Huawei Nova 18 tipped to get 68MP square selfie camera

A Weibo leak suggests Huawei's next Nova series phone may adopt a 1:1 square front camera using a 68-megapixel OmniVision OV68F sensor. The tip comes from leaker Digital Chat Station, who in a November 11 post said a square 68MP front camera is being tested and is expected to appear on camera phones in the first half of next year. The post did not name Huawei or a particular model, but the information has been tied to the rumored Nova 18 series.

Sensor, timing, and how it fits with Nova line leaks

The OV68F is identified only by name in the leak; little else is known publicly about its sensor size or pixel pitch. If the link to Huawei's Nova 18 holds, the phone would be the first Huawei device to ship with a square 1:1 selfie sensor. The leak places such a camera in devices expected in the first half of 2027, following the November report that testing is underway.

Separately, Huawei's Nova 17 series has not launched yet and remains expected in China later this month. Recent leaks around Nova 17 point to 6.68-inch and 6.84-inch 1.5K OLED displays, a 200-megapixel main camera on the Pro model, and a 50-megapixel telephoto lens. Earlier Nova 16 models used a 50-megapixel selfie sensor and, on higher-end variants, a multispectral lens; those series leaks have not indicated a square front camera.

A square 1:1 front sensor captures a wider frame that lets users crop portrait or landscape shots without rotating the phone. Apple introduced the concept with an 18-megapixel Center Stage selfie camera on the iPhone 17, and Oppo was linked to the approach as well when the reportedly canceled Find X10 Ultra was tipped to use a 100-megapixel square front camera.

Until Huawei issues an official comment, the report that the Nova 18 will be first to use the 68MP OV68F square selfie sensor should be treated as unverified.