Huawei Pura 90 vs Pura 80: Why the Base Model Feels Like a Downgrade

Huawei has unveiled its flagship camera-phone lineup, the Pura 90 series, in China. Sales in China start in May, with a broader rollout to other markets expected later. In this article, we explain why the base model in the series is, in our view, a questionable pick—and in some ways loses badly even to last year’s Pura 80.

Comparison table: Pura 80 vs Pura 90

Before we begin, here’s a quick look at the specs compared to its predecessor:

Next, we’ll explain many of these points in more detail.

Standard models: Pura 90 (left) and Pura 80

Main camera and the lost variable aperture

The first thing you should notice is that the Pura 90 no longer has the variable aperture used in the Pura 80 and Pura 70. Instead of f/1.4–4.0, users now get only a fixed f/1.8. For some reason, the variable-aperture lens skipped the base model this generation and went only to the Pro versions.

In our view, this is a major step back. The camera will shoot worse and adapt less effectively to different scenarios—especially for video, and especially in low light. Is the difference big? Yes:

• At f/1.4, the lens could capture up to 65% more light.
• f/4.0 and similar values are useful in very bright conditions (for example, on a sunny day). Video can look more cinematic and show less unpleasant flicker/judder (the strobe effect).

So, dropping the variable aperture is a double hit to the main camera.

Frame from the official presentation with Pura 90 camera specs

By the way, outside of Huawei, almost nobody uses variable apertures these days. According to rumors, the company has filed patents in this area and uses them to pressure other Chinese smartphone makers. As a result, for example, Xiaomi, Honor, and ZTE Nubia—who initially tried something similar—quickly stopped releasing phones with such lenses.

Main camera and a much smaller sensor

Another key technical detail of the main camera is the significantly smaller sensor. Instead of the ~1/1.3″ sensor in the Pura 80 and 70, the Pura 90 uses the SmartSens SC555XS, sized at 1/1.56″.

For most users, these numbers aren’t intuitive, and Huawei itself often doesn’t list sensor sizes. Still, the previous sensor’s area was about 44% larger—a very noticeable downside for the new model.

A smaller sensor generally means less light capture, lower dynamic range, more noise and less detail in low light, plus a range of other related drawbacks.

Approximate main-camera sensor size of the Pura 90 versus other Pura models

To be clear, 1/1.56″ is still a good value and remains within “flagship” territory. But the Pura 80 sensor was simply better.

Chipset — Kirin 9010s again!?

The third unpleasant surprise in the Pura 90 is the repeated use of the Kirin 9010s. It was already used in the Pura 80 a year ago, and even then it looked dated and not quite flagship-class.

Huawei’s new chips are problematic on their own, because export restrictions have effectively kept them at a 7 nm (or at best an “effective” ~5.5 nm) process node at China’s SMIC. Meanwhile, competitors’ flagships use TSMC’s 3 nm node and are moving toward 2 nm.

This is another case where the gap is bigger than it might sound. Just compare transistor density for 7 nm vs 3 nm:

• SMIC 7 nm (N+2) — ~100 MTr/mm²
• TSMC 3 nm (N3P, N3X) — ~220 MTr/mm²

In other words, Huawei’s gap versus the top competitors is quite significant. As a result, its chips aren’t among the fastest and can also draw a fair amount of battery power.

Kirin 9010 and 9020 falling far behind competitors in 3DMark Wild Life Extreme

For the Pura 90 Pro and Pro Max, Huawei at least uses its newest Kirin 9030S. With various optimizations, the company tried to boost performance and reduce power consumption. On top of that, specialized blocks important for cameras and AI features have been noticeably strengthened.

But the base Pura 90 gets the Kirin 9010s—a chip that’s effectively two generations behind and was already used last spring. Why the base Pura was held back like this is unclear. Many expected at least a Kirin 9020.

For context (using AnTuTu 11 as an example):

• Kirin 9010s — 1.2M points
• Kirin 9020 — 1.4M points, +16.7%
• Kirin 9030s — 1.6M points, +33.3%
• Kirin 9030 Pro — 2.1M points, +75%
• Top Qualcomm and MediaTek chips — 3.5M to 4.0M points, +192–233%

So Huawei went with the weakest option.

A major upgrade in select metrics for the Kirin 9030S

And an important nuance: a new chipset isn’t only about raw speed. Mobile SoCs include an ISP block and other specialized hardware directly related to camera processing. Sometimes these matter no less than the sensor and optics. So keeping a new model on an old chip is a bad idea for image quality as well.

New and old downsides of the Pura 90

The rest of the Pura 90’s specs aren’t as controversial, but there are still nuances. First, Huawei once again uses a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and that approach isn’t always convenient. In the future, the company wants to move to under-display sensors—ultrasonic ones, and supposedly in-house—but they aren’t here yet.

The device now has a larger 6.8″ display instead of 6.6″. That may be a plus, but the phone’s width has grown to 78 mm because the bezels aren’t especially thin. Some other brands fit a 6.9″ display into a similar width.

Another debatable point is that the front camera cutout has turned into an iPhone-style “island”. Unlike the iPhone, however, the Pura 90 doesn’t have 3D face recognition. The extra space next to the selfie camera is used for the Red Maple sensor that improves color accuracy. It’s installed on the back as well.

