
The Huawei Pura 80 Ultra is a smartphone that evokes awe with its innovative technology, especially in photography. Its camera system, featuring a main module with a record-breaking dynamic range and advanced telephoto lenses, significantly surpasses popular competitors, offering the sensation of working with professional equipment.
Although the reviewer notes that the smartphone is not perfect, the overall impression is extremely positive, indicating new possibilities and performance in mobile photography. This device is proof that the smartphone market can still surprise with innovation.
“The Pura 80 Ultra is proof that it's possible, that one can still be impressed by smartphone technology.”
“Seriously, when I take pictures with this phone, I feel like I'm holding a pro camera. It gives that kind of impression, especially since you can feel and hear the mechanism moving under the lenses. And it's not some sort of grinding sound, but a very distinct, ultra-precise, and technologically refined buzz.”
The Huawei Pura 80 Ultra stands out with its flashy design, top-tier ingress protection, and a highly innovative camera system that excels in both photography and nighttime video. It also offers 100W fast charging and great speakers, providing a smooth day-to-day user experience.
However, the Kirin 9020 chipset delivers only mid-range performance and lacks 5G, while battery life is just average. Accessing Google apps and services also requires workarounds, and screen brightness trails some competitors.
Ultimately, this flagship is a strong contender for users who prioritize its unique camera capabilities and premium build over 5G connectivity or seamless Google integration.
“So, that's the Huawei Pur Ultra. It's a flagship with a flashy design, top tier ingress protection, fast charging, great speakers, and innovative cameras that capture great photos and great nighttime video. The phone also runs very smoothly in day-to-day use.”
“However, it's also not without drawbacks. The chipset lacks 5G and posts only mid-range performance scores. Battery life is just average, and using Google apps and services requires jumping through hoops.”
“for someone who's not constantly trying different apps or doesn't care for 5G, but can appreciate the novel camera system here, the Pure 80 Ultra is a camera phone that's well worth considering.”
The Huawei Pura 80 Ultra excels with its impressive camera system, featuring a variable aperture main sensor and unique interchangeable telephoto lenses that deliver outstanding image and video quality, especially in low light. Its 6.8-inch 120Hz display is bright, and the battery supports very fast wired and wireless charging. These hardware aspects are highly praised.
However, the phone's significant drawback lies in its software, specifically the absence of Google Play services and unreliable workarounds like Micro G and Gbox. This severely impacts core smartphone functionality, including essential features like NFC payments, rendering it impractical for daily use for most users.
Ultimately, while the phone's cameras are exceptional, the trade-off of losing fundamental software services makes it a device the reviewer wishes they could recommend, but cannot, due to its daily usability limitations.
“I wish I could daily the Pure 80 Ultra? Yeah, of course I do. The cameras on this are ridiculous. But there's just too much you have to give away to get better cameras.”
“But does that lack of Google Play services put you off? I imagine for most people it definitely would.”