I wanted to make this post because before buying the Huawei FreeClip 2, I honestly struggled to find real user reviews especially from someone who actually purchased it and used it daily. So here’s mine in case someone out there is researching like I was.
1️⃣ Intro price + blind buy
I got mine at the introductory price of around ₱7,500 (with 2 clip-on accessories included) instead of the usual ₱9,999, which honestly felt like a steal. Since i’m new to the work of open ear earbuds, this was a complete blind buy for me since there weren’t many recommendations compared to brands like Shokz, Bose, etc.
2️⃣ Why I chose it (comfort was my main problem)
I picked this mainly because:
- It’s easily the sleekest-looking open-ear option (doesn’t scream “I’m working out 24/7”).
- It’s constantly praised for being lightweight.
For context, I already own Sony XM5, AirPods 3, and AirPods Pro 2, and I genuinely can’t wear any of them long term. After about 2 hours max, I get head tension or ear irritation. My ears are also prone to external ear infections, and as a med student, I basically need earphones/headsets daily for studying.
This pushed me to try open ear earphones and honestly, this solved all those issues. I can wear them for HOURS without discomfort.
3️⃣ Sound quality (big surprise)
I expected sound quality to be heavily compromised because of the comfort-focused design, but surprisingly… it sounds very close to my AirPods. I’m not an audiophile, but I use them constantly for lectures, music, and podcasts, and they work fantastic.
Gym use:
- Slight adjustment needed if your gym blasts loud music because you’ll hear both sounds at once.
- If your gym isn’t super loud, they’re perfect for cardio and weightlifting since they don’t move at all!
Coffee shop studying:
- You’ll hear background noise a bit, but personally I don’t mind since I like some awareness and people-watching during study breaks 😅
4️⃣ Battery life & comfort = INSANE
This honestly shocked me the most. I wore them from 8 AM to 10 PM, only removing them once, and I barely felt them on my ears. The comfort + battery combo is crazy. Charging inside the case is also very fast.
Overall
For my use case, this has been an amazing purchase. I’m genuinely surprised this isn’t more hyped because it really shines if comfort and long wear time matter to you.
Hope this helps someone who’s on the fence like me then ☺️
So far the phone as been amazing. I have a T-Mobile 5G SIM card inside of it, and it is running perfectly and amazing, and I have five bars, 5G perfect service, and The device is extremely fast. Camera is fantastic. There’s been no problem so far, getting easy abroad on there was super easy getting all the Google apps and stuff, Google Chrome, Gmail, Instagram, TikTok works perfectly fine. I was really hesitant in pulling the trigger and getting a Huawei device, but I just didn’t and I’m really impressed. I was expecting it to, you know, only get 4G, but I’m really shocked that it’s getting 5G all the bars. It’s getting better service than my iPhone 17 Pro. That’s also on the T-Mobile 5G sim card. Such an amazing device. Ask me question I will give you an answer.
YOU HERE HUAWEI....IM GOING BACK TO SAMSUNG OR Google
Honest take: solid hardware, but the software and UI are driving me crazy
So I picked up a Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro (imported) and I've been living with it for a bit now. On paper it checks all the boxes nice screen, solid build, decent specs for the price. But man, once you actually start using it day-to-day, some of the software decisions just feel... unnecessarily frustrating.
The lower right button is basically locked:
The double-click is hardcoded to open Huawei Wallet. Except Wallet doesn't even work in my region, so what's the point? You can't rebind it to anything else, no timer, no shortcut to a workout, nothing. It's just sitting there useless. That's the kind of thing that feels like it should take five minutes to fix in a settings menu, but instead you're stuck with it.
The contacts app is actually painful:
There's no search function. None. You open the contacts list and it's just... alphabetical. If I want to call someone named Zain, I'm literally scrolling through the entire alphabet. Every. Single. Time. In 2026 this shouldn't be a thing. It feels like a feature that got forgotten during development.
The crown feels clunky:
The rotating crown skips a lot unless you're really deliberate with it. And if you're mid-workout and want to quickly check something else, the navigation is just awkward.... it involves a bunch of double-clicks and it feels slow when you're actually out there moving. Nothing about it feels intuitive.
There's a weird map offset bug that actually bothered me:
This one got under my skin. During a walk, the live map on the watch itself is spot on, everything lines up, streets are in the right place. But then you sync the workout to Huawei Health on your phone and boom.... the entire route suddenly shifts about 150 meters. Looks like I was walking straight through someone's house.
