Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra

Here, we’ll be comparing the very best of Google and Huawei… at the moment. We’ll compare the Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra. These are the two flagship smartphones from these two companies. Two extremely compelling phones, which are also entirely different at the same time. They’re both running Android, but considerably different versions, not to mention that they look and feel entirely different too.

All that should make for a rather interesting comparison, of course. We’ll first list the specs of both phones, as per usual, and will then move to compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, camera performance, and audio output.

Specs

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra, respectively

– Screen size:
6.7-inch Super Actua AMOLED display (flat, 120Hz LTPO, HDR10+, 2,400 nits)
6.8-inch LTPO OLED display (flat, adaptive 120Hz, HDR, 2,500 nits max brightness)
– Display resolution:
2992 x 1344
2844 x 1260
– SoC:
Google Tensor G3
Huawei Kirin 9010
– RAM:
12GB (LPDDR5)
16GB (LPDDR5X)
– Storage:
128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 3.1)
512GB/1TB (UFS 4.0)
– Rear cameras:
50MP (f/1.68 aperture, 82-degree FoV, 1.2um pixel size, OIS), 48MP (ultrawide, f/1.95 aperture, 125.5-degree FoV, 0.8um pixel size), 48MP (telephoto, f/2.8 aperture, 0.7um pixel size, 5x optical zoom)
50MP (f/1.6-f/4.0 variable aperture, 23mm lens, 1-inch type sensor, sensor-shift OIS, PDAF, retractable lens), 40MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 13mm lens), 50MP (telemacro, f/2.1 aperture, 90mm lens, 3.5x optical zoom, OIS, PDAF, 5cm macro)
– Front cameras:
10.5MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1.22um pixel size)
13MP (wide, f/2.4 aperture, autofocus)
– Battery:
5,050mAh
5,200mAh
– Charging:
30W wired, 23W wireless, reverse wireless (charger not included)
100W wired, 80W wireless, 20W reverse wireless, 18W reverse wired (charger included)
– Dimensions:
162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8mm
162.6 x 75.1 x 8.4mm
– Weight:
213 grams
226 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3
5G (only China), LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.2
– Security:
In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) & facial scanning
In-display fingerprint scanner & facial scanning
– OS:
Android 14
Android 12 with EMUI 14
– Price:
$999+
€1,499+
– Buy:
Google Pixel 8 Pro (Best Buy)
Huawei Pura 70 Ultra (Amazon)

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra: Design

You’ll see a ton of differences in the design department the moment you lay your eyes on these two phones. Both of them are made out of aluminum, but their backplates are different. The Pixel 8 Pro has glass on the back, while the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra includes vegan leather aka eco-leather on the back. Both phones do have flat displays, with a centered display camera hole at the top, but those panels are quite different in terms of how they’re implemented.

The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra has quad-curved glass on top of its display, which makes it look entirely different than the Pixel 8 Pro’s panel. There’s more of a curve on the sides. The bezels are also thinner on the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra, compared to the Pixel 8 Pro. Both phones do offer uniform bezels, though. Huawei’s flagship also has a more aggressive curve on the corners, though not by much.

Now, when we flip the two phones around, you’ll spot even more differences. The Pixel 8 Pro has a camera visor on the back, which is covered by metal, and which connects to the phone’s frame on the sides. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra, on the other hand, also has a rather unique-looking camera setup, but it’s a lot different. It is a camera island in the top-left corner, which has several layers, and a different design to anything else on the market.

The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra’s backplate is curved proportionally to the front, so it is curved on the edges from all sides. That makes the phone extremely comfortable to use, and eco-leather helps with grip. It’s a lot less slippery than the Pixel 8 Pro, and it also a lot more comfortable to use. The two phones are identical in terms of height, and yet the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra does seem smaller in the hand, despite the fact it’s a bit heavier. The Pixel 8 Pro is wider, while they’re almost identical in terms of thickness. Both phones also offer an IP68 certification for water and dust resistance.

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra: Display

The Google Pixel 8 Pro features a 6.7-inch 2992 x 1344 LTPO OLED display. This panel is flat, and it has an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz. HDR10+ content is supported, while the panel’s brightness goes up to 2,400 nits. The screen-to-body ratio here is around 87%, while the display aspect ratio is 20:9. The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 from Corning is here to protect the Pixel 8 Pro’s display.

The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra, on the flip side, has a 6.8-inch 2844 x 1260 LTPO OLED display. That display is also flat, and it can project up to 1 billion colors. It has an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz, while HDR content is supported. The peak brightness of this display is set at 2,500 nits. The screen-to-body ratio here is around 89%, This panel is protected by the Kunlun Glass, which has proven to be very, very tough.

