Design and Build Quality
Huawei has always had a knack for making premium-looking phones, and the Pura 90 is no exception. At 7mm thin and 210 grams, it’s remarkably slim for a phone packing a 6,500mAh battery. That’s the first thing that hit me — how did they squeeze this much battery into such a thin frame?
The aluminum frame and glass back give it that familiar flagship feel. Holding it, you’d be hard-pressed to tell this is Huawei’s “base” model and not one of the Pro variants. The IP68/IP69 rating is also worth noting — it’s not every day you see a phone that can survive both prolonged submersion AND high-pressure water jets. That’s a level of durability usually reserved for rugged phones, not slim flagships.
The side-mounted fingerprint reader is fast and positioned naturally where your thumb rests. The button layout is standard — volume rocker and power button on the right. Nothing groundbreaking here, but it works, and it works well.
Available in Black, White, and Dark Purple, the Pura 90 looks understated and elegant. No flashy camera bumps or gimmicky design elements. It’s a phone that knows what it is.
Display
The 6.8-inch LTPO OLED display is a stunner. With a 1320 x 2856 resolution (463 ppi), 1 billion colors, and 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, this is easily one of the best screens in its price range. Colors are vibrant without being oversaturated, and the HDR Vivid support makes streaming content look fantastic.
The adaptive refresh rate drops to 1Hz for static content, which helps with battery life — and with that 6,500mAh cell, this phone is an endurance beast. Peak brightness is adequate for outdoor use under the harsh Philippine sun, though it doesn’t quite hit the 2,000-nit numbers some competitors boast. Still, in real-world use, I never found myself squinting at the screen.
Kunlun Glass protection adds some peace of mind, though I’d still recommend a tempered glass screen protector — Kunlun is tough but not invincible. PWM dimming is also present, which is a nice touch for folks sensitive to screen flickering.
Performance
Under the hood, the Kirin 9010s is an interesting chip. Built on a 7nm process, it’s not competing with the Snapdragon 8 Elite or Dimensity 9400 in raw benchmark numbers — and honestly, it doesn’t try to. Where it shines is efficiency. Day-to-day tasks like scrolling through social media, messaging, browsing, and even moderate multitasking feel smooth and responsive.
The 12GB RAM (or 16GB in the top variant) paired with LPDDR5X memory ensures apps stay in memory longer. I didn’t notice any reloading or stuttering during my usage. AnTuTu scores hover around the 1.2 million mark — solid upper-midrange territory. It’s not a gaming flagship, but it handles casual games and even heavier titles like Genshin Impact at medium settings without major frame drops.
Geekbench 6 scores of 1,399 single-core and 3,987 multi-core put it somewhere between the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Gen 3 in CPU performance. In real terms? The phone feels fast enough for 95% of users. Only hardcore mobile gamers or folks running intensive productivity apps will feel the difference between this and a Snapdragon 8 Elite phone.
Camera
The camera setup on the Pura 90 is serious business:
- Main: 50MP, f/1.8, OIS
- Periscope Telephoto: 50MP, f/2.2, 3.7x optical zoom, OIS
- Ultrawide: 12.5MP, f/2.2
- Front: 50MP, f/2.0, AF
Huawei’s XMAGE imaging continues to impress. The main 50MP sensor captures detailed, well-exposed shots in good lighting. Colors lean slightly toward the warmer, more saturated side — which I actually prefer for social media sharing without needing to edit.
The periscope telephoto is the star here. A dedicated 50MP sensor at 3.7x optical zoom means you can zoom in without losing quality. At 10x hybrid zoom, images are still very usable. Beyond that? It gets soft, but that’s expected. What’s impressive is the optical stabilization — even at full zoom, handheld shots come out sharp most of the time.
Low-light performance is excellent thanks to the Laser AF and color spectrum sensor. Night mode brightens scenes without making them look artificial. The 50MP selfie camera is also surprisingly good — sharp, with natural skin tones and reliable autofocus. Video recording goes up to 4K at 60fps across all cameras, with gyro-EIS keeping things steady.
The biggest camera downside? No Google services means no Google Photos backup. You’re relying on Huawei’s gallery app and Huawei Mobile Services for cloud storage. It works, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re deep in the Google ecosystem.
Battery Life
Let me be direct: the 6,500mAh battery in the Pura 90 is phenomenal. This is the phone’s strongest selling point, and it’s not even close.
In my typical usage — social media, messaging, occasional camera use, Spotify streaming, and some light browsing — the Pura 90 easily lasted two full days. Heavy users who do a lot of gaming, video streaming, or navigation will still get a comfortable day and a half.
The 100W wired charging is ridiculously fast. Huawei claims 0 to 100% in 45 minutes, and in my testing, that’s accurate. A 15-minute top-up gets you about 50%. Wireless charging at 50W is also available, plus reverse wireless charging for your earbuds or smartwatch.
For the Philippine market where power outages are still a thing in some areas, this combination of massive battery and ultra-fast charging is genuinely practical. You can charge your phone for 15 minutes in the morning and have enough juice to get through the entire day.
