rather than count on a quick boost before leaving home.

Software & Connectivity

The phone runs Android 16 with the brand's own nxtQ OS and has a clean, familiar layout. The weaker point is the update promise: one year of OS upgrades and two years of security updates is short beside the longer commitments from bigger brands, so this is a phone to buy for the present rather than to keep for five years. Connectivity is modern, with 5G, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, plus a side-mounted fingerprint sensor that is quick to reach.

What Buyers Say

Buyers most often praise the value for money, the big, smooth display and a battery that gets through the day. Many call it a good phone for the price. The most repeated criticisms are an average camera, slow charging for such a large battery, and a body that is hard to use with one hand. A smaller number mention occasional lag, touch glitches or patchy 5G, so experience is not uniform. Opinion is split on the battery: most are happy with its endurance, while a few feel it falls short of a 6,000 mAh promise.

Features Assessment

The useful features are the 144 Hz screen, the expandable storage, the headphone jack and the programmable Ai key. The back-panel lights are fun but of limited real use. The extra RAM option, which borrows storage to add up to 16 GB, helps keep apps in memory but does not replace real RAM. The feature set is practical rather than flashy, which suits the price.

Ease of Use

The software is simple to set up, and the interface will feel familiar to anyone who has used Android. The size is the main usability issue: reaching the top of the screen with one hand is a stretch, so most owners will rely on a second hand or on gesture shortcuts. The side fingerprint sensor and the assignable key make daily actions quick once you get used to the layout.

Value for Money

The 6 GB and 128 GB version is priced at about Rs 17,999, and the 8 GB and 128 GB version at about Rs 19,999. At those prices the phone offers a large 144 Hz screen, a 6,000 mAh battery, 5G and expandable storage that are hard to match together. The 6 GB version is the one to pick for most people, since the 8 GB model costs Rs 2,000 more for extra memory that daily use rarely needs. The camera, the charging speed and the short update promise are the trade-offs you accept for the price. A one-year warranty on the handset and six months on the in-box accessories is standard.

Who Should Buy It?

This phone suits people who watch a lot of video, read on the phone and want a battery that lasts through a long day, such as students, commuters and anyone who keeps the phone away from a charger for hours. It also suits buyers who want a big screen and 5G on a budget, and those who value a memory card slot and a headphone jack.

Who Should Consider Alternatives?

Anyone who takes photography seriously, who wants a compact phone, or who needs fast charging should look elsewhere. Buyers who plan to keep a phone for four or five years should also consider brands with a longer software support promise.