Beebom
Rating8.5
The Ai+ Nova 2 Ultra 5G proves that you don't need to spend more to get a good phone. It delivers on all the essentials and pushes the bar with its stunning 1.5K 120 Hz AMOLED display, good gaming, everyday performance and long battery life. However, the software is in dire need of some optimisation, along with the main camera. But its downsides can be overlooked by its impressive spec sheet, which is why it becomes the most value-for-money smartphone for me in 2026.
Pros
- Sharp 1.5K AMOLED panel
- Decent build with IP68 rating
- Good performance for the price
- All-day battery
- Packs capacitive gaming triggers
- Customisable LED lights
Cons
- Software needs improvements
- Eligible for only one major OS update
- Slow charging
- Average camera quality
The smartphone market is in shambles right now, with a shortage of components leading to skyrocketing prices. Once affordable phones are now selling at premium pricing, leaving consumers with slim pickings in the Rs 20,000 segment. In this economy, Ai+ released a new phone that sounds too good to be true on paper. It offers specifications no other brand can match at that price. But does it actually deliver on what it promises? Let me tell you in this Ai+ Nova 2 Ultra 5G review.
Unboxing
When it comes to box contents, Ai+ definitely has other brands beat. Here's everything included in the Ai+ Nova 2 Ultra 5G box:
- Ai+ Nova 2 Ultra 5G smartphone
- NovaPods Edge Earbuds
- Clear silicone case
- Screen protector (pre-applied)
- 18W charging adapter
- Charging cable
- SIM ejector pin
Before starting with the detailed review, here's a rundown of the key specs of the Ai+ Nova 2 Ultra for your reference.
Ai+ Nova 2 Ultra 5G Key Details
- 1.5K AMOLED
- HDR10+
- 33Watt (wired)
- Charger in the box
- 128GB (UFS 2.2)
- Samsung GC08A3
- 1080@30fps
- Mali-G615 MC2
- Sony IMX752
Hybrid Stabilization
4K@30fps
- Plastic (Back)
- Plastic Frame (Side)
- IP68 (Dust and Water Resistant)
- 1 year(s) of OS Update
Build and Design
- 8.69mm thickness, 200 grams weight
- Plastic frame and back , USB Type C 2.0
- IP 68 dust and water resistant
When I first picked up the Ai+ Nova 2 Ultra, the phone felt bulky and didn't feel as premium as I expected. But over my first week of use, this feeling went away, and the build quality seemed on par with, if not better than, most mobile phones under Rs 20,000. It has a fully plastic construction, yet I didn't have any complaints about flex, creak, or hollowness.
Even though the phone is bulky at 200 grams, the weight distribution is even. It also comes with an IP68 rating, allowing it to withstand a water drop. Now, I am not planning to test that out, but it is a nice reassurance to have in the back of my mind. The design appears similar to what we have seen in the segment, and it wouldn't be wrong to say that it looks like a distant cousin of the Poco X8 Pro that I reviewed earlier.
But Ai+ has added its touch with a shimmering effect on the back, which stands out on the black colour variant that I was using for this Ai+ Nova 2 Ultra review. I also like the red accent on the power button and the capacitive shoulder triggers on the right side. For someone who games a lot on his phone, this setup makes it one of the best gaming mobile phones under Rs 25,000.
To further add to the gaming aesthetics, there's also a circular RGB light setup on the back, which the company calls Status lights. It features 4 LEDs in a circle, each one lights up individually, along with the Ai+ logo. I brushed it off as a gimmick in my first few days of use. But later realised how useful it is once I started getting the hang of it.
It is actually really cool, as you can customise the lighting and how it reacts to different actions. Similar to what you could do on the likes of Nothing Phone (3a), but a lot more colourful.
My only gripe with the design is the flat sides. At 8.69mm, it is a little too thick to hold comfortably. I also don't like the placement of the power and volume buttons, which are too low. I often ended up accidentally pressing the wrong buttons trying to unlock the phone, which was quite annoying.
Display and Audio Quality
- 6.78-inch 1.5K 120 Hz AMOLED display
- 2,600 nits peak brightness (as claimed by the brand)
- Dual stereo speakers
The display of the Ai+ Nova 2 Ultra 5G is "simply lovely" because this is a 1.5K AMOLED screen with practically no downsides. There's no ugly chin at the bottom, no brightness issues or other distracting elements. I was literally stunned at how good this screen looks, as the higher resolution results in sharp texts, images and videos.
The colour output is also excellent, as it delivers all the charms that we have come to expect from AMOLED displays. The deep blacks and punchy colours look great, and the 120Hz refresh rate makes scrolling and animations feel genuinely smooth.
Even watching content was as enjoyable as it could be, whether it was on YouTube, Netflix or any other platform. I watched an entire season of "The Boys" during my Ai+ Nova 2 Ultra review period and loved every single minute of it. The screen brightness also kept up with the harsh sunlight as I took the phone outside for camera samples.
To further enhance the experience of this gorgeous display, the Nova 2 Ultra features a stereo speaker setup. It gets quite loud without any distortions at max volumes and has a 70:30 separation. It was enough for me to listen to music or watch videos without needing to plug in my headphones. Overall, I must hand it to Ai+ because this is one of the best display mobile phones under Rs 20,000.
