On June 11, 2025, Huawei officially introduced its Pura 80 flagship series in China, headlined by the impressive Pura 80 Ultra model.
🎯 Innovative Dual‑Telephoto Design
The Ultra stands out with a switchable dual-lens telephoto camera that uses a movable prism to direct light from one of two lenses into a single, large periscope sensor—a rare engineering feat:
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3.7× optical zoom (~83 mm focal length), f/2.4, listed as 50 MP
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9.4× optical zoom (~212 mm focal length), f/3.6, listed as 12.5 MP
Inside the same periscope module, a prism shifts to align the chosen lens with a 1/1.28‑inch sensor, delivering both zoom options without two separate periscopic systems. This allows for a slimmer body at a lower component cost (theverge.com).
📸 Core Camera System
The Pura 80 Ultra also includes:
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A 50 MP main camera featuring a 1‑inch RYYB sensor with dynamic aperture tech
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A 40 MP ultrawide sensor
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For the Pro and Pro+ models, the main and ultrawide sensors are the same, but they offer just one 48 MP telephoto (theverge.com).
⚙️ Display, Performance & Battery
Key specs shared across the high-end models (Pro, Pro+, Ultra):
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6.8″ quad-curved LTPO OLED display with 1–120 Hz refresh rate
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Peak brightness up to 3000 nits, wide P3 color gamut, and HDR support (huaweicentral.com)
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5,700 mAh battery with 100 W wired + 80 W wireless charging
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The base Pura 80 offers a 5,600 mAh battery and slightly slower charging (66 W wired, 50 W wireless) (huaweicentral.com).
Memory and storage tops out at 16 GB RAM and 1 TB storage. Huawei did not confirm which chipset powers these devices—likely due to ongoing US trade restrictions (theverge.com).
🔐 Software & AI Features
All Pura 80 phones ship with HarmonyOS 5.1 (also known as HarmonyOS NEXT), fully independent from Android. Huawei’s proprietary XMAGE AI camera engine is central to the experience, enhancing photography with AI-powered recognition that detects subjects like landmarks and provides contextual information (reuters.com).
📅 Availability & Pricing
According to Reuters:
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Pura 80 Pro and Pro+ launch June 14, starting at ¥6,499 (
$905) and ¥7,999 ($1,110) respectively -
Pura 80 Ultra ships June 26 for ¥9,999 (~$1,390)
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The base Pura 80 is expected in July; pricing TBD (reuters.com).
Huawei is using this launch to reassert itself in the premium smartphone market amid US sanctions. The choice to innovate in camera hardware—while minimizing costs with sensor-sharing—is a key part of that strategy (reuters.com).
In summary, the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra’s headline feature is its clever dual-telephoto setup—two zoom levels, one sensor—making it a standout in smartphone photography. It combines it with a powerful 1‑inch main sensor, immersive display, fast charging, lots of RAM and storage, and HarmonyOS AI smarts. Prices start at around $1,390, with the Pro and Pro+ models available in mid‑June and the Ultra shipping later this month.
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