This new flagship puts even Ultra phones to shame with bleeding-edge camera hardware

The US has been trying to effectively kill HUAWEI since 2019, but the company still manages to launch some cutting-edge Android phones every year. It launched the HUAWEI Pura 90 series in China earlier this year, and it’s now launched the slightly rebranded Pura 90s Pro and Pura 90s Pro Max in global markets. Interestingly, the latter device in particular stands out among camera phones.

The Pura 90s Pro and Pro Max share several features. This includes a Kirin 9030s chipset, 12GB of RAM, 256GB or 512GB of storage, a flat LTPO OLED screen, IP68 and IP69 ratings, wireless charging, and a 6,000mAh battery. Unfortunately, European models only offer a 5,270mAh battery, ostensibly due to EU regulations.

HUAWEI’s Pro Max device has several upgrades over the Pro model. One notable improvement is the use of Kunlun Glass with anti-glare properties compared to the Pro’s “second-generation” Kunlun Glass. HUAWEI says you should expect reflections to be reduced by up to 70% compared to conventional glass. Either way, that’s great news if you like the Gorilla Armor protection on Samsung’s Ultra phones. Other notable differences include a 6.9-inch OLED panel versus a 6.6-inch display, and 100W wired charging versus the Pro’s 66W charging.

A cutting-edge camera setup

HUAWEI’s Pura 90s Pro Max brings a truly advanced camera system. For one, there’s a 50MP 1/1.28-inch main camera with an RYYB sensor and a variable aperture (f/1.4 to f/4.0). This sensor also offers LOFIC technology, enabling wider dynamic range (and therefore better sunset photos and backlit snaps) compared to conventional cameras. Motorola and Xiaomi have also debuted this tech in 2026, and we’re expecting to see it on plenty more phones in the future.

The Pura 90s Pro Max offers a pretty crazy telephoto camera setup as well. Expect a 200MP 4x periscope camera, complete with a large, 1/1.28-inch sensor size. Furthermore, HUAWEI says this is the first 200MP camera with an RYYB color filter. All conventional cameras use an RGB (red, blue, green) color filter, but HUAWEI has long swapped out the green elements for yellow ones. This change is meant to boost light intake, therefore delivering better low-light snaps. So we’re expecting the periscope camera to perform well when the sun goes down.

HUAWEI says the 200MP periscope camera also has CIPA 7.0 stabilization, matching the vivo X300 Ultra. The firm adds that its 200MP real-time RAW processing enables high-quality 20x shots. In fact, the manufacturer showed off a 20x video during a media briefing, revealing sharper, less washed-out video than the X300 Ultra’s output. But we’ll need to actually use the phone to see whether this bears out in real-world conditions.

Other notable Pro Max camera details include a 40MP ultrawide camera (f/2.2, RYYB) and a True-to-Color 2.0 sensor. Early RYYB cameras were susceptible to a yellow tint, so a dedicated sensor for color reproduction should be a big help if this is still a problem.

Meanwhile, the Pura 90s Pro retains the same 50MP LOFIC main camera with a variable aperture. However, it packs a 50MP 4x periscope camera (f/2.1, RYYB, 5cm macro focusing) and a 12.5MP ultrawide camera (f/2.2, RYYB). In other words, it’s a clear step down from the Pro Max, but still a very capable camera platform.

HUAWEI Pura 90s Pro series availability

HUAWEI’s phones haven’t offered official Google Play Services integration since 2019, and it’s no different on the Pura 90s range. That’s a shame in light of the impressive camera hardware on offer here, especially on the Pro Max. Otherwise, you can expect EMUI 16 and no discernible update policy.

Fancy the HUAWEI Pura 90s Pro Max? Then it’s available in Orange Ocean, Blush Gold, Blaze Purple, and Graphite Black colors. The former colorway in particular is a standout option, featuring an orange-and-blue gradient that includes the phone’s frame. Prefer the Pura 90s Pro instead? It’s available in Coconut White, Guava Soda, Orange Soda, and Mulberry Black colors.

The HUAWEI Pura 90s Pro Max costs 4,899 Malaysian Ringgits (~$1,201) for the sole 512GB model in Malaysia. Meanwhile, the Pro model starts at 3,699 Malaysian Ringgits (~$907) for the 256GB variant. There’s no word on wider availability just yet.