AI+ Nova 5G review: a privacy-first budget phone, held back by basics

• By Ashish Kumar
Published On: 11 December 2025 | 10:54 IST

Alongside the established names, we saw smartphones from two new brands in India: NxtQuantum Shift Technologies and Wobble. Both are made in India brands, with NxtQuantum founded by former Realme executive Madhav Sheth, and its AI+ Nova 5G debut smartphone. The phone appeals to value-conscious buyers with its budget-friendly price tag and the company’s custom Android skin, NxtQuantum OS, which emphasises privacy, security, and full compliance with Indian regulations.

A standout feature of the AI+ Nova 5G is its ability to show exactly which apps have accessed sensitive data, such as location, camera, microphone, contacts, or clipboard activity. Moreover, NxtQuantum claims all data is stored securely within India, on MeitY-approved Google Cloud regions, under a zero-trust architecture.

That said, how does the AI+ Nova 5G fare in real-world use and stack up against competitors? Read on to find out.

Near-stock OS, but needs refinements & AI features

Software is the key highlight of this phone. Although it runs Android 15 out of the box, the AI+ Nova 5G differentiates itself with an all-new NxtQ skin. The skin is free of third-party apps and add-ons, so the experience remains closer to stock. However, I can spot a few elements in the software that the company might have taken from other custom skins, like the charging animations, which starkly resemble those of HyperOS (formerly known as MIUI), and the quick settings menu, which looks identical to the ColorOS phones.

Interestingly, despite the company’s claim that the NxtQ is entirely developed in India, it comes with a pre-installed app called PhoneClone, which is owned by a China-based firm, Shanghai Sprocomm Technologies Co. Ltd. A quick search shows that a similar app is also bundled with Huawei smartphones. We’ve contacted the company for clarification and will update this section once we hear back.

For now, the PhoneClone app works as a simple data-migration tool, though it does request access to nearby devices, SMS, call logs, contacts, and storage. These permissions can be controlled through the Privacy Dashboard within the Settings app or via NxtDashboard. The latter is a distinctive addition and can be pinned to your homescreen to monitor which apps have accessed sensitive data in the previous 24 hours.

The company says all user information is stored in secure Indian data centres within MeitY-approved Google Cloud regions. Whether PhoneClone adheres to the same storage policy, however, is something only the company can clarify. Permissions can be revoked at any time if you’re uncomfortable sharing this information, though some apps may not function properly without them.

Overall, while the software feels intuitive, it lacks the modern polish you see on more contemporary Android skins. Small touches, such as offering suggestions when typing in the settings search bar, are missing, making navigation slightly more effortful than on competing smartphones. A bit more refinement here would noticeably improve the experience.

The handset is promised 1 year of major OS updates and 3 years of security updates. This is on par with the competition in this price segment. Similar to other phones, the AI+ Nova 5G also features a few pre-installed apps, besides the Google suite; however, their numbers are limited. There are only PhoneManager, Game Space, CleanAssistant, and FM radio, which seems fine.

If you’re expecting special AI features because of the AI+ branding, that’s not the case. The phone only includes the standard Google-powered tools, the Gemini assistant and Google Photos’ image blur and object removal options. These are common across most Android smartphones, so there’s nothing here that gives the AI+ Nova 5G a unique advantage on the AI front, especially against the Infinix and Tecno, which have their own AI assistants.

Budget-centric design with a distinction

The AI+ Nova 5G goes for an unmistakably budget-centric design. It adopts the flat edges and slab-like rear you’d usually associate with pricier devices, but the overall in-hand feel doesn’t quite reach that premium benchmark. Even so, the company has tried to stand out by using a glasstic back panel – one that looks decent at first glance but picks up fingerprints and smudges almost instantly. Realistically, you’ll want to snap on the bundled case straight out of the box.

AI+ has opted for a dual-tone finish, though it’s far subtler in person than in the press images, particularly on the Sparkle Red variant we tested. The phone is also offered in Black, Green, Purple, Blue, and Pink, easily one of the widest colour selections available on a single model.

At the top sits a rectangular camera island with softly rounded corners, housing a dual-camera setup and an LED flash. Beside it, you’ll find etched camera details, 50MP (boxed in red) and Matrix AI Camera. The AI+ branding on the rear isn’t perfectly centred, but it doesn’t look out of place.

The AI+ Nova 5G may not be compact, but its 198 grams and 8.2mm thickness make it easy to carry around. There is a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB Type-C port, and a speaker grille along the bottom edge. The smartphone features a side-mounted fingerprint scanner that securely unlocks the device. Users have the option to expand the storage of the phone using a microSD card while using dual SIMs simultaneously.

Okayish display

On the front, the AI+ Nova 5G features a 6.74-inch HD+ IPS LCD display, with a U-shaped notch for the selfie camera, surrounded by noticeable bezels and a rather prominent chin. Expectations should be modest here, which is fair given the phone’s budget positioning. The display is serviceable for everyday tasks, browsing, casual streaming, social feeds, and general indoor use, but you won’t get razor-sharp visuals or particularly vibrant colours.

Outdoor visibility is a challenge, especially in bright sunlight, where the panel struggles to stay legible. The display supports a 120Hz refresh rate, but the phone’s hardware can’t consistently keep up. You’re better off switching to 60Hz for smoother day-to-day performance and noticeably improved battery life. The single bottom-firing speaker is fine for its price. It can get decently loud, but lacks depth and even crackles at maximum volume.

Good performer for basic tasks

At the heart of the AI+ Nova 5G is the Unisoc T8200 chipset, paired with 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. The SoC includes 5G support, allowing users to tap into faster network speeds when available. Performance, however, is where the device shows its limits. Thermal management isn’t particularly strong, and the phone tends to warm up easily.