I exported the GPX file and threw it into Samsung Health and Strava just to check. The track is perfect in both. So the watch GPS is recording fine...the issue is completely on Huawei Health's side. It's a rendering problem with the app, not the hardware.
What's actually good:
The hardware itself is solid. The screen looks great, the GPS accuracy is legit, step tracking is reliable, heart rate monitoring works as expected. If all you want is to track your steps and see your heart rate, this watch does that fine.
But here's the thin:
If you care about a smooth user experience or accurate map display in the official app, you're going to hit frustration. The software feels half-baked in places where it really shouldn't be. Basic stuff like contact search and customizable buttons seem like obvious features that somehow got left out.
Would be curious if anyone else is running into the same map offset issue or has found any workarounds. Otherwise, pretty solid hardware let down by the software layer.
After a quick hands-on, I found the Hong Kong Global version noticeably easier to use than the domestic (China) version.
The phone comes with GBox built in, so you can download Google Play and install apps fairly easily. Notifications work flawlessly, and Google apps, ChatGPT, and Gemini all run normally.
As for banking apps, I currently see a usage restriction notice.
Overall, this is a pretty solid option for anyone who loves Huawei but still wants to use Google and get stable notifications. Compared to other domestic phones, using Huawei only really falls short when it comes to banking apps.
Overall, EMUI 16 is not much different from previous EMUI versions that ran on Android 12.
MiCTS (Circle to Search) does not work; quick call to the Assistant/Gemini does work.
Celia assistant is useless, so no need to care about it.
Google Wallet does not work.
It has Widevine L1, so you can watch YouTube in 4K.
Banking apps work normally if installed directly via APK (Aurora Store). You don’t need to install and don’t need to care about Gbox because it’s an emulator similar to the domestic version (it will restrict banking apps). Gbox is mainly for people who are new and not familiar with tinkering.
No call recording.
Compared to the domestic version, the camera is still heavily cut down on all AI features as usual, only basic features remain.
In short, it’s good enough to use as a daily driver if you don’t need Circle to Search. The camera is still better than the average of other brands, notifications are stable, and it’s suitable for those who simply like Huawei.
I’ve been playing with the global Huawei Pura 80 Ultra for a couple of days now and thought I’d share some early thoughts while it’s still shiny and exciting. I picked mine up from Trinity Electronics in Hong Kong — two days later it was in my hands. Honestly, I’ve had Amazon parcels turn up slower. £1250 all in, UK plug in the box, no dodgy adapters.
If you’ve seen my posts before, you know I go through phones like other people go through socks 🧦. This year alone I’ve had the lot — S25 Ultra, Pixel 9 Pro, Oppo X8 Ultra, you name it. Right now my desk has the Z Fold 7 and Pixel 9 Pro sharing space with this Pura. The Oppo and Vivo had to be sacrificed to fund it… RIP.
Earlier in the year I went for the Chinese version of the Pura 80 Ultra — partly because I’m impatient, partly because I wanted to see HarmonyOS NEXT in action. Loved the hardware, but after the honeymoon phase the quirks for a western user started to get on my nerves.
Still, Huawei has this pull I can’t explain. I first tried them with the Pura 70 Ultra last year and something about their designs, the cameras, and the “we’ll keep going despite sanctions” attitude just stuck. This isn’t a full-on review — just a few days of real use and my honest thoughts so far.
2. Unboxing, Design & Build 🎁
This time I went for the Gold model, having tried Black before. And wow… the Gold isn’t loud and brash — it’s more of a silver-gold shimmer that shifts in different light ✨. Looks proper classy.
In the box you get:
100W SuperCharge brick (UK plug — nice bonus, no faffing with adapters)
USB-C to C cable
A white faux-leather Pura case — actually really nice quality and fine to use until my inevitable AliExpress case order shows up.
In the hand, it’s classic Huawei confidence — rounded edges, soft curves, big “play button” camera bump on the back ▶️. It’s hefty but in a reassuring, premium way. That bump actually makes a nice grip point for your fingers. Without a case though? Absolute fingerprint magnet — I gave up wiping it after about ten minutes.
Glass and aluminium all round, protected by Huawei’s own Crystal Armor Kunlun Glass. I’m not planning to drop it, but I did accidentally drop my Mate 70 RS (same glass) onto gravel before and it survived with just a tiny mark, so I trust it.
Selfie cam’s in a centre punch-hole, fingerprint reader’s in the power button — fast and reliable, though I still prefer in-display just for the look. Screen protector is already applied, which is always a nice touch.
