The Pros and Cons of Huawei Pura 80 Pro

Huawei Pura 80 Series has once again been named the phone with the best camera in the world, especially for the Ultra model. But if you're interested in trying its features and the price feels too high, the Huawei Pura 80 Pro is a good alternative. It comes at a more affordable price, while still having similar performance.

The Pura 80 Pro is said to give the right mix of flagship performance and professional photography. In many ways, it looks and feels like the Ultra version. This makes it a great option for those looking for strong value for money. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons below.

The Pros Huawei Pura 80 Pro

1. Premium Design and Water Resistance

Huawei Pura 80 Pro comes with a stylish and premium look. The Glaze Red variant stands out the most with its bold and elegant red color. It’s the only version that has detailed stripes inside the camera module, just like the Ultra model. Other color options like Glazed White and Glazed Black also look classy.

One thing that makes the Pura 80 Pro different is the size of its camera module. It looks bigger than most phones. The module sticks out quite a bit and has a triangle-like shape with rounded corners. While this might seem unusual, it makes sense for a phone that focuses on camera quality.

The body of the phone is 8.3 mm thick, not counting the raised camera module. Even with a battery that’s considered standard in size, the phone weighs about 219 grams. It still feels solid and comfortable to hold, especially with its glossy finish.

For durability, the Pura 80 Pro is certified with both IP68 and IP69. These ratings mean the phone can resist dust and water. It can even stay underwater at a depth of 2 meters for up to 30 minutes. So, it’s safe to use for taking pictures or videos while swimming or snorkeling.

2. Excellent Camera Setup for Different Types of Photos

Even though it costs less, the Huawei Pura 80 Pro still offers features that are very close to the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra. One of its highlights is the 50 MP main camera. It comes with a variable aperture between f/1.6 and f/4.0 and supports TCG-HDR for a wider dynamic range.

It also has a 40 MP ultrawide camera (f/2.2) with autofocus. This camera gives the same quality as the one on the Ultra model.

The difference is in the telephoto camera. The Pura 80 Pro uses a regular telephoto lens instead of a dual periscope system. Still, it performs well for long-distance shots.

The telephoto camera has a resolution of 48 MP and a large f/2.1 aperture. Huawei calls this camera the Ultra Lighting Macro Telephoto. It can take in up to 41% more light, including light from faraway subjects.

From its name, you can tell that this camera is useful not only for distant shots but also for close-up or macro photos. It can focus on objects as close as 5 cm, and still produce sharp and detailed pictures. This is great for users who enjoy macro photography.

On the front, the Huawei Pura 80 Pro features a 13 MP ultrawide camera. Its wide-angle view makes it ideal for selfies, and autofocus helps make the process easier.

For video, both the front and rear cameras can record up to 4K at 60 frames per second. Built-in stabilization helps reduce shaking when recording while moving. The camera also handles zoomed-in video quite well, although some detail may be lost at longer distances.

3. Immersive Display with Smart Refresh Rate

Huawei Pura 80 Pro gives a viewing experience similar to the Ultra version. It has a 6.8-inch LTPO OLED screen, which allows the refresh rate to change depending on how the screen is used. This helps save battery life.

The refresh rate can go as low as 1 Hz when the phone is idle. This low number is usually found only in flagship phones. The highest refresh rate is 120 Hz. You can also set it to 60 Hz or 90 Hz, depending on your preference.

Compared to the Huawei Pura 70 Pro, this new screen is brighter. The Pura 80 Pro can reach a peak brightness of 3000 nits, which is useful when using the phone outdoors in bright sunlight. It can also go as low as 1.6 nits, making it more comfortable to use in dark rooms.

The screen is protected by second-generation Crystal Armour Kunlun Glass. This protection helps reduce the chance of scratches or cracks when the phone is dropped.

4. Loud stereo speakers

Huawei Pura 80 Pro is equipped with dual stereo speakers. The main speaker is placed at the bottom of the phone, while the second one is at the top. This setup helps deliver more balanced sound, especially in terms of volume. It is louder than earpiece speakers, which usually sound softer.

The audio quality is very enjoyable. Whether you are watching movies, browsing social media, listening to music, or playing games, the sound is clear and loud. Some reviewers even say that you don't need earphones to enjoy an immersive gaming experience.

However, this phone no longer has a 3.5 mm audio jack. This makes it harder to use wired earphones. To connect them, you need a converter or special earphones with a USB Type-C plug. A simpler option is to use wireless earphones through Bluetooth, which is more practical for daily use.

5. Strong Performance with Kirin 9020

When it comes to performance, the Huawei Pura 80 Pro uses its own chipset called Kirin 9020. This is the same chipset used in the more expensive Huawei Pura 80 Ultra. Because of this, the Pro version gives great value at a lower price.

The Kirin 9020 is made with a 7 nm process and has eight CPU cores. These include one high-performance TaiShan V121 core running at 2.5 GHz, three TaiShan V120 cores at 2.15 GHz, and four smaller cores at 1.6 GHz for better power efficiency. The GPU is a Maleoon 920 with a speed of 840 MHz.

