A few years ago, I was a staunch advocate of the Huawei P20 Pro. The camera-focused flagship convinced me to shelve my Nikon DSLR for something more compact. Now, years later, Huawei is back with a new revolution for smartphone photography. If you’re a fan of impressive cameras on a smartphone, it’s time to take a look at the Huawei Pura 70 Pro.
A new forward design
First of all, it’s pronounced /pyu-ra/. To celebrate 12 years of the lineup, Huawei is ditching the “P” scheme and rebranding it to the Pura series. It’s more than just a name change, too.
The first thing you might notice is the unique rear camera design. Rather than a circular island in the middle or a traditional top-left setup, the Pura 70 Pro houses a triangular island with a hidden-Mickey-like layout for the three cameras.
It’s definitely a unique design. I’ve had a few friends come up to me and ask what phone I was reviewing. And, on a more personal note, I love how the island is positioned perfectly to rest on my index finger while I’m holding it. If you’re as concerned about a ghastly pinky dent as I am, the Pura 70 Pro’s design is unintentionally a savior.
Besides the island, the flagship revels in its simplicity: a curved screen flowing down to glossy metal sides before culminating in a simple (but elegant) matte back. It’s a design that stands out but stays easy on the eyes. It’s just a shame that the purple variant isn’t available everywhere.
As always, a camera powerhouse
Since it’s right there, the phone’s cameras are a great place to start looking at what it can do. The Pura 70 Pro comes with a 50-megapixel main shooter, a 12.5-megapixel ultrawide lens, and a 48-megapixel telephoto lens. The latter can zoom by up to 3.5x optically and 100x digitally.
On their own, the cameras are already impressive. They can hold their own in adequate lighting conditions. The software emphasizes the correct color profiles depending on the situation. Plus, the zooming can just blow you away. Among the long telephoto lens I’ve reviewed, the Pura 70 Pro is up there. I can zoom in on faraway buildings, and the software just magically makes them crystal clear.
Speaking of the software, the real magic stems from the system’s AI. You can see this in real time, too. When you view a newly shot photo, the AI takes two seconds before applying corrections. You can actually see a before-and-after comparison. It’s, quite simply, magic. Colors start becoming more vibrant, and blurry subjects suddenly come into focus.
Of course, there are some situations where the AI adjustments are egregious. For example (and this is expected), photos of the moon look impossibly clear. Sometimes, the background blurs are just too much. This is coming from a meticulous eye, though. If you don’t really mind the nitty-gritty, it’s an amazing camera. Good thing I don’t have another DSLR to shelve.
If you want to see more of the hardware and software working together, try out the phone’s other modes. Ultra Speed Snapshot mode, for example, can supposedly take subjects going as fast as 300kph. Portrait mode optimizes the aperture and makes subjects sparkle. Finally, the Super Macro mode makes tiny subjects look like giants. I’ve tried all the modes, and the Pura 70 Pro just works in all three.
Kunlun expanded
After spending some time with the rear glass, it’s time to look at the glass in front. The Pura 70 Pro features the second generation of Kunlun glass. The company promises better drop and scratch resistance, compared to last year’s iteration.
Though Huawei is reserving the scratch test for the Ultra, I found that the Pro can handle tough situations, too. For example, I kept the phone in my pocket inadvertently for a whole day with a set of keys right up its screen. Instead of looking like a cat owner’s arm, the Huawei Pura 70 Pro still had a pristine screen free of any scratches.
As a display, the screen was also pleasantly bright. It puts out images at 120Hz refresh rate and 2500 nits of brightness. Even under a noonday sun, I had no issue with glare or an inability to read the screen. Watching videos on the screen was also pleasant.
Google is there… technically
Now, let’s answer your burning question: Does the Pura 70 Pro have Google? Technically, yes.
Huawei’s AppGallery does, in fact, have Google apps inside. According to Huawei, it has millions of apps. However, the online storefront doesn’t exactly carry all of them. Rather, it has a set of third-party sources you can grab the APKs from.
For example, if you want to install Instagram, the AppGallery redirects you to a website where you can download the latest APK version of the app. If it helps, the platform also scans the website for potential security threats. It’s definitely an irregular way to grab the latest software. I did install a few apps this way, but I don’t see myself growing comfortable with the method.
This doesn’t even begin to touch the thorny issue of Google apps. Yes, you can get Google’s app through this way. However, some of them constantly have warnings that the software isn’t compatible with the software. They work, though. A few still don’t. For example, the Play Store I tried downloading is too outdated to run.
Despite the difficulty, the AppGallery does have some Google apps. But it’s not what you might expect. They’re just Quick Apps, Huawei’s version of Instant Apps. Instead of launching a dedicated app, it launches a browser version of the service. Gmail, for example, works this way.
I’m sure that, with enough patience, anyone can make the phone work with a healthy dose of Google apps. If I were to make this my daily driver, I’d definitely put in the extra effort to make sure it runs smoothly with the right apps. However, the difficulty is definitely something to consider if you’re looking to upgrade.
Flagship-worthy performance
Don’t let the difficulty worry you that much about the performance. The Pura 70 Pro still handled everything I threw at it. I barely saw framerate dips when trying out Honkai Impact and Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat. Likewise, watching videos didn’t really detract from what the phone can do.
One slight hiccup, though, is its heat when operating the camera for extended periods of time. On one photowalk under the sun, the camera got too hot that I got warnings that the camera might stop working properly.
Despite the hit on comfort, the phone never really stopped working for me. I even tried recording a video for 12 minutes straight. It still worked fine afterwards.
A.Eye.
I’m not a huge fan of packing a phone with so much AI, but the Pura 70 Pro does make a compelling case. The phone’s eye-tracking features are impressive.
For example, it has interactive wallpapers that can follow your eyes. One wallpaper features a tennis match between two characters. The ball moves between the two when your eyes look at the ball. It’s mesmerizing. You’ll easily find yourself just staring for minutes.
There are more useful features, too. AI Privacy View, for example, keeps your notifications safe from another person’s eyes if it detects that you’re not holding the phone. Air scroll can identify your hand from afar. If your phone is propped up against the wall, you can use hand gestures to scroll up and down.
Strong battery, even stronger charging
The Pura 70 Pro comes with a large 5050mAh battery. Even under heavy use, the battery can last an entire day. There were only a few scenarios when I found myself lacking, such as when I shot a video for 12 minutes. All in all, it’s a capable battery attached to this powerhouse of a phone.
Still, if you find 5050mAh lacking, the package comes with a 100W SuperCharge adapter. Coming from completely empty, the charger delivered over 20 percent battery in just 5 minutes. On its own, it bumped up to full in less than 30 minutes.
If that’s not enough of a clincher, the phone also supports 20W reverse wireless charging. If your other devices run out of juice, Huawei can keep you going for a little while longer.
Is this your GadgetMatch?
Years ago, Huawei made a huge impression on the smartphone world with the P20 Pro. Since then, the company weathered restrictions from the United States. They are still bouncing back as I write this.
Though the Pura 70 Pro still has tinges of the ongoing restrictions, Huawei is returning to the same places that made it popular for smartphone photography enthusiasts in the first place. If you’re hunting for your next camera-heavy phone, the Pura 70 Pro is a worthy choice.
The Pura 70 Pro retails for PhP 59,999. Not a bad deal.
