Huawei launches Pura 80 Series to challenge Apple in China’s premium phone market

Less than a month after unveiling its first HarmonyOS-powered laptops, Huawei is back with a high-profile smartphone launch. On Wednesday, the Chinese tech giant introduced the new Pura 80 lineup, headlined by the Pura 80 Pro+—a feature-packed device aimed squarely at the premium segment Huawei once dominated before U.S. sanctions shook up its business.

This is Huawei’s latest swing at a full comeback. With Apple under pressure in China and local competitors like Xiaomi and Honor closing in, every new phone launch feels like a litmus test for the brand’s staying power.

Unveiled in a livestream, the Pura 80 series includes four models: the base Pura 80, the Pura 80 Pro, the Pura 80 Pro+, and the flagship Ultra model. Prices start at 6,499 yuan (about $905) for the Pro and climb to 9,999 yuan for the Ultra. Most models hit shelves on June 14, with the Ultra landing on June 26 and the base model arriving in July.

But the spotlight was clearly on the Pura 80 Pro+—Huawei’s most ambitious release this year.

Pura 80 Pro+: Bigger Screen, More AI, and Satellite Support

The Pro+ is built for users who want everything maxed out. It comes with a 6.8-inch OLED screen, FHD+ resolution (2848 x 1276), 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 3000 nits. The phone weighs in at 291 grams and is wrapped in a sleek, glassy finish available in four colors: Glaze Red, Green, White, and Black.

Running on HarmonyOS 5.1, the phone leans heavily into AI. It features the new Celia assistant with real-time visual interaction, an AI-powered character theme called “Dancing Master Hanhan,” and AI-driven privacy features like anti-peeping, noise-reduced calls, and continuous app or webpage translation.

It also supports one-tap sharing, live app windows, air gesture file transfers, and—more unusually—satellite communication. Users can send and receive two-way messages and make satellite calls without the need to realign with a satellite. You can even send images via satellite thanks to its smart satellite switching feature.

Cameras With AI—and a Lot of Zoom

The Pura 80 Pro+ boasts a serious camera setup, too. It’s equipped with a 50MP primary sensor with optical image stabilization, a 48MP macro telephoto lens, a 40MP ultrawide lens, and a 1.5MP multi-spectral lens that boosts color accuracy. The rear camera supports 4x optical zoom and up to 100x digital zoom, while the front gets a 13MP ultra-wide selfie shooter.

New AI tools include glare removal, ultra-clear panoramic shots, and one-tap gesture capture, giving users more creative flexibility on the fly.

Battery and Performance

The Pro+ packs 16GB of RAM and comes with either 512GB or 1TB of storage. Under the hood is a 5700mAh battery with support for 100W wired charging, 80W wireless charging, and reverse charging (both wired and wireless). It also carries an IP68 and IP69 rating, offering solid water and dust resistance.

Market Response and Rollout

The buzz was immediate. On Weibo, Huawei dominated trending topics, with three of the top ten related to the Pura 80 series. While many users praised the design and camera capabilities, some pushed back on pricing—7999 yuan (around $1,110) for the 512GB Pro+ model and 8999 yuan ($1,250) for the 1TB version.

“On Chinese microblogging platform Weibo, three of the top ten trending topics on Wednesday were Pura 80-related. User reactions were mixed, with many praising the camera capabilities and sleek design, while others complained the prices were too high and not worth the cost,” Reuters reported.

For Huawei, the Pura 80 isn’t just about selling phones—it’s about signaling that the company is far from finished. And with Apple seeing its grip loosen in China, this launch may give Huawei the momentum it’s been chasing.

The launch is also a sign that Huawei isn’t backing down. Each new product is watched closely for clues about how far the company has come since being cut off from critical U.S. tech. And with Apple under pressure in China, the stakes are higher than ever.