The phone also comes with a large memory setup. There is only one variant, with 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of internal storage. However, there is no microSD slot, so you cannot add more storage.

What about benchmark scores? According to testing by TechNick in his YouTube video, the Huawei Pura 80 Pro reached an AnTuTu v10 score of around 1.1 million. This is the same result shown by the Ultra model, as both use the same chipset.

Still, the Kirin 9020 is not as powerful as some other top chipsets. For example, phones like the Xiaomi 15 or Samsung Galaxy S25+ with Snapdragon 8 Elite, and the vivo X200 with Dimensity 9400, can reach scores above 2 million.

Some reviewers were not too disappointed with the performance, even though it seems lower. This situation is related to the trade restrictions placed on Huawei by the United States. It has taken the company almost five years to compete again in this area.

Even with lower benchmark numbers, the real-life gaming performance is still good. In TechNick’s test, the Huawei Pura 80 Pro could handle several games smoothly.

For example, it ran Genshin Impact at an average of 59.4 FPS, Wuthering Waves at 59 FPS, and Call of Duty at 89.8 FPS. This shows that the phone is still able to deliver a smooth gaming experience, along with its excellent camera features.

6. Complete Connectivity and Useful Sensors

One of the nice things about the Huawei Pura 80 Pro is its strong support for connectivity and sensors. This phone already uses WiFi 7, which is an upgrade from the older version. As a result, internet connections in public places can feel smoother with lower delay.

It also comes with useful features like NFC and infrared, which help with daily tasks. NFC (Near Field Communication) allows easier connections to other devices, supports digital payments, and can even be used for toll road access. The infrared sensor lets you control other electronics, such as TVs or air conditioners, directly from your phone.

The Huawei Pura 80 Pro has a USB Type-C 3.1 port. This means you can connect it to a larger monitor with just a cable. It also helps reduce charging time.

For sensors, the phone includes an accelerometer, compass, barometer, and a more responsive hardware gyroscope. However, the fingerprint scanner is placed on the side of the phone, combined with the power button. This might be a step back, since the Huawei Pura 70 Pro already has an in-display fingerprint sensor.

7. Long Battery Life with Fast Charging

Huawei Pura 80 Pro has a battery capacity of 5170 mAh, which is similar to the Ultra model. It seems Huawei didn't focus on making a bigger battery for this phone.

This battery size gives decent usage time, though it may not last as long as some other phones in its class. Still, the fast charging support makes up for it. You don’t have to wait long when the battery runs out.

The phone supports 100W fast charging. Based on what the Ultra model can do, it takes around 42 minutes to reach a full charge. Since both phones use the same chipset, the charging time should be similar.

It also has 80W wireless charging, so you can charge without plugging in a cable. On top of that, the phone supports reverse wired and wireless charging, which means you can use it to charge other devices too.

Cons of Huawei Pura 80 Pro

1. Not Fully Compatible with Google Services

Since the United States placed trade restrictions on Huawei, the company has not been allowed to use Google Mobile Services. Luckily, Android is an open-source system, so Huawei can still use it on their phones, although with some limits.

The Huawei Pura 80 Pro uses the EMUI interface for its global version. Meanwhile, the Chinese version uses HarmonyOS. Even though Google services are not available, Huawei continues to improve its system by offering useful features like Celia Assistant, stronger security, the Health app, and support for Ark Engine.

As of the phone’s release, EMUI 15 is the latest version. It is still based on Android 12. While it does not have Google Play Store, you can still install apps using Huawei’s AppGallery, APKPure, or other sources.

Another way to access Google apps is through GBox. This is a third-party app that lets you run Google apps on devices without official Google support. GBox already includes Google Mobile Services inside it.

However, using GBox comes with some downsides. One of the biggest problems is the amount of ads that often appear. This can be annoying and may affect your daily experience with the phone.

2. Fingerprint Sensor Moved to the Side

One thing to pay attention to on the Huawei Pura 80 Pro is the location of its fingerprint sensor. Instead of placing it under the screen, the sensor is located on the side of the phone, combined with the power button. This feels like a step back, especially since the phone already uses an OLED panel, not IPS.

The previous model, Huawei Pura 70 Pro, placed the fingerprint sensor under the display. This made it easier to reach with your thumb while holding the phone. It also felt more modern and advanced compared to having it on the side.

Conclusion

The Huawei Pura 80 Pro is a good choice for people who want a flagship experience from the Pura series. Huawei’s phones are often ranked among the best in the world for camera quality. Even though the Pura 80 Pro doesn’t have all the same features as the Ultra version, especially the periscope telephoto camera, its photo quality is still very reliable in many situations.

The performance is also strong, powered by the Kirin 9020 chipset. Other features like the screen, speakers, connectivity, and sensors are quite close to what the Ultra model offers. The battery life and charging speed are the same as well.

There is a big price gap between the Pura 80 Pro and the Ultra model. Some of the differences are easy to accept. However, it’s important to remember that it does not fully support Google services.

So, could the Huawei Pura 80 Pro be a good alternative to the Ultra? That depends on what you need. But for many users, it offers a great balance between price and performance.