The flagship HUAWEI P series is known to have some of the best cameras in the mobile world. But even if they’ve been rebranded to Pura, HUAWEI continues to provide top-notch photography experience, as always much better than the last.

To no one’s surprise, the Pura 70 Ultra has been recognized as one of the best camera phones in the market by DxOMark. But for today, we’ll be taking a look at its smaller sibling, the HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro.

We’ll see how well the cameras are on this device and, of course, see how the other departments perform to check if it’s worth your time and money. So, without further ado, here’s our HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro full review.

HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro Specs

  • EMUI 14.2
  • Dal SIM, Dual standby
  • 6.8-inch 1.2K LTPO OLED display, 2844 x 1260 pixel resolution, 460ppi
  • 120Hz refresh rate, HDR, 2500 nits peak brightness
  • Kunlun Glass 2
  • 2.3GHz Kirin 9010 octa-core processor
  • 12GB RAM
  • 512GB internal storage, non-expandable
  • 13-megapixel ultra-wide front camera
  • 50-megapixel (f/1.4-f/4.0, PDAF, OIS) + 48-megapixel (3.5x telephoto, OIS) + 12.5-megapixel (ultra-wide) rear cameras, LED flash
  • IP68 dust and water resistant
  • Under-display fingerprint scanner, Face unlock
  • Stereo speakers
  • No headphone jack
  • HSPA+, 4G LTE
  • WiFi 6, dual-band
  • Bluetooth 5.2
  • dual-band GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, Navic, BDS
  • NFC
  • USB-C
  • Dimensions: 162.6 x 75.1 x 8.4mm
  • Weight: 220g
  • Colors: White, Black
  • 5,050mAh non-removable battery, 100W wired, 80W wireless, 20W reverse wireless charging

Design and Build Quality

The HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro is part of the brand’s Fashion Forward motto that gives importance to designs that users will be proud to brag about and possibly match their style. That’s evident with the unique camera island on the back.

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It has a triangular camera island on the back, which makes it stand out and look unique. According to HUAWEI, this is based on the Penrose Triangle, and is identical to the letter “P” which means “Possible.” I honestly don’t see the P in it, but that’s their explanation about it.

The large glass in the middle holds the periscope-style telephoto lens. The one on the bottom is the primary camera while the one on top is the ultra-wide. There’s a pill-shaped flash next to the telephoto lens as well as HUAWEI’s XMAGE camera branding.

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Unfortunately, the Pro is only available in two colors that look boring or elegant depending on how you look at it. This could also be HUAWEI’s tactic to force you to get the more expensive and attractive Pura 70 Ultra instead.

It comes in a White variant and the unit that I got, Black, which has a glitter-like texture that shines with the light. The good about it is the surface stays clean from fingerprint marks and smudges.

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The free clear case is made of an acrylic material. It does give decent protection by snapping on the four corners of the device. It also protrudes enough so the screen doesn’t touch any surface when dropped upside-down. Sadly, the sides are not protected enough, but it lets you appreciate the curved screen better. I personally would have preferred a case that wraps around the whole device, though.

Even though it’s a flagship-level smartphone, the included case is pretty cheap. It’s prone to hairline scratches and dirt. I only had the case for a few weeks and it already looks dirty. If you’re brave enough, it’s better to rock it caseless instead of constantly wiping it up to make sure it’s clean.

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The HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro also has a shiny metallic frame. Like the screen, it’s curved so it feels nice in the hands. Plus, the overall frame feels really sturdy and solid just like the previous P series.

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HUAWEI is also highlighting the 2nd-gen Kunlun Glass. According to HUAWEI, it has 100% better drop resistance than the 1st-gen glass. Despite that, HUAWEI still included a screen protector out of the box, which easily got nicks and marks during our testing period. It’s normal for a plastic film, so you can just replace it with a tempered glass for better protection.

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Taking a tour in front, there’s a curved 6.8-inch LTPO OLED screen. It has ultra-thin, uniform bezels and a punch-hole for the selfie camera, which results in a high screen-to-body ratio.

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Left side is clean, while the right has the volume controls and a lock/power switch with a distinct red paint. It’s a small detail but I’m digging it. The buttons are smooth when pressed but still clicky.

