By Inez Lim
On July 22, Director of Flagship Handsets GTM at Huawei, Peter Liu, introduced the latest Pura 80 series at the APAC launch event in Bangkok, showcasing their new cutting-edge technologies – some of which set the bar for new photography experiences.
At a glance, the Pura 80 series represents a breakthrough in smartphone camera technology, offering professional-level image quality in a single device and running on EMUI 15.0. These nifty smartphones, the Pura 80 Pro and Pura 80 Ultra, weigh just 219g and 233.5g respectively.
Main camera system
The Pura 80 Pro features a 50MP 1-inch Ultra Lighting Camera with a variable aperture (f/1.6–4.0) and Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), a 40MP Ultra-Wide Camera (f/2.2, 13mm equivalent, autofocus), a 48MP Ultra Lighting Macro Telephoto Camera (f/2.1, OIS, 4x optical zoom) with a minimum focus distance of 5cm for true macro shots, and a 1.5MP multispectral sensor. What this multispectral sensor does is that it supports enhanced colour accuracy for consistency across the camera system.
Notably, the 50MP Ultra Lighting Camera utilises an one-inch sensor with a variable aperture that significantly enhances light-gathering ability, improving low-light photography and extending dynamic range. Unlike most smartphones on the market with smaller sensors, this sensor boosts light intake, allowing more details to be captured especially for night-time shots (think less noisy grain photos).
The variable aperture mechanism provides even non-professional photographers (like me) with control over depth of field – from wide bokeh shots (strong focus on the subject with a defocused background) to detailed landscape photography.
A notable addition to the imaging system in the Pura 80 Pro is the 1.5-megapixel multispectral sensor, which enhances colour accuracy by analysing multiple light spectra. This spectral analysis technology supports the entire camera system by optimising colour reproduction in real time.
The result is images with exceptional colour fidelity, making reds more vivid, blues truer, and skin tones appear natural in various lighting conditions.
The 48MP Ultra Lighting Macro Telephoto Camera (f/2.1) offers 4x optical zoom with OIS stabilisation. The combination enables clear telephoto shooting while also acting as a macro lens for ultra close-ups with a minimum focus distance of just 5cm.
According to Huawei, the broad f/2.1 aperture captures 40 percent more light than older telephoto configurations, ensuring excellent image quality even when zooming in on distant objects.
The OIS works alongside the large aperture to deliver blur-free performance even at maximum zoom ranges. One can capture sharp images of distant subjects handheld without the support of a tripod, though I personally would still opt to use a tripod in low-light settings.
The 40MP Ultra-Wide Camera (f/2.2, 13mm equivalent) captures expansive views with the support of autofocus. Unlike other ultra-wide cameras that sacrifice focusing capability for field of view, the autofocus system makes it well-suited for architectural photography and expansive landscape shots.
Intelligent scene recognition and AI-driven image processing
Introduced by Huawei in its Mate 10 series (2017), Huawei’s intelligent scene recognition continues to impress in the Pura 80 series, with advanced AI algorithms that automatically detect the type of subject being photographed. The AI technology identifies various subjects such as landmarks, objects and plants in real time through the camera viewfinder. This enables the camera to preset the optimal exposure, colour balance and focus settings automatically without requiring manual adjustments.
Besides scene detection, the AI-driven image processing provides advanced post-processing capabilities. The camera can automatically remove glare from photos without losing important highlights, correct difficult lighting problems, and offer various colour grading effects through the upgraded XMAGE imaging system.
Users can select presets such as natural, film, movie, and cartoon styles, or create their own custom looks to share with others.
According to Huawei, noise reduction AI technology sees up to 200 percent more real-time image data processing compared with previous generations. This delivers cleaner images with less noise, which is particularly helpful for night shots and high-ISO scenarios.
Key differences in the Pura 80 Pro and Pura 80 Ultra
The Pura 80 Ultra impresses with an innovative switchable dual-lens telephoto system that the Pura 80 Pro lacks.
Camera system differences
The Pura 80 Ultra features a novel dual-lens telephoto system that offers both 3.7x (83mm) and 9.4x (212mm) optical zoom ranges. Unlike the usual single-lens telephoto, this phone physically switches between two lenses via a motorised prism mechanism — a first in the industry — providing greater zoom versatility and clarity for long-distance shots. At 3.7x, the full 50MP resolution is retained, while at 9.4x, sensor cropping results in a 12.5MP image.
The Pura 80 Pro’s single telephoto lens, though offering less zoom, excels at macro capability with its 5cm minimum focus distance, making it better suited to close-up photography.
Design and build
The Ultra is distinctive with a gold ring accent surrounding its lens system, forming the signature forward symbol that boldly emphasises the camera module. Both the Prestige Gold and Golden Black colours exudes elegance.
The Pro model maintains a more understated but still premium glazed finish available in several colour options, including a glazed red model that is pretty neat.
Availability
Customers can pre-book the Huawei Pura 80 Series now at Huawei Official Stores on Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok Shop, while early bird vouchers of up to $50 OFF* can be redeemed from now to August 2. Both models offer FREE* Premium Service valued up to S$495, offering and will proceed on general sale from August 2 at Huawei Experience Stores and major retailers. *T&Cs apply, while stocks last.
Final thoughts
The specs of the Pura 80 Pro translate to real-life advantages that make this gadget exceptional for everyday photography. Having gotten my hands on a Pura 80 Pro unit, I am impressed by its performance. It naturally does great in every kind of shooting scenario, from getting scenic city shots (such as Bangkok), to close-up dinner shots and flowers.
For professional users, the manual controls and the variable aperture system give them the autonomy to experiment and simply be creative. The macro telephoto lens creates new possibilities for close-ups not available with regular smartphone cameras.
The Pura 80 Pro doesn’t simply take pictures — it creates memories with a clarity, awesome colours and attention to detail that was previously available only in professional camera systems – all without the compromise of losing the convenience and mobility of a smartphone.
All images featured in this post were taken with the Huawei Pura 80 Pro.
Entelechy Asia 