The smartphone experience on the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra

While setting up the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra, I noticed that migrating apps and data from another smartphone takes longer than it does on other Android smartphones. This is because HUAWEI has been cut off from the Android ecosystem. To migrate everything to your new device, you need to install and use the company’s Phone Clone app on your old phone. I highly recommend doing so if you want to move over all your apps. It's much easier to have them migrated than to install them using HUAWEI’s app ecosystem.

Migrating your stuff to the new phone is done with Phone Clone

Once the migration is complete, you can start using your new smartphone. And the first important element you’re going to interact with is the display. On the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra, the screen looks good, both indoors and outdoors. And while it’s not the brightest screen I’ve seen on a flagship smartphone, it offers good outdoor visibility. Two of the things I appreciate about my experience with it are the fact that you get HDR video playback and dynamic refresh rate, which, according to HUAWEI, can automatically adjust to anywhere between 1 and 120 Hz. Movies look good, but you can’t watch them for long while holding the device because of the weight of this smartphone. HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra is top-heavy (weighing significantly more in the area of the camera system) and is uncomfortable to hold for longer periods of time, especially if you have smaller hands.

Movies look good on the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra

If you want to watch a longer movie, place the phone on a stand to lean on, or mount the case bundled with it. The case makes it easier to hold in your hands, and it also protects its back and edges from scratches and falls.

The bundled case looks good and makes it easier to hold the phone

Mobile gaming is another area where the phone’s weight and camera size might bother you. Playing games with the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra in landscape orientation becomes uncomfortable after a couple of minutes. Also, its performance is not on par with other flagships from 2024 because, unfortunately, the smartphone's older chipset is holding it back. Games run smoothly but at lower frame rates and with less visual fidelity than they do on competing smartphones from other brands.

Playing games isn't the best of experiences

Another thing I noticed is that the Kirin 9010 chipset heats up faster than modern flagship chipsets, which will make the smartphone less comfortable to hold when playing graphic-intensive games, watching or recording 4K videos, or even when running benchmarks. On the upside, the speakers on the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra are loud enough for a good audio experience, and you can hear the bass, as well as the vocals quite well.

The audio experience is satisfying

Mobile reception was pretty good, and so was the audio quality during calls. I didn’t encounter any signal problems, but I couldn’t use 5G mobile connectivity either. This is available in China, but it’s not enabled in international markets.

Mobile reception works well on the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra

Both the face recognition and the fingerprint sensor worked well during my tests. However, the face recognition felt slightly slower in identifying me than the one on my Samsung Galaxy S23. Luckily, it was always accurate, even during the evening or in lower light conditions.

The HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra has a strong battery life. It can last for about a day and a half with normal use on a single charge. If you are a light user, you might even get close to two days of battery life. The charging speed is also impressive, with the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra reaching 31% charge in just ten minutes and fully charging in 51 minutes. You can find more details about the charging speed in the graph below.

The charging speed for HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra

The software experience (EMUI 14.2)

HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra comes with EMUI 14.2.0 installed, which is based on the Android 12 released in 2021. While HUAWEI added new features to this operating system over time, it didn’t manage to keep up with Google and Apple. As a result, EMUI has improved at a slower pace than the operating systems made by competitors. This problem is compounded by the fact that HUAWEI also develops its own HarmonyOS (now at version 4.2) preinstalled on all its smartphones sold in China. From what I know, the company plans to migrate all its devices to HarmonyOS, including those sold internationally. But until that happens, international HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra users will have to contend with EMUI.

EMUI 14.2.0 is preinstalled on the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra

In version 14.2, the company implemented interactive themes that utilize eye-tracking technology to animate your lock screen. You also get new games you can play with eye movement tracking, as well as amusing things like cartoon-based emojis.

Interactive themes are available

HUAWEI also offers new Privacy and Security dashboards, which help you manage permissions for the apps you’re using, identify security issues with your phone, and access features like App Lock or File Safe.

The Privacy and Security dashboards are useful

The situation regarding software support is unclear. HUAWEI has not made any public commitments about this phone. However, I expect this smartphone to receive security patches for about three years, just like the company’s previous smartphones.

Getting access to Google apps

As you know, HUAWEI smartphones and tablets don’t come with Google’s Mobile Services preinstalled because the company is banned from using them. HUAWEI has worked a lot in recent years to improve their users’ access to Google’s apps, and it’s easier than ever to install almost anything you want on the Pura 70 Ultra. The company achieved this by using several workarounds:

• They’re working on adding more apps to their official app store, HUAWEI AppGallery. In recent years, their store has managed to increase its portfolio with many local apps for services like finance, banking, delivery, and ride-sharing.
• They’re using Gbox, an open-source service that provides access to Google’s services in a virtualized environment.
• They have added MicroG, another open-source third-party service that replaces Google Play services and allows users access to apps that didn’t work in the past.

