The HUAWEI Pura 80 Ultra still exceeds expectations after 100 days

• HUAWEI Pura 80 Ultra. Powered by HUAWEI XMAGE, this camera system delivers stunning detail from ultra-wide to 100× zoom.

By Art Samaniego Jr.

After 100 days of use, the HUAWEI Pura 80 Ultra still surprises me. When I first got it, the camera was the first thing I tested, just like most people would, and even with other phones around, it’s still the one I reach for when I need to take photos, not out of habit, but because I know it can get the shot I want.

HUAWEI has been working on smartphone photography for years, but this one feels more polished. The 1-inch primary sensor is the kind of hardware you’d expect in a compact camera. It pulls in light quickly, adjusts exposure almost effortlessly, and shifts between bright and dark settings without requiring you to stop and think.

That fluidity makes a difference. I’ve moved from midday sun into dark interiors without touching a setting, and the shots work.

Color accuracy is another thing that stood out. Many flagships oversaturate, pushing blues and reds to catch the eye. The Pura 80 Ultra doesn’t fall into that trap. The colors stay close to real life. Greens aren’t neon. Skin tones aren’t smoothed into wax. That’s helpful if you’re taking portraits or shooting food, where tone matters more than drama.

Autofocus is fast. Really fast. Whether it’s kids running around or a pet that won’t sit still, the camera rarely misses a moment. Eye detection quietly locks in, even when the subject isn’t looking straight at you.

And then there’s portrait mode. It doesn’t just blur the background. It simulates depth in a way that looks natural. The transition from sharp to soft has that lens-like quality photographers notice.

The Pura 80 Ultra also pushes zoom capabilities further than most smartphones. Its dual periscope telephoto setup offers up to 9.4x optical zoom, extending to 100× with digital zoom. And when you zoom in, it gets even better.

At moderate zoom levels, the results are sharp and surprisingly clean, ideal for capturing subjects that are far but still worth framing, like signs, architectural details, or candid portraits from a distance. Somewhere between 10x and 30x, this phone finds a sweet spot.

Faces from across the street. Building textures from rooftops. Signs you didn’t plan to capture. The detail holds, and the images stay clean.

Beyond 30×, image quality naturally dips as digital processing takes over, but the fact that it reaches that far, with usable results up to a point, makes it a practical tool. For anyone who wants that kind of reach without carrying a dedicated zoom lens, this system delivers.

Low-light remains a strong suit. I’ve shot in almost pitch-dark corners, narrow alleyways with just a weak lamp overhead. The camera pulls out details without flattening shadows or blowing highlights. It gives you flexibility, whether you want a ready-to-share shot or a RAW file to push further.

And now, macro. In the past few weeks, I’ve been photographing the flowers in my office flower garden, capturing tiny petals, pollen grains, and delicate veins in leaves, and it’s like stepping into a hidden world. The Pura 80 Ultra handles macro photography effectively through both its ultra-wide and tele modules, allowing you to capture extremely close shots with sharp detail and pleasant subject isolation. The depth at such close range feels lifelike, not machine-made.

I can see the texture of petals, the ridges in stems, and subtle color gradients I would never notice with the naked eye. Every time I lift it to a plant, I feel like I’ve unlocked a whole new lens.

After 100+ days of daily use, the Kunlun glass is still intact. I’ve dropped the phone into bags, rested it on rough surfaces, and slid it across café tables.

No scratches, no panic. There’s also something about the screen finish that reduces glare. I’ve used it under direct sunlight and didn’t have to squint to read the content.

Of course, it’s not perfect. The phone itself is large, and your wrist will feel it after an hour or two of use. But for anyone serious about mobile photography, it’s one of the few phones that feels like a real tool.

New phones will always claim their cameras are better, their zoom sharper, or their AI smarter. But if there’s one thing that still holds true, it’s that HUAWEI’s camera technology remains unmatched.

From its large sensor and variable aperture to its consistent color handling and advanced zoom range, the Pura 80 Ultra doesn’t just take good photos; it takes great ones. It makes you rethink what a phone camera should be capable of.

Now here’s my final take. If you take quick snaps for social media, your shots will look better. If you care about framing and light, it will keep up with you. And if you’ve broken a screen before, you’ll appreciate how sturdy it feels.

After 100 days, I’m still learning what the HUAWEI Pural 80 Ultra is capable of. That says a lot, especially in a market where most phones feel familiar after a week.