In an unexpected, Huawei has decided to retire its long-running and hugely popular P series of flagship smartphones, replacing it with a new product lineup called the Pura series. The Chinese tech giant made the surprising announcement through its official Weibo account, stating that the P series has been “upgraded” to the Pura brand, complete with a “new attitude.”
The P series, first introduced in 2012, has been widely acclaimed for its cutting-edge camera technology and sleek, premium designs. However, after over a decade, Huawei has chosen to start afresh with the Pura series, which translates to “purity” – a name that hints at the company’s new focus on aesthetics and top-tier performance.
According to leaks from the reputable tipster Digital Chat Station, the inaugural Pura lineup will consist of four models: the standard Pura 70, the Pura 70 Pro, the Pura 70 Pro Plus, and the range-topping Pura 70 Ultra. Retailers in China have already started listing various RAM and storage configurations for these handsets, including a 12GB+512GB base model, a 1TB Pro variant, a 16GB Pro Plus edition, and a single 1TB Ultra model.
The Pura 70 Ultra is rumoured to feature a ceramic build, which could result in a premium yet considerably weighty design. Colour options across the range are still under wraps as is pricing and most specifications of the new flagship series.
While the Pura moniker represents a fresh start, the series will likely retain the P lineup’s core strengths, particularly in the camera department. Leaked teasers have showcased the Pura’s distinctive triangular camera module, following in the footsteps of previous P series flagships and their iconic multi-lens arrays.
Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group, has stated that the Pura series will encompass the brand’s values of “passion, purity, style, creativity, and classic” design. In an accompanying teaser video, Yu underscored the new phones’ focus on high-end technology and fashion-forward aesthetics.
As exciting as the Pura rebrand may be, Huawei still faces an uphill battle in Western markets due to the ongoing US trade restrictions. The lack of Google services continues to be a major stumbling block, despite the company’s efforts with its own Huawei Mobile Services ecosystem. It remains to be seen whether the Pura lineup can surpass the popularity of the beloved P series outside of China.
Huawei has begun the teaser campaign for its Pura flagships, building anticipation ahead of their imminent global launch. I can confirm that the Huawei Pura 70 series will be coming to South Africa in the coming months.