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The top has the IR blaster and the noise-isolating microphone, while the bottom has the USB-C port, loudspeaker, and SIM tray for two nano SIM cards. As expected, no microSD slot here.

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Overall, the HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro is a well-designed and well-built smartphone, just like most flagships in the market.

Display and Sound Quality

The HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro has a 6.8-inch LTPO OLED display with a 2844 x 1260 pixel resolution, 460ppi, HDR Vivid with 2500-nits peak brightness, and 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate.

You can fine-tune the color mode and color temperature. Plus, you can set the resolution to High so it runs on the native resolution, Low to stay at 1896 x 840 for smoother performance and low battery consumption, or stick with the Smart Resolution — the default setting — to let the system intelligently switch between the two resolutions for better efficiency.

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Display quality is great. As expected, the colors pop and the contrast is really deep. Screen brightness is enough for outdoor use.

But due to software limitations, it lacks Widevine L1 support as it’s capped at L3. Hence, it doesn’t have HD support on platforms like Netflix. No Dolby Vision, either, unlike on other flagships I’ve tested.

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The stereo speakers were impressive. They are loud, has good stereo separation, and have nice clarity with crisp treble and deep bass.

Hardware and Performance

The HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro is powered by a 2.3GHz Kirin 9010 octa-core processor, with 12GB of RAM, 512GB of non-expandable storage, and Maleoon 910 GPU. Sadly, it still lacks 5G connectivity in the Philippines, which is very disappointing for a smartphone at this price point.

HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro Benchmark Scores

It scored substantially lower in synthetic benchmarks compared to other flagships in the market right now. The device scored under 1 million in AnTuTu Benchmark, while its Qualcomm counterparts already breaches around 1.6 million.

But in real-world use, the Pura 70 Pro still feels incredibly snappy, just like what you’d expect from a 2024 flagship. Apps load fast, takes pictures in a snap, switching between apps is seamless, and the interface feels buttery smooth.

Gaming performance was unsurprisingly good. Call of Duty Mobile, PUBG Mobile, and Mobile Legends ran fluidly under High to Max settings. Genshin Impact was stable at Medium, which was the default setting, while Farlight84 had no issues at Medium and High. For some reason, Asphalt 9 was crashing, and couldn’t make it past the loading screen.

GameGraphics Settings
Call of Duty: Mobile• Graphics Quality: Very High
• Frame Rate: Max
Farlight84• Graphics Quality: HD
• Frame Rate: Very High
• Resolution: Medium
PUBG Mobile• Graphics Quality: HD
• Frame Rate: Extreme
Genshin Impact• Graphics Quality: Medium (Default)
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang• Graphics Quality: Ultra
• Frame Rate: Ultra
• HD Mode: On
Asphalt 9: Legends• Visual Quality: N/A
• Frame Rate: N/A

Software and User Interface

The HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro runs on EMUI 14. As you probably know, it lacks official Google Mobile Services (GMS). HUAWEI has slowly built alternatives to be sustainable even without Google. Still, you have to really like HUAWEI’s hardware to be okay with the software limitations.

For those who don’t know, the lack of GMS means there’s no official way to download Google apps like YouTube, Gmail, Keep, and more, as it lacks the Google Play Store.

However, the HUAWEI AppGallery and Petal Search can show suggestions from third-party sources and lets you download Google apps easily. Once running, apps like YouTube do work fine with the built-in microG services as replacement.

I also used APKPure to download apps and update them. All these methods worked fine, but then again, you have to really like HUAWEI to be okay with it considering that almost all of its competition offers more seamless app downloads and updates thanks to the built-in Google Play Store.

So, if you can get past those limitations, you’re in for a treat with EMUI. In fact, it has gotten a lot better since HUAWEI phones lost GMS, and it won’t be long until HUAWEI’s software becomes a more acceptable alternative to Google.

That said, the main interface areas look pretty homey. The control center is similar to other Android phones I’ve seen before. There’s also a dedicated search section that provides quick access to your most used apps, see important details like steps and weather, and show relevant news.

HUAWEI did a great job of keeping the bloatware to a minimum. However, I find the home screen a bit cluttered due to the apps HUAWEI suggests you download.

HUAWEI Share is here as an alternative to Android’s Nearby Share/Quick Share. It’s a great tool for those who are deep into the HUAWEI ecosystem as they can easily share images, videos, and other files between devices.

