The lack of Google Play Services remains a concern for some, but the poll from last week shows that Huawei is still on top form – and in particular, the new Pura 80 Ultra is a highly desired phone. It may still be out of reach, either literally or figuratively, for many.
Huawei Pura 80 Ultra was welcomed with open arms. If Huawei had still used Google-connected Android this could have been the best-selling premium phone of the year. But it’s not only Google Play. Huawei’s global distribution network was reduced when it was embargoed in the US. It has not recovered.
There has been a debate about the overly complicated telephoto lens. Many felt that Huawei should have been more clear in its marketing. The camera has a choice between 3.7x and a 9.4x zoom. However, it cannot take full resolution photos at the longer focal distance. The large 50MP 1/1.28″ sensor can be used in full when zoomed in at 3.7x. However, the cropping is 2x in 9.4x mode which reduces the resolution to 12.5.
The Huawei Pura 80 Pro & Pro+ differ in that the Pro+ has a more advanced support for satellite messaging. Pura 80 Pro+ won out over the other two models, proving that satellite messaging is going to be a more important feature in the future. Neither Pro model was as popular, but they still did well.
Some people mentioned that apps such as GBox could replace Google Play Services, allowing you to run Google Apps (and other apps which rely on Google’s APIs).
If any issues arise, you would be on your own. This is also true for warranty – if your Pura 80 was imported, it will be difficult to service and repair. Last but not least, in some regions 5G band support can be a problem.
Despite all of this, there’s a reason why Huawei used to be the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world. Pura 80 phones are a great reminder of this.
Mark July 10 in your calendar, if you’re not put off by the lack of Google Services. That is the date for the global launch of Huawei Mate 80 Series. We don’t know if all four models (the Pro+ seems unlikely) will be available. We haven’t seen ads in the EU, but fans in South America Africa and Asia will be able to enjoy the new flagship cameras.