The result is a more positive experience than the one on previous models, at least when installing Google apps and services. Some users even found a way to install Android Auto on the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra and have it working, which is amazing. However, what’s not so great is the maintenance of those apps. If you install many of them from different sources, you’ll soon find out that you have to update them manually. This process involves leaving the AppGallery and going to another app to get the necessary update or even downloading and installing entire APK files. The target audience of this smartphone might not be happy with how much work they have to put into keeping their apps up-to-date.

Updating apps can be a hassle

Another issue is that not everything works well. I installed more apps and games on this HUAWEI smartphone than I did on the models from previous years, but not everything worked well. For example, I could play PUBG on the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra, but Asphalt 9: Legends simply refused to start, even if I installed it from HUAWEI’s GameCenter. Some apps and games might not work, and you don’t even get an error message to help you understand what is happening.

The apps preinstalled on the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra

The situation is complex regarding the apps preinstalled on the Pura 70 Ultra, too. When you first set up your smartphone, HUAWEI recommends installing many apps. Check the list carefully and make sure you select only those you want. One app that you should get is GBox, as it helps you access Google apps and services that wouldn’t work without it.

HUAWEI wants you to install more apps and games than you need or want

I chose to skip installing the apps recommended by HUAWEI, except for Gbox. However, I noticed that the phone has a habit of recommending apps and games each time I access the Home Screen. You can get folders with suggested items that are not downloaded on your device, but they can be, with just a tap on their name. I don’t like this approach, but luckily, you can remove those folders from the Home Screen.

Games that you're encouraged to install

When you open the AppGallery for the first time, HUAWEI recommends even more apps, but you can skip installing those as well. Unfortunately, this entire repetition feels spammy, and I wish HUAWEI would stop using it. If you choose to skip all these prompts and not install any extras, you will get basic apps that are found on any smartphone, like Contacts, Phone, or Messaging, alongside quite a few extras, including apps that provide the same services, like Bing and Petal Search (which uses Bing to return search results), or Email and Outlook (both being email clients, with the latter being much better than the first).

Some of the apps preinstalled on the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra

HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra is a premium smartphone with a high-profit margin, and its software situation remains complicated: it is easier than ever to install Google apps and services on your phone, but updating them is a manual process that most users wouldn’t expect. Some apps and games still crash for no apparent reason, even though they are fewer in number. Another issue is that HUAWEI’s approach to apps is rather spammy. It often tries to push unwanted apps and games on your phone. This tactic is often used for lower-end devices, but it shouldn’t be the norm for premium ones like the Pura 70 Ultra. It affects the quality of the user experience, and users buying this smartphone have more demanding expectations from their devices.

The camera experience on the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra

The star feature of this smartphone is its primary camera, boasting a 50MP Sony IMX989 1" sensor equipped with sensor-shift stabilization and a retractable lens with a variable aperture. HUAWEI incorporated a retractable mechanism for the main camera's lens, which pops up when in use. The rotating telescopic lens is built with a sophisticated motorized structure that was rigorously tested for durability, ensuring it can withstand 300,000 cycles of expansion and contraction.

Daylight photos taken with the Pura 70 Ultra's main camera exhibit excellent detail and realistic, accurate colors. There is no noise, and the dynamic range is precise. Images captured with 2x zoom maintain quality, showing no noticeable difference compared to those taken with 1x zoom. Additionally, photos taken using the 3.5x optical zoom are rich in detail and color accuracy.

HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra offers a solid zoom experience

The Camera app on the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra is well designed with many options to configure, and photography modes. You can easily switch between using the ultrawide lens, the primary lens, and the telephoto. It’s also simple to change the zoom levels and opt for the 3.5x optical zoom if your subject is a bit further away from you. The digital zoom can go up to 100x, but HUAWEI has a 10x preset in the Camera app that you can access with a simple tap. You also get a Pro mode for knowledgeable users who want to adjust technical aspects like the ISO, shutter speed, and exposure compensation. For such users, this smartphone can take pictures using the RAW format.

I like the Camera app made by HUAWEI

The 10x preset on the Camera app offers a 10x digital zoom experience which manages to keep the amount of detail and noise within acceptable levels. However, at such magnification levels, using a tripod is recommended, as you will notice how your hands shake and impact your captures.

10x zoom delivers decent results in good lighting

The ultrawide camera is among the best available on a smartphone. Aside from the larger field of view, the photos taken with it closely resemble those captured with the main camera. There is no noticeable noise, the contrast is excellent, and the colors are consistent with those from the other lenses on this device. However, some of the pictures taken during the night aren't as good as those made with the other lenses.

The ultrawide lens takes excellent shots

Portrait shots are generally impressive. Photos taken with the main camera feature excellent subject separation, accurate colors, and realistic skin textures. Selfies aren’t bad either but tend to be slightly oversaturated, with less effective subject separation compared to the main lens, especially when Beauty mode is enabled. I believe that turning off Beauty mode yields better, more natural results, though some may prefer the enhanced look.

