Huawei Pura 70 Ultra review

Introduction, specs, unboxing

The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra is the ultimate flagship by the troubled Chinese maker, headlining the reimagined Photography series. It comes with the next-generation mysterious Kirin 9010 chipset and some of the best tech on the market.

The P series name might have changed to Pura, but the purpose remains the same - offering the best photography-on-the-go experience. The triple camera on the back of the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra is a real showstopper, so it is only natural to start from here.

There is a 50MP 1" Sony IMX989 sensor with sensor-shift stabilization and a high-end lens with variable aperture, followed by a 40MP ultrawide camera with autofocus, and a 50MP telephoto camera with 3.5x optical zoom and up to 10x hybrid zoom. The 13MP selfie camera is also promising with an ultrawide-angle lens and autofocus.

The Huawei Pura 70 is a looker, of course. It has a curved design with an eco-leather back, a futuristic camera housing design and cool colors. Furthermore, it is a solidly built smartphone with a Crystal Armor Kunlun Glass above the screen and an aluminum frame. It is IP68-rated, too.

The Pura 70 Ultra packs a large 6.8-inch LTPO OLED screen of 1260p resolution, 1B colors and 120Hz refresh rate. Underneath is the new Kirin 9010 chipset, a little piece of hardware that will inevitably trigger a new portion of investigations, especially now that the Pura 70 series has been launched across Europe and Asia.

Finally, the Pura 70 Ultra is powered by a 5,200mAh battery capable of 100W wired and 80W wireless charging, plus 20W reverse wireless charging.

Huawei Pura 70 Ultra specs at a glance:

• Body: 162.6x75.1x8.4mm, 226g; Glass front, aluminum frame, silicone polymer back (eco leather); IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 2m for 30 min).
• Display: 6.80" LTPO OLED, 1B colors, HDR, 120Hz, 2500 nits (peak), 1260x2844px resolution, 20.31:9 aspect ratio, 460ppi.
• Chipset: Kirin 9010 (7 nm): Octa-core (1x2.3 GHz Taishan Big & 3x2.18 GHz Taishan Mid & 4x1.55 GHz Cortex-A510); Maleoon 910.
• Memory: 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM.
• OS/Software: HarmonyOS 4.2.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.6-4.0, 23mm, 1.0"-type, PDAF, Laser AF, sensor-shift OIS, retractable lens; Telephoto: 50 MP, f/2.1, 90mm, PDAF (5cm - ∞), OIS, 3.5x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 40 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, AF.
• Front camera: 13 MP, f/2.4, (ultrawide), AF.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@60fps, gyro-EIS, OIS; Front camera: 4K@60fps, EIS.
• Battery: 5200mAh; 100W wired, 80W wireless, 20W reverse wireless, 18W reverse wired.
• Connectivity: 5G; Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 6; BT 5.2, L2HC; NFC; Infrared port.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers; BDS Satellite Calling and Message.

The Pura 70 Ultra has two exclusive features over the rest of the Pura 70 phones - the 1" sensor for the main camera, a higher-res tele and UW cameras, plus the promising Crystal Armor Kunlun Glass for the screen.

There are two potentially big setbacks right out of the bat - the mid-range-class chipset (at a flagship price) and the lack of Google Mobile Services. The latter can be solved to an extent by third-party software workarounds but is still a turn-off for some users.

Unboxing the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra

Huawei has packed the Pura 70 Ultra into one large and thick luxury-looking box. The bundle includes the phone itself, a premium case with matching color but a different P-styled texture, a 100W-rated charger and a USB-C-C cable.

See how this charger has both USB-C and USB-A ports? While useful, it is not a dual-charger - you can only use one port at a time.