Performance Tested
- MediaTek Dimensity 7400 processor
- Up to 8 GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128 GB UFS 2.2 storage
If you're worried about the performance, then don't be, because the Ai+ Nova 2 Ultra 5G comes with MediaTek Dimensity 7400 chipset. This is a popular processor in this price range, as we have previously seen it on other phones like the Realme P4x and the Vivo T5x.
It is a decent processor that offers a smooth everyday experience and can even hold its own in gaming. Benchmarks also reflect the same, as you can see below.
In everyday use, I think the phone served me really well. I had Spotify blasting music as I scrolled through my Instagram feed, along with other apps in the background, and it still didn't show any signs of stuttering or slowing down.
Although the RAM management is a little aggressive, as I did notice during my Ai+ Nova 2 Ultra review period, some apps would reload from time to time. But it wasn't anything major to worry about. Especially if you pick up the higher 8 GB RAM variant.
On the other hand, it handled gaming better than I anticipated. Games like BGMI can run at Smooth graphics and Extreme frame rate, while Call of Duty: Mobile can run at Low graphics and Ultra FPS mode. This delivers a lag-free 90 FPS gameplay that was quite enjoyable, and I used the shoulder triggers at the top, which further enhanced my gaming experience on this device.
I played Battle Royale on Call of Duty for almost 2 hours, and the phone barely got hot, and the performance didn't throttle once. I know I am praising it like I owe money to it, but it is a solid-performing phone.
Software and Updates
- Android 16-based NxtQuantum OS
- 1 year of software update and 2 years of security patches
I think the software is the only part that feels underwhelming on the Nova 2 Ultra. It is running on NxtQuantum OS, which is based on Android 16 and will receive only 1 major OS update. This feels really low, especially in 2026 when devices like the Poco M8 are offering 4 years of updates.
Why I am bringing up updates is because the OS is quite unpolished as it skips animations, feels jerky to use from time to time and needs a lot of optimisation. The launcher stuttered so much that I had to resort to a third-party launcher for the rest of my Ai+ Nova 2 Ultra review period.
There are neat features here like 3-finger screenshot, background play for video apps, call recording, sidebar and icon customisation. But it runs quite poorly, and dampens what could have been a good software experience.
I also noticed that some unwanted games are pre-installed on this phone. Along with some first-party apps with questionable privacy policies. I don't want to jump into that rabbit hole, but it is a rare instance where I can't say that these issues will be fixed with updates, as the phone won't receive many.
Cameras Reviewed
- 50 MP Sony IMX752 primary rear camera
- 8 MP ultra-wide sensor
- 13 MP selfie camera
Given the price range, I wasn't expecting much from the cameras of the Nova 2 Ultra, but the results were not at all disappointing and came out better than I initially expected.
The main 50 MP camera takes good photos during the day when plenty of light is available. The colours look close to natural, and the scene looks clean even at 2x zoom. I took the phone to the National Rail Museum in Delhi, and you can see how accurately it captured the giant steam engine.
It also nails macro shots like the one of this sunflower you can see below.
However, as I was taking camera samples for this Ai+ Nova 2 Ultra review, I noticed that the images typically don't have a lot of detail. To fix this, the phone over-sharpened images, as you can see with the shot of the dog. It also seems to have trouble handling contrast and shadows from time to time. Nighttime photos also turn out looking very soft, and it blows out the exposure of the street lights.
Somehow, the 8 MP ultrawide camera is able to handle the shadows and dynamic range better than the main camera. Just look at how well it has captured the streaks of clouds in the sky, and how it preserved the shadows on the signage under the bridge. I also liked its colours, which are slightly saturated over the main lens. I wish Ai+ could improve this aspect and bring some parity between the two cameras.
On the other hand, the 13 MP selfie camera is decent as it clicks good images with close-to-accurate skin tones. It didn't over-soften my face with beauty filters, which was good, and the portrait images also came out looking pretty clean for the most part.
Battery Life and Charging
- 6,000mAh battery
- 18W charger available in the box
- Can charge at 33W
The battery is another area where the Ai+ Nova 2 Ultra performed impressively. It is not as good as the other battery behemoths like the Realme P4 Power, but the 6,000 mAh capacity did deliver almost 8 hours of screen-on-time on average. This was with an hour of gaming, watching TV shows and doom scrolling Instagram while taking a few calls here and there in between.
It is not too shabby but definitely deserves a spot on the best battery backup phone under Rs 20,000. I never found the need to plug the phone into a charger till the end of the day during my AI+ Nova 2 Ultra review period. That is a good thing, though, since charging takes a while with the supplied 18W charger. The phone needs about 2 hours to charge from 0–100%.
Ai+ Nova 2 Ultra 5G Review Verdict: Should You Buy It?
The Ai+ Nova 2 Ultra 5G actually made me nostalgic for a time when you could find some really good phones under Rs 20,000. Something that seems impossible in the current day and age. I had almost stopped recommending people from buying a phone in this segment, but the Nova 2 Ultra seems like the perfect device on a tight budget.
It offers amazing specifications for its price, which makes it one of the best mobile phones under Rs 20,000. If the company manages to improve its software and cameras with OTA updates, then it will become a must-buy in the segment. But even in its current state, it is a seriously impressive device that can be easily recommended.
Disclaimer: The price & specs shown may be different from actual. Please confirm on the retailer site before purchasing.
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