Huawei Pura 80 Ultra Launches with Industry-First Switchable Telephoto Zoom Camera

Huawei has officially introduced its new Pura 80 series flagship smartphones, following a period of teasers and speculation. The highlight of the lineup is the Pura 80 Ultra, which distinguishes itself with a groundbreaking zoom camera setup.

The Pura 80 Ultra features a single zoom camera sensor paired with two periscope lenses, offering 3.7x and 9.4x optical zoom options. The phone’s back is labeled “switchable tele lens,” indicating a prism that shifts between the two lenses to achieve the desired zoom. This approach is different from Sony’s variable telephoto camera, where the lens itself moves to change focal lengths.

Unlike Sony’s compact 12MP solution, Huawei’s Pura 80 Ultra uses a larger 1/1.28-inch zoom camera sensor. While the company did not specify the resolution, Huawei claims this is the largest telephoto camera sensor in the smartphone industry.

The main camera on the Pura 80 Ultra is a 50MP RYYB sensor with a one-inch size and a variable aperture system, which Huawei says delivers the highest dynamic range available on any smartphone today.

In addition to its camera innovations, the Pura 80 Ultra comes with a 5,700mAh battery, supports 100W wired charging, and offers 80W wireless charging. The device runs on Harmony OS 5.1, Huawei’s own operating system, which does not support Android apps. Further details on other hardware specifications have not been disclosed yet.

The Pura 80 Ultra is priced at 9,999 yuan (around $1,391) in China for the 16GB/512GB version, while the 16GB/1TB variant costs 10,999 yuan (approximately $1,530). Traditionally, Huawei launches its Pura series globally soon after its release in China, so there is hope that the Pura 80 Ultra will be available in international markets as well.