Huawei Pura 90s Pro Max review

Introduction

US sanctions may have pushed Huawei out of the spotlight in the international smartphone market, but the company remains a dominant force at home. It continues to lead the Chinese market and even posted its highest market share in years in the latest quarter, according to Counterpoint.

Every now and then, one of Huawei's flagship phones makes it beyond China's borders, serving both its loyal global fanbase and as a reminder of what the company is still capable of. The Pura 90s Pro Max is one of those rare releases - a close relative of the China-exclusive Pura 90 Pro Max.

Huawei touts the Pura 90s Pro Max as a special edition of the Chinese model, made for the true fans of the Pura series. It is also branded as a holiday phone, with fresh exterior colors and stand-out cameras.

But let's start from the beginning. The Huawei Pura 90s Pro Max is the current flagship of the photo-centric series. It's a large glass slab with a signature triangular camera arrangement on the back, one that is as large as a FreeBuds 7i case, for example.

The Pura 90s Pro Max uses a 6.9-inch LTPO OLED screen with 1,308p resolution, 10-bit color depth, and HDR support. It is protected by the latest Kunlun glass with anti-glare and anti-fingerprint properties.

Then there is the Kirin 9030S chip, which has switched to a 5nm node. It still offers mid-range-level 8-core CPU and GPU, but it's paired with 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and UFS storage. Plus, there is 5G support on the Pura 90s Pro Max even on the global unit, which means Huawei has successfully navigated the restrictions imposed by the US.

The centerpiece of the Pura 90s Pro Max is the camera system, of course. It packs a 50MP primary camera with a variable aperture, a 40MP ultrawide-angle camera with autofocus and macro support, and a 200MP telephoto/telemacro camera with 4x optical zoom and up to 20x lossless zoom (works even in videos). There are additional helper systems such as laser assistance and a color spectrum sensor.

The selfie camera is a 13MP ultrawide-angle one with autofocus.

We mentioned that the Pura 90s Pro Max works on 5G networks, but it can also brag with Bluetooth 6.0, Wi-Fi 7, NFC, IR, and all sorts of GPS positioning support. The satellite communication is reserved for the Chinese unit, though.

Finally, the global units of the Pura 90s Pro Max come with a battery that's rated as 5,270mAh (which should mean a typical capacity between 5,400-5,500mAh), while the Chinese model has a 5,850mAh rated battery (typical capacity 6,000mAh). Both versions support 100W wired and 80W wireless charging.

The global model of the Pura 90s Pro Max boots EMUI 16 with Android 16 core inside, which is a new development again. All past EMUI versions in the recent past were based on Android 12. Of course, there are still no Google Mobile Services preinstalled. But there are plenty of workarounds for that.

Huawei Pura 90s Pro Max specs at a glance:

• Body: 164.0x77.1x8.1mm, 231g; Glass front, aluminum frame, glass back; IP68/IP69 dust tight and water resistant (high pressure water jets; immersible up to 2m for 30 min).
• Display: 6.90" LTPO OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, PWM, HDR, 1308x2880px resolution, 19.82:9 aspect ratio, 460ppi; Anti-reflective coating.
• Chipset: Kirin 9030S (5 nm).
• Memory: 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM.
• OS/Software: Android 16, EMUI 16.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.4-4.0, 24mm, 1/1.28", PDAF, OIS; Telephoto: 200 MP, f/2.6, 89mm, 1/1.28", PDAF, OIS, 4x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 40 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, AF.
• Front camera: 13 MP, f/2.0, (ultrawide), AF.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, HDR, gyro-EIS, OIS; Front camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, HDR, gyro-EIS.
• Battery: 6000mAh; 100W wired, 80W wireless, 18W reverse wired, Reverse wireless.
• Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Wi-Fi 7; BT 6.0, L2HC; NFC; Infrared port.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); stereo speakers.

One thing that Huawei hasn't figured out yet is the under-display fingerprint sensor. The Pura 90s Pro Max uses a side-mounted scanner instead.

Unboxing the Huawei Pura 90s Pro Max

We did not get the retail box of the Pura 90s Pro Max the retail bundle contains a 100W charger, a USB-C cable, and a clear protective case.

And you can see some of those accessories pictured above.