We knew that Huawei’s Pura 90s would turn up some time today. We didn’t realise it would be quite this early, probably because we forgot how far away Malaysia actually is. At its launch even in Kuala Lumpur, the Chinese company revealed its latest smartphone. Or smartphones, rather, since there are two versions.
The focus, as expected, is on the 90s’ camera. The main sensor, at least in the Pro Max version of the phone, is something Huawei reckons is its “industry-leading 200MP Ultra Large Sensor Telephoto Camera 2.” It doesn’t feature that rumoured 20x zoom, but a lot is going on in general.
Pura 90s caught on camera
The Pura 90s Pro Max uses a 6.9in 2,880 × 1,308 OLED display, one of Huawei’s Kirin 9030S processors, and 12GB of RAM. Two storage versions are due: 256GB and 512GB. A 6,000mAh battery is standard across the range, unless you live in the European Union. For some reason, the EU regulators insist that Huawei only supplies a 5,270mAh battery with this one. Sucks to be them (for multiple reasons), we suppose?
But it’s the camera setup Huawei is most impressed with. The main sensor is a 50MP variable aperture unit, covering an f/1.4 to f/4.0 range. The 200MP telephoto is impressive in itself, with an f/2.4 lens and 4x optical and 100x digital zoom. Both feature PDAF and optical image stabilisation. A 40MP ultrawide acts as the ‘backup lens’.
Just listing what Huawei is using doesn’t really explain what it does. Nor does explaining what it does, which is why we’re keen to lay hands on the range as soon as possible. The Pura 90s Pro Max is supposed to include “chip-level 200MP RAW real-time processing technology,” an “industry-leading CIPA 7.0 image stabilization level,” and an “an Ultra Lighting HDR Camera utilizing a large 1/1.28-inch RYYB sensor.” The Pura 90s Pro (there doesn’t seem to be a stock version) includes impressive macro shooting capability — a minimum focus distance of 5cm should be useful for some interesting shots.
GSMArena points out that Huawei’s newly listed specs are the same as the Huawei Pura 90 Pro Max, a phone that has yet to leave that country. It looks like it probably won’t, following this launch.
African pricing and availability details, including those for South Africa, are expected a little later this week. Keep an eye open. We’ll have that update as soon as possible.
