Technology

Don’t buy a beautiful Huawei Pura 70 Ultra – you will probably regret it

Published

3 months ago

May 2, 2024

Huawei is back with a new generation of its photography-focused flagships, but an incredible camera technology is once again let down by a major flaw.

The Pura 70 series – a rebrand of the P-series devices that preceded it – includes three new devices. A regular Pura 70 and Pura 70 Pro can be seen as direct successors to last year’s models, but the Pura 70 Ultra is brand new.

To say that cameras are the main focus (pun unintended) would be an understatement. The 50Mp main sensors on the back of all three phones have a variable aperture, improving low-light performance and delivering natural depth of field.

However, the Pura 70 Ultra goes a step further. It is the only one of the three with a 1-inch sensor and the world’s first phone with a retractable zoom lens. This mirrors what you find on DSLR cameras and allows it to capture much more light than a regular smartphone.

Huawei

Huawei says the deployment mechanism has been tested for 300,000 retract cycles, equivalent to 150 per day for five years. And if you drop it from a height of 0.2 meters or higher, the camera automatically retracts.

Impressively, rather than negatively impacting water and dust resistance, the IP68 rating here is verified up to 2 meters underwater instead of the usual 1.5 metres.

There is also some variation when it comes to supporting lenses. The 12Mp telephoto on the regular Pura 70 actually has a longer 5x optical zoom than the 3.5x on the Pro (48Mp) and Ultra (50Mp), but the latter is more versatile for everyday use.

Elsewhere, the 40MP ultrawide on the Ultra is also likely to be a big step up from the 12.5MP sensor on the Pro and the 13MP lens on the regular Pura 70. 13MP selfie lenses are consistent across all three.

Will this setup make the Pura 70 Ultra the best camera phone you can buy? Time will tell, but the Xiaomi 14 Ultra represents extremely strong competition, especially when you take into account the optional photography kit.

Chris Martin / Foundry

A familiar cautionary tale

However, if you live in Europe and want to use one of these devices as your main smartphone, that’s not a problem. Both have top-level hardware, but only Xiaomi has software that won’t frustrate you all the time.

The HyperOS skin is certainly not the best interpretation of Android 14, but it retains crucial access to all Google services – including millions of third-party apps via the Play Store. For an even better software experience, the Google Pixel 8 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra combine strong cameras with an excellent user interface.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

In contrast, Huawei’s ongoing US trade ban means its HarmonyOS software is falling short. Although loosely based on Android, many of the most popular apps in Europe are missing, such as WhatsApp, Facebook (main app and Messenger), Snapchat, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.

There are some solutions available, but it is a frustrating and time-consuming process. Ultimately, unless you’re a camera enthusiast and don’t mind spending a lot of money on a device that probably won’t be your headphones, you’re better off elsewhere.

It’s a real shame, as the Pura 70 Ultra in particular has strong specs in all other areas. In addition to the cameras, you get a high-quality 6.8-inch 120Hz OLED display, powerful Kirin 9010 chipset, and a beautiful vegan leather back.

Huawei

You also have a large 5200mAh battery with support for 100W wired (charger in box), 80W wireless and 20W reverse wireless charging.

In Europe, the Pura 70 costs €999, the Pura 70 Pro €1,199 and the Pura 70 Ultra €1,499. Pre-orders are live now from Huawei’s website, ahead of all three being released on May 22.

This will probably also apply to Great Britain, although prices there have yet to be confirmed. However, another smartphone probably suits you best.