Huawei’s Pura 80 Ultra Might Be the Most Ambitious Camera Phone Yet

Nick Papanikolopoulos

June 11, 2025

Huawei just pulled the curtain back on the Pura 80 Ultra in China, and—let’s be honest—the headline feature is obvious: a massive 1-inch main camera sensor. But that’s not the only reason this device is making people in the mobile photography world do a double take. The company also claims it’s the first to pack a dual-lens periscope telephoto system. First in the world. That’s not a small claim. We’ve heard “camera phone revolution” before. Too many times, maybe. But this one? It’s… different.

A Sensor the Size of Ambition

Let’s start with the big one—literally. The Pura 80 Ultra carries a 50-megapixel 1-inch RYYB sensor with a variable aperture (f/1.6 to f/4.0). In simple terms, that means it can suck in light better than most smartphones—and even some dedicated cameras. Especially in low light. I tested Huawei’s earlier RYYB sensors before, and frankly, they’ve always leaned into the “wow” territory with night shots. This one? Early samples (at least the ones circulating on Chinese social media) suggest it might blow past those.

The rest of the camera array is, well, kind of wild. You’ve got a 40MP ultra-wide sensor, a niche 1.5MP spectrum sensor (for what? Color accuracy? Who knows), and then the head-turner: a 50MP + 12.5MP dual periscope telephoto setup. This isn’t your typical hybrid zoom system. Huawei is using two separate periscope lenses—one for 3.7x (83mm equivalent), another for 9.4x (212mm). It physically switches between them depending on the zoom level.

Sony tried something clever with the Xperia 1 VII, which gave you continuous optical zoom between 85mm and 170mm. Huawei’s approach is different. Less fluid, perhaps, but sharper at both ends.

Is it overkill? Maybe. But also maybe not. Depends on how often you really need to shoot a bird on a building two blocks away. Still—nice to know you could.

It’s Not Just a Camera

Okay, camera flexing aside, the rest of the phone holds its own. There’s a curved 6.8-inch LTPO OLED display with a 1.5K resolution (a little sharper than 1080p, not quite 2K), with peak brightness hitting 3,000 nits. That’s bright. Like, use-it-in-direct-sunlight bright. And it adapts from 1Hz to 120Hz depending on what you’re doing.

Inside is Huawei’s Kirin 9020 chipset. Not much is known—Huawei tends to stay tight-lipped about chip specs these days—but early performance metrics suggest it’s snappy enough for everything short of demanding games on max settings. You can pair it with up to 16GB of RAM and either 512GB or 1TB of internal storage.

There’s also a huge 5,700mAh battery with 100W wired and 80W wireless charging. That combination isn’t common. And yes, it runs HarmonyOS NEXT out of the box. No Google services here, so the usual caveats apply.

Read Also: ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X Unveiled: Xbox Game Pass On-The-Go!

Designed to Survive, Priced Like a Statement

This thing isn’t just fancy—it’s tough. IP68 and IP69 certified, meaning dust and water shouldn’t be a problem. It has Huawei’s Kulun glass, which the company says is more durable than Gorilla Glass, though independent tests would be nice to see. There’s satellite messaging, NFC, the usual suite of flagship features.

And now the price. The base model—if you can call 16GB + 512GB “base”—starts at 9,999 Yuan. That’s about $1,390 USD. The 1TB variant jumps to 10,999 Yuan, or around $1,530. Only two color options for now: Gold and Black.

For some, this price will feel steep. For others, it’s justified. Depends how much value you put on camera tech, and, frankly, on brand.

Is the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra the Next King of Mobile Photography?

Maybe. It’s certainly trying to be. It doesn’t feel like Huawei’s chasing Apple or Samsung anymore. Instead, it’s carving out its own lane—camera-first, spec-maxed, no-holds-barred hardware that probably won’t show up in U.S. stores anytime soon.

But that’s kind of the point, isn’t it? Huawei doesn’t need to compete everywhere. It just needs to keep pushing the limits where it still can. And this phone? It’s a statement. Not subtle. Not for everyone. But definitely not boring.

Disclaimer: We may be compensated by some of the companies whose products we talk about, but our articles and reviews are always our honest opinions. For more details, you can check out our editorial guidelines and learn about how we use affiliate links.

Follow Gizchina.com on Google News for news and updates in the technology sector.

Source/VIA :

VIA