Another cool multi-device feature is the HUAWEI Super Device. It’s a hub for all HUAWEI products that you own and lets you manage them easily. You can also use this to, say, screen-share your Pura 70 Pro’s screen to a laptop.

The customization features are also similar to Android. You can adjust the themes, and fonts, use a magazine unlock, and customize the app icons. There are also a slew of AOD wallpapers to choose from with different customizable styles.

The fingerprint scanner worked fast and accurately, no surprises there. You can also choose from four different animation styles if you’re really picky about the look.

I also didn’t have an issue with the face unlock, which actually unlocked the device faster than the fingerprint scanner due to the Raise to Wake function.

Other than the biometrics, the HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro has other security features like a Password Vault, perfect for those who always forget their usernames and passwords on different online accounts. File Safe is also here to encrypt important files. Plus, there’s a comprehensive Find Device feature that can locate your phone in case it gets lost or stolen, track other devices, and more.

HUAWEI also puts huge importance on privacy. For one, you can remove personal information on select images, and enter Super Privacy Mode to instantly block all permissions. You can even see apps that use the most permission to use your location, camera, microphone, and more.

If you really want to commit to the HUAWEI ecosystem, you can also try to learn how to use Celia, the company’s own assistant. I tested it and it shows great potential, although I still prefer Google Assistant and Gemini.

For storage, HUAWEI barely takes any space for the System (11.34GB) and Other System Data (5.9GB). With about six triple-A games installed and hundreds of photos and videos taken, I only managed to occupy 27% of the 512GB space. There’s also a dedicated section to manage cloud storage.

HUAWEI Health is here, which I liked using as I’m also reviewing the new HUAWEI Watch Fit 3. It gives a comprehensive look and insights into your daily activities and workouts. Plus, it works with iOS devices as well.

Petal Maps is also here. It works fine, but I definitely prefer using Google Maps.

The default keyboard was fine, but I immediately switched to Google Keyboard as it was more familiar.

Of course, the camera app is as intuitive as ever. It was well-designed to give you easy access to a bunch of camera features this device have.

Cameras

The HUAWEI P series always had some of the best cameras in a smartphone. They continue to do so, despite the rebrand to Pura. For the HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro, you’re getting a 50-megapixel 1/1.3-inch main camera with optical image stabilization and a variable f/1.4-f/4.0. The aperture can get really wide for those creamy, blurry background, and can drop for a more subtle depth of field for group shots.

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It is joined by a 48-megapixel periscope-style telephoto lens, which also has OIS, and works as a macro shooter. There’s also a 12.5-megapixel ultra-wide lens and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide shooter on the front.

The Pura 70 Pro also has HUAWEI XD Motion Engine that combines two fast-moving images for a clearer final output, great for action shots, photos of your pets, sports photography, and more.

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As expected, the 50-megapixel main camera takes exceptional photos in daylight. Details are incredibly sharp and zooming in after the shot is taken reveals no overprocessing that we usually see in other camera phones.

Colors are also pleasing as they look vibrant enough to be eye-catching while still looking natural. I also like how well the dynamic range was handled as the highlights look clear while the shadows are present without being overblown.

Low-light shots from the main camera are also incredible. There is almost no loss in details and colors still look top-notch. It could’ve handled the contrast better in some scenarios, but still better than most of the competition.

HUAWEI has also included three XMAGE filters built-in to the camera app. There are the Vivid and Bright filters if you want to make photos livelier. If you wanna be artsy, there’s the Mono filter for some black-and-white action.

The filters, in my eyes, look better than what you can get from most third-party photo editors.

The main camera can also take cropped photos for a 2x zoom shot with a 54mm equivalent. This lets you focus the audience’s attention on the subject of the photo. Pair it with the Portrait Mode for a more professional-looking, blurry background photo.

Colors, contrast, and dynamic range are equally impressive as the 1x shots. However, due to the digital crop, expect a marginal drop in details.

Next stop, we have the sharp 48-megapixel telephoto camera. It can be accessed starting with the 3.5x zoom button that has a 95mm focal equivalent.

Having a dedicated and sharp sensor on a telephoto lens lets you close in on a far subject without sacrificing details and sharpness, unlike the digital crop that other phones do. Sure enough, shots on this one are incredibly sharp, and have a vibrant but still accurate color rendering. Dynamic range is also good and low-light performance exceeded my expectations.

