Last month, Huawei introduced the new Pura 70 series flagship through a letter, which includes four products: Pura 70, Pura 70 Pro, Pura 70 Pro+, and Pura Ultra.
I got my hands on the "Big Cup" model, the Pura 70 Pro. After a period of usage following my initial impressions, I want to share why out of the four, the "Big Cup" version stands out as my top recommendation.
This year, Huawei upgraded its P series to the Pura series. While the name has changed, the overall essence of the products remains consistent, focusing on imaging and aesthetics.
Let's start with the design. The Pura 70 series features a distinctive design element, with the camera module adopting a rounded triangular shape resembling "Mickey Mouse," which adds a unique and recognizable touch. As for its visual appeal, that's for you to judge.
Of course, the protruding camera module is quite noticeable, which is a common issue with current smartphones, especially flagship models. In order to achieve better imaging quality, the camera modules are getting larger and thicker.
On one hand, this design easily collects dust, which can be bothersome for users with OCD tendencies. It can be quite annoying to look at. On the other hand, when playing games, it's impossible to avoid touching this area, so every time after gaming, one has to carefully clean the lens before taking photos.
The back panel of the device features a curved design, coupled with rounded edges, giving it an overall rounded look. It weighs around 220g, which is not considered heavy compared to other flagship products. Despite having a sizable camera module, it maintains a balanced weight distribution, making it comfortable to hold without feeling top-heavy. The device is narrower than the Mate 60 series, making it easy to grip even for individuals with smaller hands. If unsure, it's recommended to visit a store and try it out in person.
As for the color scheme, this one is called Roland Purple. Compared to the Feather Purple on the P60 Pro, Roland Purple has a much higher saturation. Feather Purple gives me a sense of elegance and romance, while Roland Purple is deep and mysterious. The matte texture of the body feels very delicate, and if used without a case, it doesn't really pick up fingerprints. However, for a guy, this color scheme does have a bit of a... well, those who understand, understand.
I think it is the most distinctive color in the Pro version, but relatively the most difficult to control, and I always have the classic lyrics of Teacher Xu Song echoing in my mind...
On the front is a 1.5K deep quad-curved screen with very subtle curvature, providing a smooth transition between the screen and the frame. Overall, the visual and tactile experience is quite pleasant.
Currently, most flagship devices feature slightly curved screens, striking a balance between feel and aesthetics. If you're a staunch supporter of flat screens... you might want to consider the Pura 70.
Let's talk about the camera specs. The main camera boasts 50 million pixels with a large 1/1.3-inch sensor. The 48 million pixel macro telephoto lens has a closest focusing distance of 5cm, a significant improvement from the P60 Pro's 10cm. It supports up to 35x super macro shots, offering great versatility. The ultra-wide-angle lens is 13 million pixels, but personally, I rarely use the ultra-wide angle feature.
Let's take a look at the sample directly. First is the main camera. I used the XMAGE style for the original color, so the imaging colors are very close to what I see with my eyes. There hasn't been too much optimization to please the eyes, and the overall resolution is also good. Even when zoomed in, it still retains good detail.
In XMAGE style, in addition to the original colors, there are also bright and vibrant tones. The former enhances saturation, making the colors richer, while the latter increases brightness, creating a more transparent image. There is also a black and white option, which adds a stylish touch. However, I feel it's not quite suitable for capturing this type of scenery.
In terms of portrait shots, the cropping was done using the main camera, and the color restoration for the skin tone is well executed. The facial details and textures are nicely preserved, and the blur effect is good. However, there is a slight flaw in the second image where a small part of the flower stem was blurred during the clipping.
Then there's the telephoto lens, which performs well in terms of resolving power and color reproduction, whether in regular mode or portrait mode. Even at 10× zoom, the photos remain quite usable.
Next is the telephoto macro feature, which is something I personally have always liked a lot. It allows you to discover many things that are invisible to the naked eye. Compared to the previous P60 Pro, the focusing distance is closer, allowing you to get closer to the subject for shooting. Additionally, with image stabilization, the success rate of capturing sharp images is quite high.
Let's talk about the night scene. Combining the main camera and telephoto lens, the image quality is quite good. The high resolution effectively suppresses highlights and restores dark areas well. It's pretty much in line with what I see with my own eyes, and noise is not very noticeable.
As a "large cup" model, the Pura 70 Pro performs satisfactorily in terms of imaging, delivering good image quality for both daytime and nighttime scenes. With multiple lenses covering commonly used focal lengths, as well as features like telephoto, macro, and flash, it is more than sufficient for most users.
Running on HarmonyOS 4.2, the system's smoothness is a standout feature, as expected from the Harmony system. In my experience, it feels very fluid and offers a rich set of functions.
Firstly, the file transfer station, though an older feature, remains quite useful. Since I take a lot of photos and enjoy sharing them with friends, selecting images can be a hassle due to similarities. With this feature, I can easily place the photos I want to share in the file transfer station within the gallery and then directly send them to friends via WeChat.
