UPDATE (June 20, 2024): A new update is coming to the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra. This one improves heat management and more. You can read more about it at the very end of the article.
Huawei rebranded one of its flagship smartphone series recently. The company rebranded the ‘Huawei P’ series to ‘Huawei Pura’ series. A couple of days after that, the company announced the Huawei Pura 70 series of devices. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra is the most powerful smartphone in that series. That’s the phone we’re here to talk about. It easily stands out compared to its siblings, even though the other three devices are also rather compelling.
Advertisem*nt
The company announced the Huawei Pura 70, Pura 70 Pro, Pura 70 Pro+, and Pura 70 Ultra handsets. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra does stand apart with its design, a bit, and it also has the best camera setup out of the bunch. In this article, we’ll try to give you as much information about it as possible. Before we start, though, do note that the phone launched in both China and some global markets at this point. Having said that, let’s get to it.
Huawei Pura 70 Ultra specs
The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra has the most powerful specifications in the series. It is fueled by the all-new Kirin 9010 SoC. That is Huawei’s new chip made in collaboration with SMIC. Huawei still has not shared all the details about it, but we presume it’s made on the same 7nm process as the Kirin 9000S. This is a 12-core processor with a slightly more powerful GPU, though. In addition to that, Huawei also included 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM inside of this phone. Users can choose between 512GB and 1TB of internal storage. Do note that the storage is not expandable, though.
A large LTPO AMOLED display is included
A 6.8-inch display is included here, and it offers a resolution of 2844 x 1260 pixels. This is an LTPO AMOLED display with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz (1-120Hz). The display has a high-frequency PWM dimming (1440Hz) and also offers a 300Hz touch sampling rate. The display comes rounded on all sides, but it’s technically a flat display, only the glass is curved. The ppi here is 460, and the panel itself is protected by the Kunlun glass which has proven to be very effective on past Huawei flagships.
The phone supports blazing-fast charging & 20W reverse wireless charging
A 5,200mAh battery sits inside the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra. The phone supports 100W wired, 80W wireless, and 20W reverse wireless charging. The charger does come included in the box, in case you were wondering, and so does a case for the device. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra is also IP68 certified for water and dust resistance. It supports Bluetooth 5.2, and comes with USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port at the bottom.
its camera setup is one of its main upsides
The camera setup is particularly interesting here. Huawei’s flagships are well-known for their camera prowess, even since the collaboration with Leica became a thing of the past. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra includes a 50-megapixel main camera, which is retractable. Yes, it’s physically retractable. The retracting mechanism has been tested for 300,000 cycles, so it’s more than robust enough. The main camera offers a multi-stop aperture ranging from f/1.6 to f/4.0. It also supports sensor shift anti-shake, with OIS, of course. Huawei also used a 1-inch camera sensor here. The company did not list which one on its detailed spec sheet, but the Sony IM989 was rumored, so it’s likely that one.
Huawei included a very capable macro telephoto camera on the back
In addition to the main camera, ultrawide and macro telephoto cameras are also included. A 40-megapixel ultrawide camera sits on the back and offers an f/2.2 aperture. A 50-megapixel macro telephoto camera is also included here. It has an f/2.1 aperture, OIS support, and it has a 5cm macro mode. This camera supports a 3.5x optical zoom and offers focal lengths of 22.5mm, 13mm, and 90mm. 100x digital zoom is also supported here. 4K video recording is supported in general, and so is fullHD super slow-motion recording at 960fps. A 13-megapixel camera sits on the phone’s front side, and it’s an ultrawide unit with an f/2.4 aperture lens.
The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra measures 162.6 x 75.1 x 8.4mm, and weighs 226 grams.
What materials did Huawei use, and what the phone looks like?
The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra is made out of metal and vegan leather. Huawei used aluminum for the phone’s frame, and you will find vegan leather aka eco leather aka silicon polymer on the phone’s back. On the front, you’ll see a flat display with curved glass on top of it. That glass is curved on all four sides, actually. The phone’s backside is also curved on all sides, as it’s proportional to the front.
The phone should provide you with plenty of grip thanks to eco leather on the back. Well, more than a glass phone would, that’s for sure. All four color variants of the phone use the same materials. Now, you’ll also notice a triangle-shaped camera island on the back, but all of its corners are rounded. That’s Huawei’s new camera island design, and the one on the ‘Ultra’ model is the largest. The XMAGE branding and the LED flash are placed outside of that camera module. All the physical buttons sit on the phone’s right-hand side.
How much does the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra cost?
The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra comes in two variants in China. It is on offer with 512GB and 1TB of storage. Both of those variants come with 16GB of RAM. The 512GB storage model is available for CNY9,999 ($1,381), while the model with 1TB of storage is priced at CNY10,999 ($1,519). Outside of China, the phone is also available to pre-order in the EU. It comes with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage only. In order to get it, you’ll have to part with €1,499.
Where can I buy the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra?
The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra is available in both China and in the EU at this point. The prices have been highlighted in the previous section, and in terms of where to get it, it all depends on the market. We presume that it will be available from both retailers and carriers in the EU. Yes, Amazon is expected to carry it too, but we’re not sure at this point, Huawei did not share the specifics (other than the pricing), so we’re only guessing.
What colors does the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra come in?
The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra comes in four color options. Those colors are green, brown, white, and black. Huawei does have special names for all of them, though. Do note that they’ve been translated via Google Translate, though. The names are Chanson Green, Mocha Brown, Starburst White, and Starburst Black, respectively. All those colors are available in the US as well, except for the white one, at least based on the initial information shared by the company.
