The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra is a smartphone that defies expectations. It’s a device that shines as a camera, but falls short as a phone. While this might seem like a strange statement, it accurately reflects the Pura 70 Ultra’s unique proposition.
The phone’s Achilles’ heel lies in its lack of Google services. Without access to Gmail, Maps, and other essential Google apps, daily phone usage becomes a frustrating endeavor. Huawei’s app library, despite improvements, still lacks the comprehensiveness of the Google Play Store, and using alternative app stores and APK files is a cumbersome workaround.
Beyond the software limitations, the phone’s processor pales in comparison to flagship chips from Qualcomm and MediaTek. This translates to sluggish performance and a less-than-ideal user experience. As a result, the Pura 70 Ultra doesn’t encourage all-day usage as a phone.
However, the Pura 70 Ultra’s camera is a different story altogether. It’s a combination of features that elevates it above any other smartphone camera currently available. The motorized lens housing, a key innovation, allows for a giant 1-inch sensor, providing exceptional image quality. This motorized lens, paired with a mechanical aperture, creates a depth of field that surpasses even the capabilities of dedicated Portrait modes on other smartphones.
The main 50-megapixel camera, complemented by a 50MP Macro Telephoto camera with a 3.5x optical zoom, delivers stunning images with vibrant colors and a unique aesthetic. The 3.5x optical zoom, combined with the massive sensor and retractable lens, enables photography that is simply impossible on other smartphones.
One of the Pura 70 Ultra’s standout features is its Super Macro mode. This mode, often a weak point on other phones, excels on the Pura 70 Ultra, capturing crisp and detailed close-ups with striking colors.
The level of detail captured by the Pura 70 Ultra is astonishing across all modes, from wide-angle to telephoto. The camera’s ability to capture detail without sacrificing sharpness is truly remarkable.
What sets the Pura 70 Ultra’s camera apart is its natural feel. It doesn’t feel like you’re activating a specific mode or feature to achieve a desired image. The camera feels like a focused tool designed for photography, rather than a multi-purpose device with average performance.
Huawei has clearly learned from its past partnership with Leica, incorporating a sense of character, emotion, and tone into its photographs. The Pura 70 Ultra prioritizes the art of photography over gimmicky features designed for short-term attention.
While I have no interest in using the Pura 70 Ultra as a primary phone, I would readily choose its camera over any other smartphone camera on the market, including the exceptional Xiaomi 14 Ultra. The Pura 70 Ultra has convincingly proven that the days of carrying a dedicated camera and a smartphone are not yet over.
Ultimately, the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra presents a unique dilemma. It’s a camera masterpiece that is hampered by its phone functionality. It’s a device that begs to be used for its photographic prowess, but its limitations as a phone leave it a niche product.
