So, you’re probably thinking, “How can a phone “without Google” still be this good?” That’s exactly what I thought too, until I used the HUAWEI Pura 80 Ultra daily for three weeks.
And while you can now have Google apps and it nails a lot of great things that make it feel like the best phone to buy, there are a few things that I found that might just make you want to walk away.
Build Quality
The first thing you’ll notice is, yes, this huge camera bump. You’re either going to hate it, maybe be okay with it, or might just like it. For me, I liked it because not only does it look different compared to any other phone out there, but that is also because I don’t stare at the back of the phone a lot. I mean, who looks at the back of their phone more than the front, right?
And besides that, because the camera bump almost covers the top area at the back, if you love to type on the phone on a surface, you’ll get only a slight wobble. So, if it’s only for typing, you’ll be totally fine.
Then, the second thing to point out is the weight of the phone because of the hardware inside of this phone, especially with the camera modules and the durable glass and all. So, yes, this phone could be one of the heaviest phones since it is one of the heaviest phones at 233.5 grams. So, basically, if you skip arm day at the gym and you just use your phone to scroll Tik Tok, then this is it.
And the curvature of the phone is something that HUAWEI has always stuck to, especially for their Ultra or their Pro phones. So, if you’re a previous HUAWEI phone user, then this will be fine. But if you’re used to a flat and a boxy shape, something like the iPhones or even the S25 series, then this will take a while for you to get used to, especially when you use it daily in your hands.
What’s interesting is that the power button is a fingerprint sensor as well, which means there’s no in-display fingerprint sensor. A very interesting decision.
Display
And speaking of the display, let’s go into that next. This 6.8” is a very high-quality LTPO OLED screen.
It is nice and bright with a very high peak brightness (3000 nits) as well. So, rest assured that you won’t have any issues when it comes to watching videos on this even in very bright daylight. But you might experience some heat on the phone if you constantly use this under a very hot sun. More on the thermal performance later.
Besides it being nice to use daily, the screen is also very durable too, because it has HUAWEI’s own 2nd-generation Crystal Armor Kunlun Glass. So, from the previous generation themselves, it has been a very hardy and durable glass. Something that even fellow annoying dude Mustadam has been doing some drop tests on the previous HUAWEI P60 Pro, and let’s just say that the floor was more injured than the phone.
Watching videos was nice, not only because of the video quality but the stereo speakers on this are quite high in quality too, and pretty loud as well. But when it comes to watching videos on YouTube, you can only stream up to 1080p maximum, and the Netflix feedback is also lower at Widevine L3, and you can only stream up to SD. So, keep that in mind.
This is probably because of the whole restriction of downloading apps which is not directly from Google Play, where you’ll need to use the GBox as an alternate store, but more on this and other software quirks later.
Cameras
Then as for these cameras, the first video that I did when this device was released was how amazing the cameras were. So, do check out that video if you guys haven’t done so.
And the rear camera, specifically as seen over here, is one of the best, if not the best, out there, even compared to the Xiaomi 15 Ultra.
But while everything on the rear cameras was the best, the front cameras were a little weaker.
And this is not so much on the pictures but for video, as the dynamic range was not the best in the brighter areas. (Check out my YouTube video for all the sample video footage)
But do expect that infamous lens flare at night that you would get usually on an iPhone as it is also visible here. Not all the time, but quite sometimes.
Stabilization-wise for the front video and the overall video quality was really good even at night. So, that was really great to know.
So, if you love the best of the best photo cameras on your smartphone, especially during the day, especially with the unique dual telephoto lens capabilities, then yes, this is definitely it.
Do check out my YouTube video for a vlogging test!
Software
Obviously, the biggest question in your mind is how good is the software without Google? While it had some great gestures and all to use, that is something that I didn’t really use when I was using the phone daily. But to answer if the software is really good to use without Google – YES, it is very good even without Google.
A lot of people are used to Google services and their software these days. And there are also a lot of people who just don’t like or even trust Google with their data and the privacy issues that have been floating around the internet these days.
