Huawei may adopt a square 1:1 front-camera sensor on the Nova 18, a change that could allow users to capture portrait or landscape selfies without rotating the handset. Tipster GuoJing says the technology is being prepared for multiple Huawei phones due in 2027, including models in the Pura and Nova families.
The format could give Huawei more room for reframing and cropping, particularly in group selfies. However, a square sensor alone would not confirm feature parity with Apple’s implementation: functions such as automatic group framing and video-call subject tracking also depend on the lens and image-processing software.
Apple popularized the approach with its 18MP Center Stage front camera. Its implementation can select portrait or landscape framing from a wider captured area, let users take a landscape selfie while holding the phone upright, and automatically widen a group shot when it detects additional people.
- iPhone 17 — introduced Apple’s 18MP Center Stage front camera.
- iPhone 18 Pro — retains the square-sensor approach, according to the report.
- iPhone 18 Pro Max — also retains the approach, according to the report.
Huawei’s Nova range has long emphasized selfie hardware; the Nova 14 Pro, for example, has a 50MP dual Ultra Portrait front-camera system. The new square sensor is said to be headed first to the Huawei Pura 100 series before reaching the Nova 18.
Before then, Huawei is expected to introduce the Nova 17 in China by year-end with design and camera updates. Details such as the Nova 18’s sensor resolution, specific software features and wider release plans remain unconfirmed.