Does Huawei Pura 70 Ultra come with Google services?
No, it does not. As many of you know by now, Huawei has been banned by the US in a number fo ways. The company is not allowed to use Google services on its devices, and thus Huawei uses its own services, HMS. Do note that considering Google services are not allowed, you’re not getting the Google Play Store here, nor any of Google’s apps. You’ll need to use an emulator to get them running, such as GSpace. Huawei does include its own app store here, though, AppGallery. The same will be the case with the global model if it ever gets launched. The global model includes a global version of AppGallery, though.
What are the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra’s main selling points?
The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra seems to be a rather compelling phone on paper, for a number of reasons. We’ll go over some of the phone’s main selling points below, some of its most interesting aspects.
Outstanding camera setup
The phone has a truly great camera setup. There are three cameras included on the back, but they offer all the functionality you’ll need, really. The main focus is on the phone’s main camera, which is retractable. Huawei opted for a 1-inch camera sensor here, likely the Sony IMX989, and added variable aperture to it (f/1.6-f/4.0), not to mention sensor shift anti-shake. On top of that, a 40-megapixel ultrawide camera is on offer and a 50-megapixel macro telephoto camera. You can get as close as 5cm in order for this camera to properly zoom in on an object, while 3.5x optical zoom is supported too. This camera can zoom in up to 100x, in case you were wondering.
Blazing fast wired & wireless charging
The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra offers extremely fast charging, in case you end up needing it halfway through your day. The phone supports 100W wired charging, which can charge this phone in no time. In addition to that, 50W wireless charging is also supported. A 100W charging brick is included in the package, though you’ll need to get a proper wireless charger in order to take advantage of wireless charging.
Faster reverse wireless charging
Another charging-related detail that is worth noting is reverse wireless charging. We separated this because it’s rather unusual. You often see 5W and 10W reverse wireless charging on phones. The same cannot be said for 20W reverse wireless charging, and yet the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra offers exactly that. This smartphone can be used as a proper wireless charging bank if you end up needing it.
The phone’s design
Based on Huawei’s previous smartphone with similar aesthetics, we’re rather confident the phone will be very comfortable to hold and use. The front and back sides are proportionally curved, on all sides. The thing is, only the glass on the front is curved, and considering that vegan leather is used on the back, the phone won’t be all that slippery. From the looks standpoint, the phone also looks very nice, and its bezels seem to be uniform.
Google-free experience
Some of you actually want a proper Google-free experience, and the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra is basically THE phone to deliver that. It doesn’t come with Google services, and the same will be the case for its global model if it becomes available. If that does happen, then this point is even more true. You can use Huawei’s AppGallery and app repositories and stay free of Google entirely, should you choose to do so. That’s not an option for many people in global markets, but if you prefer it, this is the way to go.
What cases are available for the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra?
Huawei is listing some cases for the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra, on its website in China. The question is whether they’ll be available in other markets if this phone goes global. It remains to be seen. In any case, three cases are listed, Magnetic Protective Case, Micropump Liquid Cooling Case, and Cloud Leather Protective Case. You can check out all those cases in the gallery below.
We’ve only included a single color option for each case, but more than one are available. The Magnetic Protective Case comes in brown, black, and green colors. The Micropump Liquid Cooling Case comes in black only. The Cloud Leather Protective Case is available in white, green, purple, and rose red colors.
The Magnetic Protective Case comes with a leather back, and it’s very thin. It has magnetic functionality as it comes with a magnetic ring on the inside. The Micropump Liquid Cooling Case actually has cooling built-in, believe it or not. And last, but not least, the Cloud Leather Protective Case comes with a leather back, and it’s very, very soft. It’s like having additional pillowy padding on the back.
Should I buy the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra?
Should you get the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra? Well, it all depends on whether you use Google’s apps a lot, and whether you’re ready to not have some apps readily available. Keep in mind that the AppGallery is still limited when it comes to apps, at least compared to the Google Play Store. There are app repositories that Huawei gives you access too, but the experience is not the same as the one Google would provide. Either way, if you can get over using an emulator (such as GBox or GSpace) for Google apps, and are ready to use primarily AppGallery, this phone looks great. In case you need far more information about it, our review is now also available.
…
Updated May 31, 2024:
The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra now tops DXOMARK’s camera rankings. The phone managed to get 163 points, thus trumping the HONOR Magic6 Pro. The Huawei Mate 60 Pro+ and OPPO Find X7 Ultra hold third place on that list. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra actually managed to get 169 points in the photo department. DXOMARK says that the phone excels in exposure, color, autofocus, noise, bokeh, tele, and wide categories… when it comes to photos. DXOMARK said that the phone provided “nicely balanced exposure and contrast across all light conditions”. Its extremely fast autofocus was also praised, and the same goes for variable aperture’s role in all of this. A couple of negatives were also highlighted, though, as nothing’s perfect. If you’d like to know more, click here.
Do note that our review also went out today, if you’d like to know more about the device.
Updated June 20, 2024:
Huawei is rolling out a new update to the global version of the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra. This one is rather small, only 2.61MB. There’s a reason it’s so small, it does not bring any new features to the table. It does, however, improve the phone’s performance. This update “addresses specific conditions that cause the device to overheat”. So heat management has been improved within the system. On top of that, Huawei says that you may notice improved stability and performance after you install the update. The company seemingly improved system stability, probably by polishing out the software, and squashing some bugs. This update is rolling out over the air (OTA), of course, and it’s rolling out in stages.
