Huawei Pura 70 Ultra review

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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.