The telephoto sensor can also do 10x zoom with a 270mm lens equivalent. Shots from this still look incredibly sharp and detailed, with nice colors even in low light. I find it great and really handy for covering events.

Of course, the 270mm lens is also great for zooming in on faraway subjects. From 10x zoom with 270mm equivalent, you can slide the zoom dial to go all the way to 100x for a whopping 2700mm equivalent.

The 100x shots, as expected, can be a bit blurry, but I did notice the software doing its best to improve the shots by post-processing with a sprinkle of AI.

I was also impressed with the 12.5-megapixel ultra-wide camera. Details look sharp and the color rendering is similar to the other cameras this device has. The dynamic range is also really impressive.

However, barrel distortion is really obvious, which stretches out edges and corners of the image.

The macro shots from the telephoto lens, thanks to the pixel-dense sensor, are really good and far better than the macro cameras found on other smartphones. The overall image quality is the same as the 2x and 3.5x lens — colorful and contrasty.

Finally, we have a 13-megapixel selfie camera. Unlike the cameras on the back, the performance of this one didn’t meet my expectations. It’s still great, but I was expecting a little sharper details. The contrast is slightly off and you can see it struggle a bit in low light.

I’ve always admired the camera capabilities and my time with the P series, which began all the way back to the HUAWEI P20 Pro. And after our tests, I’ll still say that I really like it, even though it goes by another name now.

Battery and Charging

The HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro has a 5,050mAh non-removable battery, with 100W wired, 80W wireless, and 20W reverse wireless charging.

Battery performance has been impressive. In PCMark’s battery loop test, it was able to do 16 hours and 24 minutes of synthetic workload before dropping to 20%. That’s with the WiFi and Bluetooth off and the screen brightness and volume set at 50%.

In our real-world heavy-use test, I was able to play five different games and run benchmarks for about 2 hours and 17 minutes and it only ate about 32% of our battery. Pretty impressive.

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Unfortunately, our review unit didn’t come with the compatible charger to test the speedy 80W wireless charging feature. The 100W charger that comes with the device, on the other hand, provided 35% of juice in just 15 minutes. A full charge only took around 50 minutes. See the full wired charging test below:

  • 15mins: 0-35%
  • 30mins: 64%
  • 45mins: 95%
  • 50mins: FULL

I also like how the adapter has both a USB-C and USB-A input to give you the flexibility if you’re trying to charge a different device or use a different cable. It’s a small thing but pretty convenient for the users.

Verdict

There’s no denying that the HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro is still one of the best camera phones in the market today. The images it takes look very sharp, have nice colors, and are free from excessive post-processing that other phones do. The best part? All those pros are not just in the main camera, but on all three shooters.

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But is it the device you should get? Well, you’d really need to like the HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro’s cameras and the whole HUAWEI ecosystem to justify the purchase.

Sure, it has great cameras, a unique and comfortable design, proper flagship performance, and a reliable battery life with fast charging for both wired and wireless methods. However, the obvious limitations that it has makes it hard for us to recommend this device to those shopping in its price range.

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And since it’s already 2024, it’s really hard to give a pass on the lack of 5G connectivity, especially when it’s almost everywhere. Plus, there are the different hassles provided by the lack of GMS, even though EMUI has been substantially improved since HUAWEI was banned from using Google services. During my time with it, I honestly didn’t have much issues with it. That’s a good start.

I you still want to purchase the HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro because of its exceptional cameras, I won’t blame you. I would, too, if cameras are my top priority. Without a doubt, it’s one of the best smartphone cameras out there right now. But if you’re going all in and money’s no object, it’s probably better to pick the Ultra.

HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro pricing and availability in PH

The HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro 12GB/512GB is available in the Philippines for a price of Php59,999. You can get it at HUAWEI physical store nationwide, and through their official website, Shopee, and Lazada.

Pros

  • One of the best rear cameras in its class
  • Comfortable, well-built, stylish design
  • EMUI, AppGallery substantially improved since GMS departure
  • Reliable battery life with fast wired and wireless charging

Cons

  • Lacks GMS, Hassles in downloading/running some apps and games
  • No 5G
  • No HD streaming, Dolby Vision

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