Huawei Pura 70 review, enter the age of resilient opulence

 

We took the Huawei Pura 70 Pro for a spin, well not exactly for a spin but we did put it through some tests to get a sense of what exactly Huawei was attempting to do when it comes to the introduction of the latest Pura series – the rebranded version of the P series.

Huawei introduced the sparkling Huawei Pura 70 series an upgrade promising better features as well as design.

Keen to look at Huawei’s upgrade to the P series we were a little interested in finding out why Huawei rebranded the P series by now calling it the Pura series as opposed to only a letter. It all has something to do with revitalizing the brands’ image on a model that has be synonymous with compelling camera features.

Is this a gimmick or did Huawei have a point to prove considering the myriad of challenges?

We had the chance of looking through Huawei’s latest smartphone.

While some facts were already available, it was interesting to see how those facts on paper, faired against reality.

Flagship devices usually get our attention. It’s not only because they showcase what could be the current benchmark on how far a smartphone manufacturer can deliver under pressure but because they solidify a smartphone maker’s vision in the scheme of things.

Huawei’s latest flagship smartphone in the form of the Huawei Pura 70 is no different.

Boasting an impressive camera, an interesting new design when compared to it’s predecessor, the Huawei Pura 70 appears to be just right to compete with the likes of Samsung and Apple, even in a market that is increasingly wary of Huawei’s software limitations.

Display and body

Our Pura 70 Pro cames with less personality on the back when compared to the P60 series and its unique colour design on the rear.

We opened the box and our Pura 70 Pro came in the white colour pallet.

The aesthetic of the Pura 70 Pro is different compared to its predecessor. with the Pura 70 bringing in a glass back with a tasteful frosted matte finish that clearly steers away from fingerprints.

An aluminum frame adds grip and adds to the steadiness of the device, that comes in three colour arrays, black, white for South Africa and some other colours depending on which part of the world you’re in.

The Huawei Pura consists of three models, the Huawei Pura 70 entry, the Huawei Pura 70 Pro mid-tier, and the flagship Huawei Pura 70 Ultra.

The Pura 70 Pro is slightly larger compared to the P60, at 162.6 by 71.5 mm and 8.4mm in thickness.

That makes sense as it does mean a more controlled grip. The Pura 70 Pro comes with an 6.8 inch OLED display (2844×1260), under Huawei’s usual Kunlun Glass for tougher screen protection.

 

There’s the usual 120 Hz refresh rate and 1260 x 2844 pixels in resolution.

Launched in April this year, the Pura 70 arrives at a comfortable weight of 220 grams, with EMUI 14.2, harmony OS, aluminum frame, a glass back, and an IP 68 dust and water resistance up to two meters for 30 minutes.

At 6.8 inches in size, and an 89.3% screen body ratio we’re looking at a device comfortable with video as well as streaming playback.

Memory 

Huawei brings in a Kirin 1910 chipset, backed by HarmonyOS 4.2 in China and EMUI version 14.2.

We spot no memory card slot but internal memory of 512GB and 12 GB RAM should compensate.

Camera

The cameras sit inside Huawei’s latest play camera-shaped design promising some compelling motion-abled images.

The main camera sits at 50 MP for the wide lense with an f stop of 1/4 – 4.0.

This is seconded by a 48 MP telephoto sensor with an optical zoom of 3.5x optical zoom.

A 12.5 MP ultrawide sensor completes the trio which features LED flash.

Selfie

The selfie camera comes in at 13MP (ultrawide) featuring both HDR and panorama.

These come with an image stabilizer which is perfect for those quick out of pocket shots for that perfect moment.

Battery 

A 5050 mAh non-removable battery charging at 100W and 80 Watts wireless should keep your battery comfortably ready to carry users throughout the day.

Price 

Price starts at a competitive R 19 999 for the Huawei Pura 70 and ranges to a convincing R 26 999 for the Pura 70 Pro.

The device is available in South Africa after a convincing China launch in April 2024, which showcased how determined Huawei was to reach a bigger pie market-wise.

Overall

The Huawei Pura 70 Pro comes with the usual fingerprint sensor under the optical display, USB Type C 3.1, Bluetooth 5.2, and some interesting stereo speakers.

The bulky shape of the camera set on the rear does create the assumption that the device may struggle to be placed flat on its back, but we did notice no wobble when the device is placed on its back.

Would we change this?

It’s a no for now since we understand the vision brand Huawei intends to attain longterm. The rear camera lenses are bulky, the overall device shape feels a lot more comfortable in your hands -compared to the predecessor – and the refresh rate appears comfortable at multitasking. Bulky is not a bad thing in 2024 as when compared to the fashion industry, it does mean a statement has been made.

From a gentleman with taste in most things fashion, and trends, I think the overall appeal brought forward by the Pura 70 Pro makes a worthy attempt especially the colour pallet cocktail of the Pura 70 Ultra.  There’s just something about that pop-out camera that would have me gaining some street cred in techville.

It’s the images that make sense, thanks to the image stabilizer. Huawei promised a device that will challenge fashion trends, a unique style, a different cover design, and fast motion capture capability.

Thanks to the telephoto micro shot, HD photography, and fast motion capture. The Pura 70 delivers convincingly but could have brought back the pearl design on the rear.

Why not have that as a staple for the Pura series going forward? It made sense and ensured users knew they had one device that was one of a kind.

The Huawei Pura 70 series promised compelling features at a China launch and we welcome a device ready to challenge the likes of Samsung and Apple, while still jumping over software challenges.

Also read: HUAWEI Pura 70 series lands in South Africa, meet elegance plus innovation