After weeks of keeping a tight lid on the details, we can finally share what we saw at the Huawei campus in Dongguan, China. The ‘bold and fashion-forward’ Huawei Pura 80 series, made up of the Pura 80, Pura 80 Pro, Pura 80 Pro+, and Pura 80 Ultra, has officially been unveiled, and it’s aiming to make waves.

Stuff attended the Pura 80 global briefing in the heart of Huawei’s innovation campus, surrounded by its cutting-edge R&D empire. With over $1.2 billion spent on research and a whopping 150,000 global patents under its belt, this isn’t just another smartphone launch for Huawei; it’s calling it a design and imaging revolution.

Serious about imaging

With the Pura Series and P Series before it, Huawei continues to push boundaries in mobile photography, investing in its proprietary XMAGE imaging technology. The Pura 70 Ultra impressed us last year, and the Pura 80 Ultra is set to do the same with an industry-first 50MP switchable dual-lens periscope telephoto camera, providing 3.7x and 9.4x optical zoom with sensor-shift OIS (optical image stabilisation).

The periscope telephoto camera is joined by a 50MP main camera with a 1in type RYYB sensor and a variable f/1.6 – f/4.0 aperture, along with the customary OIS. There is also a 40MP ultrawide camera rounding out the rear array. Upfront, you’ll find a 13MP front-facing selfie cam.

While the dual-lens periscope telephoto is exclusive to the Pura 80 Ultra, the other members of the family still boast impressive specs. The Pura 80 Pro and Pro+ both come with the same 50MP 1in sensor as in the Ultra, with 48MP telephoto and 40MP ultrawide sensors to boot.

The runt of this litter, the Pura 80, also features the same 50MP main shooter, with 12MP and 13MP periscope telephoto and ultrawide cameras, respectively. A familiar 13MP selfie cam will make sure you look your best for the ‘gram.

Tough on the outside

Outside of the camera specs, all Pura 80 series devices feature displays protected by Huawei’s second-gen Kunlun Glass, which is now “20x more scratch-resistant,” and all devices boast dual IP68/IP69 dust and water protection ratings.

The Pura 80 Ultra, Pro+, and Pro all sport 5,700mAh Li-Po batteries with 100W wired and 80W wireless charging. It is reduced in the Pura 80 base model (but not by much) to a 5,600mAh battery and 66W/50W wired and wireless charging speeds.

The side-mounted fingerprint reader is an interesting departure from the usual under-display format used by nearly every other company, while enhancements like AI-powered messaging, smart privacy controls, and advanced noise cancellation make the Pura 80 Ultra a worthy flagship.

New style symbol

The Pura series, which evolved from the P series, is now in its 12th iteration in as many years. The Huawei Pura 80 leans hard into fashion with high design and a sleek silk-textured frame.

All Pura 80 models run Harmony OS 5.1 and include Huawei’s AI assistant and extended AI features. These include noise reduction on calls and a nifty AI file transfer feature.

The Huawei Pura 80 series launches globally on 25 June 2025, and the MEA regional launch has been confirmed for 10 July 2025.

Watch this space for details about the SA launch and for our full hands-on review.