Software: HarmonyOS 6.1 and the Google Question
Here’s the elephant in the room: HarmonyOS 6.1 does not include Google Mobile Services. No Play Store, no Google Maps, no Gmail app, no Google Photos backup. If you’ve been living in the Google ecosystem, this is a significant adjustment.
That said, Huawei’s AppGallery has come a long way. Most major Philippine apps — GCash, Maya, BDO Mobile, Lazada, Shopee — are available. For apps that aren’t in AppGallery, Huawei’s Petal Search can find and install APKs from third-party sources. Google apps can be installed via workarounds (GBox, GSpace), but it’s not a seamless experience.
HarmonyOS 6.1 itself is fluid and well-optimized. The interface is clean, multitasking is smooth with split-screen and floating windows, and the overall experience feels mature. Huawei’s ecosystem integration — if you own a MateBook, FreeBuds, or Watch — is excellent. The cross-device collaboration features rival Apple’s ecosystem in many ways.
But here’s my honest take: if you’re a heavy Google user — Google Drive for work, Google Photos for backup, Google Maps for navigation, Gmail for everything — HarmonyOS will frustrate you. If you use primarily local apps and can live without Google services, it’s a perfectly capable OS.
Huawei Pura 90 Review: Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Outstanding 6,500mAh battery life | No Google Mobile Services |
| 100W fast charging (0-100% in 45 min) | Kirin 9010s lags behind Snapdragon 8 flagships |
| Excellent 50MP periscope telephoto camera | No microSD expansion |
| IP68/IP69 water and dust resistance | 5G limited to China only |
| Stunning 6.8″ 120Hz LTPO OLED display | AppGallery still has gaps vs Play Store |
| Premium 7mm thin aluminum build | No 3.5mm headphone jack |
| 50W wireless charging | Gaming performance not flagship-tier |
| 50MP autofocus selfie camera | International support ecosystem still growing |
Philippine Market Competition
At around ₱36,000-38,000 (converted from ~€590), the Huawei Pura 90 sits in a competitive segment. Here’s how it stacks up against recently reviewed phones on Bleuken:
- Oppo Reno16 Pro (~₱35K-40K) — Better selfie camera, more balanced software with full Google services, but smaller battery at 5,000mAh vs 6,500mAh. Trade-off: software convenience vs unmatched battery life.
- Samsung Galaxy A27 5G (~₱19K) — Half the price, gets six years of OS updates, and has full Google services. But the Pura 90 destroys it in battery, camera zoom, and build quality. The A27 is the practical choice; the Pura 90 is the aspirational one.
- Honor X80 Pro Max (~₱28K) — Even bigger 11,000mAh battery and also lacks Google services. The Pura 90 is thinner, has a better display, and offers superior camera zoom. The Honor is the battery king; the Pura 90 is the more polished package.
- iQOO Z11i (~₱11K) — Also has a 6,500mAh battery but at one-third the price. The Pura 90 offers a vastly superior display, camera system, and build quality. The Z11i is the budget battery champion; the Pura 90 is the premium all-rounder.
Should You Buy the Huawei Pura 90?
Buy it if:
- You value battery life above everything else. 6,500mAh with 100W charging is a combination that few phones can match. This phone will get you through even the heaviest days.
- You want a premium camera phone without paying Ultra prices. The periscope telephoto at this price point is excellent value.
- You’re already in Huawei’s ecosystem. If you use Huawei wearables, laptops, or tablets, the cross-device experience is genuinely great.
- You don’t depend on Google services. If you’re comfortable with AppGallery and APK sideloading, this is a fantastic device.
- You want IP69-rated durability. High-pressure water jet resistance is rare even among flagships.
Skip it if:
- You live in Google’s ecosystem. No Play Store, no Google Maps, no Google Photos backup — it’s a real compromise.
- You’re a heavy mobile gamer. The Kirin 9010s is adequate but not competitive with Snapdragon 8 Elite or Dimensity 9400 devices.
- You need wide 5G support outside China. The 5G bands are limited to Chinese networks.
- You want long-term software updates. Huawei’s update track record is decent but not Samsung’s 6-7 year promise level.
Final Verdict
The Huawei Pura 90 is a phone that knows exactly what it is and who it’s for. It’s not trying to compete with the Snapdragon 8 Elite flagships on raw power. Instead, it offers something those phones can’t: a 6,500mAh battery in a 7mm body, a proper periscope zoom camera at a mid-premium price, and IP69 durability that borders on overkill.
The Google services situation remains the biggest hurdle. Huawei has made real progress with AppGallery and Petal Search, but it’s not a complete replacement for the Play Store. If that doesn’t bother you — or if you’re willing to use workarounds — the Pura 90 offers outstanding hardware value for its ~₱36K asking price.
With the global launch event happening on July 14 in Kuala Lumpur, now is an excellent time to consider the Pura 90. Huawei is clearly serious about bringing this device to international markets. For Filipino buyers who can look past the Google issue, this might be the best battery-and-camera combo you can get without breaking ₱40K.