Both of these displays are great, to be quite honest. You’d have to be really nitpicky to say that one is better than the other. Both are immensely bright, very sharp and have great viewing angles. The colors are very vivid, while the blacks are deep. Both displays also offer good touch response, not to mention that they have good display protection as well. There’s really not much to complain about here, if anything.

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra: Performance

The Google Pixel 8 Pro is fueled by the Google Tensor G3, the company’s very own silicon. That is a 4nm chip. The phone also includes 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and UFS 3.1 flash storage. Huawei’s Pura 70 Ultra handset is fueled by the Kirin 9010 SoC, a 7nm processor. The phone also comes with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and it also utilizes UFS 4.0 flash storage. Neither of these two chips is the best one out there, but the one in Huawei’s handset is quite dated at this point.

Having said that, does that mean the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra offers inferior performance? Well, it all depends on how you look at it. I’d say no, and here’s why. While you will see a difference in benchmarks, that’s not something you’ll notice in day-to-day use. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra flew threw everything I threw at it, and then some. Both phones did a great job in jumping between apps, while the same can be said for browsing, multimedia consumption, image editing, and pretty much everything you can think of.

There was some difference on the gaming side of things, but truth be said, neither phone is really made for gaming. Also, do note that the AppGallery is somewhat limited in terms of games, but you can always reach for third-party stores or sideload them. Both phones did a good job, but differences were noticeable when it comes to the most demanding games. The Pixel 8 Pro handled them better, though not perfect. For the vast majority of people, however, both phones will do a fantastic job. Just note that the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra comes without Google services, so without the Google Play Store. It does include Huawei’s own services, though.

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra: Battery

Google’s flagship includes a 5,050mAh battery on the inside. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra, on the flip side, has a 5,200mAh battery pack. Out of the two, the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra not only has a larger battery pack, but it can also hold a charge for longer, at least in our experience. The Pixel 8 Pro usually flies under 7 hours of screen-on-time, at times even under 6.5 hours of SoT, even without gaming.

The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra, on the other hand, can usually comfortably go over the 7-hour screen-on-time mark. The thing is, the Pixel 8 Pro’s battery life changed since its launch, and it keeps changing. Google is probably constantly tweaking something on the software side of things. It was better before, to be quite honest. Either way, if you end up running a lot of demanding tasks on both phones, those numbers quickly go down. Gaming in particular does have a considerable effect on battery life.

When it comes to charging, it’s not even a competition. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra wins… easily. It supports 100W wired, 80W wireless, 20W reverse wireless, and 18W reverse wired charging. On top of that, it does include a charger in the box. The Pixel 8 Pro supports 30W wired, 23W wireless, and 5W reverse wireless charging. It does not have a charger in the box. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra can charge itself a lot faster, both via a wire and wirelessly. It can also charge other devices faster too.

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra: Cameras

Both of these phones have three cameras on the back. Granted, those cameras are fairly different. The Pixel 8 Pro features a 50-megapixel main camera, a 48-megapixel ultrawide unit (126-degree FoV), and a 48-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (5x optical zoom). The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra includes a 50-megapixel main camera (variable aperture, sensor-shift OIS), a 40-megapixel ultrawide unit, and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (3.5x optical zoom).

These two phones provide considerably different photos. The Google Pixel 8 Pro shots look contrasty and processed, though not in a bad way. If you like the general image style that Pixel phones provide, you’ll love what the Pixel 8 Pro has to offer. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra likes to keep things closer to real life, but the photos still end up looking lively and nice. It pulls slightly towards warmer colors. Both smartphones provide sharp images, with plenty of details. They’re also great in low light, though the Pixel 8 Pro tends to brighten up low-light scenes a bit too much at times. Both main cameras do a fantastic job overall, though.

Ultrawide cameras do a great job of keeping up with the main shooters in terms of colors. The lower quality is noticeable in low light, however. Both telephoto cameras do a fantastic job up to 10x, but from that point on the quality dip is quite noticeable. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra is the phone to get if you like taking macro photos, however. Its telemacro camera is great for such photography.

Audio

You will find a set of stereo speakers on both of these smartphones. There are two on each phone, and both sets are well-balanced. The thing is, the Pixel 8 Pro speakers are louder than the ones on the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra. Both sets are loud enough, but there’s a difference.

Neither phone has an audio jack, unfortunately. You can use their Type-C ports for wired audio connections, or you can opt for a wireless setup thanks to Bluetooth. The Pixel 8 Pro offers Bluetooth 5.3, while the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra supports Bluetooth 5.2.