You may want to turn off Beauty mode

In low-light conditions, HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra delivers detailed, bright, and noise-free photos with good exposure and accurate colors. That’s regardless of the optical zoom level set by the user. However, when shooting pictures in Night mode, you need to wait up to three seconds to make your captures, which is something you don’t see often on flagship smartphones. This makes the picture-taking process a bit frustrating, and most users will prefer the normal Photo mode instead, which delivers good results.

Taking pictures during the night delivers details shots with accurate colors

One of the features I love about HUAWEI smartphones is the dedicated Macro shooting modes in their Camera app. The Pura 70 Ultra excels in this area, utilizing the periscope zoom camera to capture close-up shots at a level that competitors can't match. The results are often stunning, making this smartphone a great choice for nature enthusiasts.

I love macro photography on the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra

If you want a more informed opinion about the picture taking capabilities of the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra, please check this gallery. It showcases images taken in varying lighting conditions, including daytime and nighttime shots, with and without zoom.

See my album with pictures taken with HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra

Videos can be recorded in the resolutions presented below (4K, 1080p, and 720p) at 30 or 60 frames per second (fps). This article shares which fps is best for smartphone video recording, and I highly recommend reading it. One important limitation to consider is that when you choose to record video in 4K, you don’t get access to the Steady Shot feature, which helps reduce camera shake and ensures smoother and more stable footage.

The resolutions for recording videos on the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra

Similar to photos, daylight videos have good detail, a wide dynamic range, and realistic colors. However, the lack of the Steady Shot feature may be a dealbreaker for video enthusiasts who want to record in 4K resolution. For the best results in video quality, as well as the storage space it takes to record video, I recommend using the 1080p resolution with 30 or 60 fps. To give a glimpse of the results you’ll get, here’s a sample video recorded in 1080p and 30 frames per second, using various zoom levels.

Nighttime videos are generally good, too, and the image stabilization works great. The main camera captures excellent detail, vibrant colors, wide dynamic range, and low noise. The same is true for the telephoto camera (up to optical 3.5x zoom). Here’s a sample of a 4K video recording during the night at 30 fps.

However, when switching to the ultrawide camera, the video quality decreases sometimes, and the images look foggy and lack detail. This isn’t always the case though, and I had mixed results with it, which contrasted with the other cameras on the device. I expect this to be a software processing issue that may be fixed in future firmware updates.

In conclusion, I very much enjoyed taking pictures with the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra. It benefits from a versatile camera system that delivers excellent results in most situations. The video recording experience is pretty good too, but it does feel like it didn’t receive as much attention and improvement as the photo experience.

Performance in benchmarks

Although the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra didn’t feel sluggish during my testing experience, I wanted to see how it compares to other smartphones. I compared it with two Samsung smartphones that we reviewed recently: the Samsung Galaxy S24 (the European version with an Exynos processor) and the Samsung Galaxy A55.

I began by running Geekbench 6. As you can see, the CPU single-core and dual-core performance offered by the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra is mostly similar to that of a mid-range device like the Galaxy A55. The same happens in the GPU Compute tests, which evaluate the smartphone’s graphic prowess.

Geekbench 6 results

Geekbench ML is a benchmarking app that assesses a device's performance when running machine learning tasks. This test has become a must since AI is the year's buzzword. As you can see below, the CPU performance offered by HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra for machine learning tasks is quite good and holds its own against the Samsung Galaxy S24. However, its GPU and NPU (neural processing unit) performance don’t stand a chance.

Geekbench ML results

The next benchmarking app I used was 3DMark and its Wild Life tests. Pura 70 Ultra scored 5171 points in this test, while the Galaxy A55 obtained 3951. However, other flagships from 2024, including the Galaxy S24, max out this test. The result shows that you can run games reasonably well on the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra but you shouldn’t expect a performance level comparable to other flagships from 2024.

The score in 3DMark Wild Life

I moved on to PCMark to check how well the phone handles productivity tasks. The HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra scored just 10444 points in the Work 3.0 performance test, putting it far behind other flagships.

PCMark results

One test where the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra performed very well is PCMark’s Battery Life 3.0. In this test, the smartphone’s battery lasted 19 hours and 21 minutes, which is excellent.

Battery life comparison

Lastly, I checked the Wi-Fi 6 connectivity offered by HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra with SpeedTest. As you can see, this smartphone worked very well and delivered speeds similar to those of the Samsung Galaxy S24 and many other flagship smartphones.

The speeds you get over Wi-Fi 6

The benchmarks have shown that the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra can hold its own against other flagships regarding battery life and the speed of its Wi-Fi connectivity. It’s clearly outmatched when it comes to its performance for productivity tasks, gaming, and running machine learning apps and services. Its Kirin 9010 chipset is comparable to the chipsets found on mid-range smartphones from 2024, not premium ones.

What do you think of the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra?

Thank you for reading this far. It was a lengthy review, and it took me a lot of time to test and write everything you have read about the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra. I hope you found it useful and that you now have a better understanding of this smartphone, its strengths, weaknesses, and whether it is a good device for you. Before closing, don’t hesitate to subscribe to our newsletter using the form below, or leave a comment expressing your opinion about this product.