The second feature is the natural semantic search in the gallery, allowing us to search for desired images using natural language input. For example, searching for flowers I took last month yields instant results, making it very convenient.
Lastly, AI erasure. Without further ado, let's look at the actual results. It can remove selected objects and fill in missing parts, which is quite magical and can salvage our discarded photos.
Of course, while this feature is impressive, it is not foolproof. Sometimes, the filled-in parts may still show noticeable traces, so it's advisable to take multiple shots during the initial shooting phase for added security.
As for performance, without delving into theoretical benchmark scores, I tested two of the most commonly played games, "King of Glory" and "Honkai Impact 3rd," both in performance mode.
"King of Glory" was set to ultra-high resolution, extremely high frame rates, and high-definition quality, averaging 119.2 frames per game with minimal fluctuations, making it easy to handle.
In "Honkai Impact 3rd: Star Rail," preset to ultra-high graphics quality + 60 frames per second, running the Taixuan map for 30 minutes. In the first 10 minutes, the frame rate is maintained at 60 frames as much as possible, with relatively noticeable fluctuations. Towards the end, it becomes a bit challenging to sustain, aiming to maintain 50 frames, resulting in an average frame rate of 53.1.
To fully tap into its gaming potential, I also added a cooling BUFF to it. With the blessing of the cooling back clip, its frame rate performance has reached a new high. Although fluctuations are still noticeable, the average frame rate has ultimately reached 58.8.
Looking at the results, do you think the game performance is pretty good? However, there are a couple of things to note. On one hand, the rendering resolution is 744P, which is different from many other products. On the other hand, there are noticeable frame interpolation artifacts in the graphics (Frame interpolation cannot be manually turned off in "Honkai: Star Rail"), so the actual gameplay smoothness is not as good as the frame rate performance suggests. You may encounter screen tearing issues and a bit of touch delay.
Therefore, if you are only playing "Honor of Kings," the Kirin 9010 on the Pura 70 Pro can fully meet your needs. However, if you are playing high-load games like Star Rail, it is playable but the experience may be slightly lacking. Also, the device does get quite hot during gameplay, so it's recommended to pair it with a cooling fan for better performance.
Let's briefly analyze the four products horizontally. The prices range from 5499 yuan to 10999 yuan. I'll leave the parameter comparison here for now, so feel free to take a look.
Pura 70 is the only flat-screen product among the four models, with a slightly smaller 6.6-inch screen made of second-generation Kunlun glass. It features a 50-megapixel ultra-high-definition camera (OV50H) shared with the Pro and Pro+ versions, with a 1/1.3-inch sensor and an adjustable aperture of F1.4-F4.0. However, the telephoto lens is 12 megapixels and does not support telephoto macro, along with a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens.
The front camera, like the other versions, is 13 megapixels, but fixed focus, while the other three have autofocus. It is powered by the Kirin 9000S1 processor, a downgraded version of the Kirin 9000S with larger cores, which is not as powerful as the Kirin 9010 in the other three versions. Although it supports Lingxi communication, it does not support satellite communication. Wired charging is at 66W, and wireless charging at 50W, both lower than the other three versions.
To be honest, the standard version seems a bit "basic," lacking telephoto macro and satellite communication, with slightly lower processor performance. Unless you are a staunch supporter of flat screens, have lower image quality requirements, and are strictly limited by budget, it is not recommended to choose this version.
On the other hand, the top-of-the-line Ultra version is indeed the most powerful, featuring Xuanwu tempered Kunlun glass, a 50-megapixel 1-inch main camera with an adjustable aperture of F1.6-F4.0, a 50-megapixel macro telephoto lens, and a 40-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens. It truly stands out in terms of imaging capabilities.
Moreover, it not only supports Beidou satellite image messaging but also TianTong satellite communication. However, TianTong satellite communication is only compatible with China Telecom, making it less appealing for China Mobile and China Unicom users. Despite its strengths, the starting price of 9999 yuan may be a bit steep for many consumers, making it more suitable for those with no budget constraints.
Pura 70 Ultra
So the Pro and Pro+ versions are the more mainstream choices, with not much difference between the two. The Pro lacks TianTong satellite communication (telecom exclusive), has 4GB less RAM, and doesn't have Xuanwu tempered Kunlun glass. However, for most regular users, these differences won't be very noticeable in daily use. Truth be told, the Pro+ with its nano-optical gradient process on the back panel does have a higher aesthetic appeal and better feel.
Of course, the Pro starts at 6499 yuan (12GB+256GB), while the Pro+ starts at 7999 yuan (16GB+512GB). Given the minimal experiential gap, it's better to go for the lower entry price.
So based on my user experience and a simple horizontal comparison, I personally believe that the Pro version is the most balanced among the four products. It features a main camera with a variable aperture and a telephoto lens that supports macro photography. In terms of imaging, this should be sufficient for most users. Additionally, on the satellite communication side, it supports Beidou satellite image messaging. Starting at 6499 yuan, the price is relatively more acceptable.