But the good news is that if you really need Google apps, like my previous video, you can use apps like YouTube, Gmail, Google Drive, and all where you can have them through the GBox app. It is not currently region-locked, but apparently, some countries do not have it.
Then as for non-native Google apps, HUAWEI’s own AppGallery is also very good too. But if you’re afraid of HUAWEI being not safe, well, they do have some security tests for all of the apps being downloaded.
And also having reviewed HUAWEI devices not only for their handhelds like this, but also their data switches and also in their data centers. Well, I’ve done tons of videos talking about how a lot of people do not know that all of your social media data from all your social media apps are kept private and securely using HUAWEI’s hardware and AI capabilities. So, do check out those videos if you guys haven’t done so.
Based on my daily usage, I had zero issues with any of my frequently used apps. Previously on the Pura 70, I had issues with apps like Todoist and Notion. I don’t have those issues. I also had some syncing issues with calendar entry syncing with Google Calendar on other devices as well, and that is not also an issue anymore.
So yes, as mentioned, every Google app works flawlessly, and yes, you can update them via the GBox without any issues at all.
But there are some apps that do not work. Firstly, is Android Auto. I tried getting it to work and had no luck at all. This may be a deal breaker for some because Celia, you know, HUAWEI’s assistant, well, let’s just say that she’s still trying to find herself.
And then finally, if you really hate bloatware, well, prepare to uninstall a bunch of apps when you get this phone because there are a lot.
Performance
Then, as for performance, from day-to-day use, it was totally fine. But if you’re constantly using this phone outdoors, especially taking lots of photos or videos, like how I was during my trip to Dubai, where it was extremely hot at 41°C, you might get the overheating warning on the phone.
This might sound like a hardware issue, but I personally think it’s not because keep in mind that a software update can fix this as this kind of overheating software updates have been done on Pixel or even Samsung phones. So besides that, it was all good.
Then from a gamer’s perspective or a gaming perspective, I tested Genshin Impact on the phone consistently, and there is a good and a not-so-good. The good is the fact that the gameplay ran very well at the highest settings. No hiccups, no freezes.
But on the other hand, the characters don’t run as smoothly in the game compared to any other phones. Probably this is an optimization issue with the Kirin chipset. So, let’s hope this will also be fixed with a software update.
And also worth mentioning is the fact that, yes, this does not support 5G, only 4G, due to US restrictions, of course. But if you absolutely need 5G, then this is a no-go for you. But for me, 4G is totally fine because I’d rather get a consistent, great connection than a jumpy 5G connection. And usually, 4G signals tend to save on battery.
But did it give the best battery on this phone? Well, let’s talk about that next.
Battery
On average, I got 5 and a half hours, sometimes 6 hours, of battery life at about 9% left, where the phone is about a 2-day battery life.
I would say this international variant has 5,170mAh compared to the China variant, which is 5,700mAh. And that was the case for the Nothing Phone (3) having a bigger battery in India. And this is purely because of the EU’s restriction on the battery sizes. So, that was the case over here.
But depending on how you look at it, screen-on time of 6 hours is not mind-blowingly huge, but it was fine for me. And this is also because of the fact that it comes with 100W of wire charging, where the charger does come inside of the box.
On top of that is also 80W of wireless charging, 20W of reverse wireless charging, and 18W of reverse wired charging. So, basically, this phone can charge your earbuds, your friend’s phone, and maybe even your relationship.
Conclusion: Pura 80 Ultra
So, when it comes to the phone’s battery capabilities, you would love it too. So, I’ve shared my take, but do let me know what you guys think. Is this finally the HUAWEI comeback that you have been waiting for?
Related:
– HUAWEI Pura 80 Ultra: How? This Is Literally Impossible!
– HUAWEI AppGallery: Still Think HUAWEI Can’t Run Google Apps? Here’s What You’re Missing!
– HUAWEI Pura 80 Series Lands in Malaysia with Exclusive Pre-Order Offers
