Chinese technology powerhouse Huawei (HWT.UL) on Wednesday introduced its Pura 80 smartphone series, as the firm tries to solidify its recovery in the high-end smartphone market in China after years of U.S. sanctions.
The recent flagship launch by Huawei shows that the Chinese technology powerhouse is still trying to regain the leading position in its motherland amid the active U.S. sanctions. Every new phone launch is keenly observed as an indicator of the health of the technological prowess and market strength of the company after decades of sanctions that badly hurt its smartphone business.
Huawei announced the Pura 80 series via a live broadcast, and the consumer business unit head Yu Chengdong placed immense emphasis on the camera features and AI functionality but remained quiet on the chips that run the show.
The line consists of four models: Pura 80, Pura 80 Pro, Pura 80 Pro+ and Pura 80 Ultra. The pricing begins at 6,499 yuan ($905) for the Pro series that will go on sale on June 14, the Pro+ will go on sale on June 14 as well at 7,999 yuan and the Ultra will follow on June 26 at 9,999 yuan. The basic version starts in July.
These cameras are powered by the XMAGE technology, and they have an ultra-wide-angle and macro telephoto lens, which has in-built AI that can recognize objects and give information, such as acting as tourist guides.
The releases of Huawei phones are accompanied by great attention since people consider it the firm that is going against the U.S. sanctions. In the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo, three out of the top ten trending topics on Wednesday were related to Pura 80. The user response was varied with many giving rave reviews concerning the camera features and the sexy design and others decrying that the prices were prohibitive and not worth the money.
