Huawei doesn’t do subtle. In Dubai this week, beneath the chandeliers and promotional fanfare of its “Fashion Next” showcase, the brand unveiled a line-up that was more fashion editorial than product reveal.
Smartphones posed like runway models. Tablets flexed specs with the air of luxury luggage. And then came the real showstopper: the Pura 80 Ultra, all glass, gloss and photographic ambition, engineered to impress from every angle, even if you’re holding it the wrong way up.
Huawei Pura 80 Series: cameras with zero confidence issues
Let’s start with the headline act. The Pura 80 Series, specifically the Pro and Ultra models. They are Huawei’s most compelling argument yet that mobile imaging is less “point and shoot” and more “frame and frame again.”
Armed with a 1-inch Ultra Lighting HDR sensor and a color-obsessed Ultra Chroma Camera, this device captures pixel-perfect images simply and easily. The Ultra version even boasts a switchable dual telephoto lens, capable of snapping everything from a moody street corner to your favourite pop star’s left nostril, all without moving your feet.
Design-wise, the Pura 80 Series leans heavily into Huawei’s signature, a blend of east-meets-west minimalism, dipped in ‘glazed texture’ for good measure. It shimmers with a sunburst pattern, encased in 2nd-Gen Crystal Armour Kunlun Glass that’s reportedly 25x tougher than your patience during a software update. The Prestige Gold version gleams like a Bond villain’s business card, all sharp edges and menace.
But this isn’t just a camera with a phone attached. The Pura 80 Ultra packs a blindingly bright 3,000-nit HUAWEI X-True Display, a silky 1–120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and AI smarts that detect when someone’s snooping over your shoulder (ideal for public transport). The 5,170 mAh battery is positively Herculean, and when it does run dry, it charges faster than your toddler after a nap (100W wired or 80W wirelessly). Throw in AI noise cancellation during calls, customisable smart controls, and a pair of booming stereo speakers, and this makes for one heck of a powerful device.
Huawei MatePad 11.5: for the note-taking Overachiever in all of us
Not everyone wants to shoot cinematic masterpieces. Some of us just want a tablet that doesn’t feel like a glorified notebook. Enter the MatePad 11.5, a sleek slab of intelligence dressed in an ultra-thin 6.1mm shell.
The 11.5-inch 2.5K FullView display comes with PaperMatte tech, a nod to those who actually read things longer than a caption. Throw in a 10,100 mAh battery, magnetic wireless charging with the new M-Pencil, and upgraded apps like HUAWEI Notes and GoPaint, and you’ve got a tablet that seems determined to replace your laptop — or at least shame it into early retirement.
Huawei’s Dubai launch felt less like a tech drop and more like a lifestyle proposition. Whether you’re zooming in on the minarets of Istanbul or doodling your next pitch deck on the MatePad, Huawei’s message is clear: beauty and utility are no longer separate categories. They’re now sold together, with a 100W charger.
