Huawei Pura 80 Ultra goes global with world-first dual-lens zoom camera

Huawei has officially unveiled its latest photography-focused flagship, the Pura 80 Ultra, for the global market. Continuing the company’s tradition of innovation in camera technology, the Pura 80 Ultra debuts with a groundbreaking mechanical dual-lens telephoto system.

The Pura 80 Ultra builds on the design language of last year’s Pura 70 series, featuring a sleek aluminum frame sandwiched between second-generation Kunlun Glass on both the front and back. The device is available in black and gold finishes and weighs 234 grams — a nod to its sophisticated camera hardware. It is also IP68/IP69 rated for dust and water resistance, and Huawei claims it offers enhanced drop protection.

The Pura 80 Ultra features a 6.8-inch LTPO OLED display with curved edges and a resolution of 2848 × 1276 pixels. The panel supports a dynamic refresh rate ranging from 1 to 120 Hz, delivers peak brightness of up to 3000 nits, and offers support for 1.07 billion colors and HDR playback. A centrally aligned 13 MP front-facing camera with autofocus is housed in a punch-hole cutout.

Huawei traditionally keeps details of its flagship chipsets under wraps, but unofficial sources indicate that the Pura 80 Ultra is powered by the octa-core Kirin 9020 processor. It comes equipped with 16 GB of RAM and offers 512 GB and 1 TB storage options. The device runs EMUI 15, based on an undisclosed version of Android. Huawei’s HarmonyOS Next, which is Android-free, remains exclusive to the Chinese market for now.

The real headline feature, however, is the camera system. The main camera uses a large 1-inch, 50 MP RYYB sensor with a variable aperture (f/1.6–f/4.0), hybrid autofocus, and optical image stabilization. The ultra-wide camera features a 40 MP sensor with autofocus and an f/2.2 aperture, while a dedicated spectral sensor ensures accurate color reproduction across scenes.

The most striking feature is the world’s first dual-lens telephoto module. Both lenses are mounted over a single 50 MP 1/1.28-inch sensor. The first lens offers a 3.7x optical zoom (83mm equivalent, f/2.4), while the second achieves a 9.4x optical zoom (212mm equivalent, f/3.6). Switching between lenses is done physically via a unique internal mechanism involving moving prisms and mirrors — a process users can both hear and feel as the device makes a distinct buzzing sound during zoom transitions. This system enables one of the longest true optical zooms ever seen on a smartphone. For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra achieved a slightly longer 10x optical zoom, but did so using a separate periscope telephoto camera.

The Pura 80 Ultra is equipped with a 5,170 mAh battery in the global version (the Chinese version features a larger 5,700 mAh cell) that supports ultra-fast 100 W wired charging, enabling a full charge in just 30 minutes, as well as 80 W wireless charging. Additional features include dual stereo speakers for immersive audio, an in-display fingerprint sensor for security, and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. However, unlike its Chinese counterpart, the global version lacks 5G and satellite communication capabilities and offers only 4G LTE.

Huawei has announced that the Pura 80 Ultra will be available in the UAE at a price of AED 5,100, which is equivalent to approximately $1,400. This is comparable to the price in China, where the smartphone is already on sale. Details on the exact release date and pricing for other international markets remain unconfirmed.