As a result, extended sessions, whether gaming, multitasking, or even prolonged browsing, can trigger throttling, which in turn makes the interface feel even more sluggish. While the phone didn’t experience any app crashes or freezes during my time, I noticed sluggish animation while scrolling through the UI and a slight delay in response when multitasking. In short, the phone handles light to moderate tasks adequately, but it’s best used in short bursts to avoid noticeable stutters.

The AI+ Nova 5G can handle graphically demanding games such as BGMI, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Real Racing 3, but the experience wasn’t particularly enjoyable. Even at the lowest graphics and frame rate settings, the phone heated up by roughly 14 degrees Celsius during our lab tests, which is decent for the price tag. However, the gameplay looked very average.

Day-long battery life, but slow charging speeds

The AI+ Nova 5G comes with a 5,000mAh battery, which is fairly typical for phones in this price bracket. The PCMark endurance test couldn’t be completed due to repeated crashes, but our in-house testing offered a more reliable picture. In the YouTube video loop test, the phone dropped just 5 percent in an hour, and across three 30-minute sessions of graphically demanding games, it lost around 6 percent per title. These numbers put its battery performance right in line with its main rivals.

That said, this isn’t a handset designed for heavy workloads or long gaming sessions. Its chipset is clearly tuned for lighter everyday use – browsing, streaming, messaging, and social media. Under this kind of usage, the AI+ Nova 5G comfortably sails through a full day. Standby efficiency is another strong point. When used as a secondary phone, the device sipped just 1–2 percent of battery over an entire day of inactivity, which is genuinely impressive for a budget-focused smartphone.

However, push the smartphone with tasks like continuous navigation or rapid multitasking, and you’ll likely need a top-up before the day ends. Charging the device is not fun either. With only 10W wired charging, easily the slowest in its price bracket, the AI+ Nova 5G takes nearly two hours to go from 20 percent to full 100 percent. You can feel this lag in real-world use, especially if you’re used to faster-charging rivals. It’s not dramatically worse than some budget alternatives, but it’s slow enough to be noticeable. Realistically, it’s best to plug it in overnight rather than rely on a quick top-up.

Serviceable cameras

The AI+ Nova 5G is equipped with a dual-camera setup, offering a 50MP primary sensor. The front camera is a 5MP lens for selfies and video calling. This is a very basic point-and-shoot camera setup – identical to some of the other smartphones within the segment. There isn’t much to expect from the cameras, which struggle with details and colour accuracy even in well-lit environments. The sensors can capture images at a decent pace, with respectable dynamic range; however, the results often appear soft with a bit of graininess and muted colours.

For better or worse, the AI+ Nova 5G’s cameras are serviceable for basic tasks such as scanning documents and taking the occasional casual shot. If you’re hoping for noticeably better image quality, though, you may want to look at alternatives like the Infinix Smart 10, which delivers more consistent results.

Here’s a quick comparison of the cameras of AI+ Nova 5G and Infinix Hot 50 (review) across scenarios:

Daylight

AI+ Nova 5G

Infinix Hot 50

In daylight, the AI+ Nova 5G offers decent exposure and dynamic range. However, its images don’t appear as sharp, detailed, and colour accurate as the Infinix Hot 50. The latter not only highlights the shrubs at the front but also captures the finer details of the building in the background better than the AI+ smartphone.

Portrait

AI+ Nova 5G

Infinix Hot 50

Portraits from Infinix Smart 10 offer more accurate colours and skin tones, better edge detection, and a more natural-looking bokeh effect. The AI+ Nova 5G, on the other hand, produces washed-out colours, with an aggressive blurry effect in the background and improper edge detection. There is noticeable warping around the edges of the subject on the AI+ phone.

Selfie

AI+ Nova 5G

Infinix Hot 50

In selfies, too, the Infinix Smart 10 outputs more lively images than its counterpart. The AI+ Nova 5G can be seen overtly sharpening the selfies with its lower front-facing camera. The dynamic range and exposure appear almost on par on both smartphones.

Low light

AI+ Nova 5G

Infinix Hot 50

Unlike the AI+ Nova 5G, the Infinix Hot 50 doesn’t trigger Night mode on its own when light levels drop. You have to swipe over to the dedicated Night mode manually. Unfortunately, the results don’t justify the extra effort. The AI+ Nova 5G produces shots with heavy grain and colours that lean towards a water-paint effect. The Infinix Hot 50, by comparison, delivers far more natural-looking tones. Even though it can be seen as smoothening the details, the handset holds up with better exposure and reduced light flare when the sun goes down.

Verdict

Rs 9,999 is the price of owning the AI+ Nova 5G smartphone. That’s for the base 6GB RAM variant, while the 8GB RAM option is priced at Rs 10,999.

Even though it’s competitively priced, the AI+ Nova 5G will not be a convincing buy for everyone. The handset delivers on its core promise of a clutter-free interface and privacy-focused approach. The commitment to transparency, with detailed permission tracking and India-based data storage, is genuinely refreshing and something we rarely see. If you are looking for these qualities in your smartphone, then the AI+ Nova 5G is for you.

However, the experience comes with a few compromises, such as basic display, underwhelming performance, slow charging speeds, and cameras that offer little more than passable results. Moreover, the absence of any meaningful AI features, despite the AI+ branding, also leaves it feeling a step behind rivals from Infinix and Tecno, which are pushing far stronger AI-led experiences.

One can consider alternatives such as the Infinix Hot 50 (review), Tecno Spark Go (review), or Lava Blaze Dragon. But these alternatives lack the simplicity, security, and no-fuss software that the AI+ Nova 5G offers.

Editor’s rating: 7.3 / 10

Pros

• Clean, privacy-focused software
• Decent battery life
• Good design

Cons

• Average cameras
• Performance needs improvement