The three available Pura 90 colors in a real-life photo

One more detail: Huawei reportedly uses first-generation Kunlun Glass on the Pura 90, while all Pura 80 models and the new Pura 90 Pro use Kunlun Glass 2. The Pura 90 Pro Max also gets Kunlun Glass plus a new anti-reflective coating.

Finally, according to the official website description, the phone now uses a software-implemented virtual proximity sensor instead of a real one. That’s not catastrophic, but it can be less fast and accurate more often. The Pura 80 used a proper hardware sensor.

Also, based on the official site, another small loss versus the Pura 80 is that the Hall sensor is gone. This mainly affects smart cases and accessories that rely on magnets.

So what is the Pura 90 better at?

It would be unfair to focus only on criticism, because the Pura 90 does have some real advantages over previous models.

The most obvious one is the 6500 mAh battery versus 5170 mAh in the global version of the Pura 80.

The new silicon-carbon battery in the Pura 90 is larger than the 6000 mAh cells in the Pura 90 Pro and Pro Max

It’s also worth noting the telephoto camera for zoom. Its resolution jumps from 12MP to 50MP, while “true” optical zoom drops from 5x to 3.7x.

That sounds contradictory, but the camera is noticeably better. The aperture opens up from f/3.4 to f/2.2—an enormous advantage in light capture, about 139%. The shorter equivalent focal length (88 mm instead of 125 mm) is better for portraits. And the reduced zoom can be partially offset by cropping thanks to the 4× higher resolution.

Other smaller but positive changes in the Pura 90 compared to the Pura 80 include:

• Bigger display: 6.6″ to 6.8″
• Higher PWM dimming frequency: 1440 to 2160 Hz (slightly easier on the eyes)
• Higher peak brightness: 2800 to 4000 nits (not full-screen sustained brightness)
• New 50MP front camera instead of 13MP
• Bluetooth 6.0 instead of 5.2
• 100 W charging instead of 66 W
• Thinner body: 8.2 mm to 7.0 mm

What about the Pura 90 Pro and Pro Max?

The Pura 90 Pro and Pro Max aren’t the focus of this article, but we’ll note that they’re less controversial than the base model. In particular, both keep the variable aperture for the main camera and use the new Kirin 9030S with substantially upgraded blocks for camera processing and neural-network features.

Some downgrades do affect the Pro models, though. Fast USB 3.1 is gone, and instead of a huge 1″ main camera sensor they now offer a more modest 1/1.28″ sensor. Still, that’s far better than the base Pura 90, and in the Pro versions the smaller sensor is partially compensated by a wider lens aperture.

Huawei Pura 90 Pro Max in a gradient finish

The Pro and Pro Max models also stand out for their unusual and very nice gradient colors. In addition, with the Pro Max Huawei has introduced a powerful 200MP telephoto camera with a larger sensor and a set of supporting technologies. Huawei has never used 200MP in any of its smartphone cameras before.

The Pura 90 Pro’s telephoto is more modest (50MP), but it’s still better than the one in the base model—thanks to a slightly brighter lens and hardware macro support at very close distances. Finally, both Pura 90 Pro versions have a real hardware proximity sensor, not a virtual one.

There’s also a rumor that, in our view, sounds quite plausible: the Pura 90 Pro was initially planned as the base model of the Pura 90 series. But closer to launch, Huawei reportedly chose a modified Nova 15 Pro as the “base” instead. That could explain the chaos and spec downgrades in the standard model.

Slide showing three phones in the lineup during the official presentation

Conclusion: pros, cons, and verdict

Base Pura models have been a compromise in past years as well. An OS with potential quirks, strong but not truly flagship-grade chips, side-mounted fingerprint scanners, and other trade-offs were always part of the package.

But previously, the main camera outweighed it all: an extra-large sensor plus a variable aperture was a powerful combo that made Huawei phones stand out.

In the base Pura 90, that combo is gone: the variable aperture has disappeared, and the sensor is significantly smaller.

Yes, the device still keeps some unique camera features—like RYYB color filters on the sensors and Red Maple color-accuracy sensors now on both sides—plus Huawei’s traditionally strong photo and video processing.

Key specs of the standard Pura 90

But the step back in the main camera is substantial. On top of that, reusing the same chipset two years in a row is acceptable for budget and mid-range devices—but not for a flagship. And it’s not just about performance: the camera-relevant ISP block also doesn’t move forward.

Here are the main pros and cons of the Pura 90:

Our verdict: given its predictably high price, the Pura 90 isn’t the most sensible purchase—especially at launch. If you specifically want a Huawei phone, the Pura 90 Pro and Pro Max offer much better hardware. If those are too expensive, consider last year’s Pura 80 phones—they’re still better in many ways (except battery) than the current Pura 90.

Also take a look at Huawei’s numbered Nova Pro and Ultra models, including not-so-new generations that have already dropped noticeably in price. The base versions there are less interesting due to the lack of optical stabilization, but Nova Pro and Ultra do have OIS along with many other advantages for photo and video capture.