Huawei Pura X Hands-On Review: A Unique Take on Foldables
Huawei is rewriting the foldable rulebook again—this time with the Huawei Pura X, a device that blends the compactness of flip phones with the usability of book-style foldables thanks to a clever 90° hinge twist.
📐 Design & Display: A 90° Innovation
Closed, the Pura X resembles a flip phone, but when opened, it reveals a 6.3″ LTPO 120Hz display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, offering 13% more usable screen area than rivals like the Galaxy Z Flip6. This design is ideal for:
- Videos (minimal letterboxing)
- Reading & browsing
- Document viewing
📱 Cover Display:
- 3.5″ square panel (980 x 980px)
- 120Hz, 10-bit color, LTPO
- Great for messages, calls, and navigation
Despite being compact when closed, the Pura X’s inner screen feels spacious, with minimal crease visibility and 2500-nit peak brightness for excellent outdoor performance.
📸 Camera System: Small Bump, Big Power
- Main: 50MP with OIS
- Ultra-wide: 40MP (13mm)
- Telephoto: 8MP with 3.5x optical zoom (80mm)
- Selfie: 10.7MP punch-hole camera on the inner display
Camera bump remains minimal (thanks to the 7.2mm open thickness), making the Pura X a great vlogging and selfie tool with flagship-like imaging capabilities.
⚙️ Performance and Software
Powered by the Kirin 9020 chip, the Pura X is smooth for daily tasks but won’t compete with top Snapdragon or Dimensity chips. However, HarmonyOS runs efficiently—with one big caveat for global users:
This Chinese variant blocks APK installs, which limits usability outside of China.
There’s no global release yet, and without Google Play support, international appeal may be limited despite the hardware’s excellence.
🔋 Battery and Charging
- 4,720mAh battery
- 66W wired and 40W wireless charging
- Decent capacity for a foldable of this size
While not record-breaking, it’s larger than most flip foldable batteries.
🌟 Final Thoughts: Innovation Without Overcomplication
The Huawei Pura X may not introduce groundbreaking new tech like the Mate XT Ultimate, but it shows Huawei’s mastery of design philosophy. Its form factor offers:
- Compactness of a flip
- Usability of a book foldable
- Better screen ratio for real tasks
While limited by regional software constraints, the hardware stands out as one of the most clever and refined foldables yet.
Verdict:
Huawei once again dares to rethink the foldable, and the Pura X may just be the bridge between flip convenience and foldable practicality.