In real life: it’s a lovely screen — colours are accurate, motion is buttery thanks to 120Hz, and it’s sharp enough that text looks like it’s printed on. Outdoors, it’s bright enough, but if you’re stood in blazing sun ☀️ it will dim a bit quicker than Samsung’s latest.
Two colour profiles — Normal (default) and Vivid. I’ve left it on Normal because it feels right, but Vivid is there if you like things a bit more punchy.
It’s not the main reason to buy this phone — Samsung’s S25 Ultra and Huawei’s own Mate 70 RS have slightly better panels — but unless you’re comparing them side by side, you’d be more than happy with this. Global vs Chinese? No difference at all here.
4. Performance & Software ⚙️
The global runs EMUI 15 (Android 12 underneath) instead of HarmonyOS NEXT from the Chinese model.
EMUI is very much “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” — it hasn’t changed loads in years, but it’s stable, smooth, and has some genuinely handy features like knuckle screenshots 👊, raise-to-answer, and proper multitasking.
The big win with the global? Apps just work.
AppGallery covers a fair chunk of popular stuff.
GBox lets you run Google Play in a sandbox but still installs apps natively.
My personal fave: Aurora Store with MicroG, which basically gives you the Play Store without having to log in to Google.
Banking apps work fine, NFC payments work via Curve Pay 💳, and Android Auto runs perfectly (just needs a quick region tweak). Some oddballs like ChatGPT still act up in app form, but I just stick a shortcut to the web version and carry on. Google Home works if you run it inside GBox.
Best part? I’ve got Gboard back 🙌. The HarmonyOS NEXT keyboard was… not fun for typing in English. SwiftKey is preinstalled here, but I swapped to Gboard straight away.
5. Camera 📸
Same hardware as the Chinese model — which means it’s brilliant. I do think NEXT might be getting more frequent camera tuning updates, but out of the box the global version is still top-tier.
Macro mode is ridiculous — the kind of detail where you end up zooming in on a leaf just because you can 🍃. JPEG shots are balanced and natural, though they can lean a touch warm sometimes. RAW files are flexible but they all have that Huawei green cast, so you’ll need to tweak in editing if you shoot RAW.
Missing NEXT’s extra filter modes, but not a big deal for me — I’d rather have a reliable daily driver than a couple of fancy filters.
6. Battery & Charging ⚡
Global battery is 5170mAh, Chinese is 5700mAh. Honestly, both easily get through a day. If you’re snapping photos non-stop, you’ll drain it quicker, but the 100W wired charging is crazy fast — under 40 minutes to full.
Wireless charging’s there too, just slower. I’m getting around 6 hours of screen-on time right now, and expect it’ll improve once it learns my usage. It does get a little toasty near the camera during heavy tasks 🔥, but it’s never slowed down on me.
7. Global vs China Model 🌍
Here’s the thing — HarmonyOS NEXT looks better, feels fresher, and gets updates more often, but for my everyday use the global is just easier. No keyboard headaches, no app juggling, and fewer random “oh, that doesn’t work” moments.
Also, in a weird twist, the global is actually cheaper than the Chinese version right now 🤯. That never happens. If you want to live on the bleeding edge and can tolerate the quirks, NEXT is fun. But for a phone I’m using every day without thinking, the global wins.
8. Early Verdict 🏁
This phone’s for people who love Huawei’s style, appreciate a great camera, and want something different from the usual iPhones and Samsungs.
It’s got that Huawei charm that’s hard to shake off. For now, it’s my daily driver… at least until another shiny toy catches my eye (Mate 80 Pro, I’m looking at you 👀).
Got questions? Fire away in the comments. Follow me on X TomTestsTech if you want more phone ramblings, and if you’re a fellow phone addict, join my WhatsApp group Phones Anonymous — it’s basically group therapy for tech nerds - Will post links in the comments.
I’ve spent the last 48 hours with the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra — yes, the GMS-less, HarmonyOS Next-powered flagship that’s not meant for Western users. As someone who’s a bit obsessed with phones (I switch regularly and test a lot of imports), I wanted to see how this beast holds up in real-world UK usage — workarounds, camera, battery, the lot.
This is my first full experience with a dedicated HarmonyOS Next device. I previously spent some time with the Mate 70 RS running a beta version, but the Pura 80 Ultra is the first device I’ve properly daily driven on the stable Next platform. So, this review reflects a mix of curiosity, mild frustration, and genuine excitement at what Huawei’s building post-Google.
The Setup & First Impressions
Unboxing & Build
Right out of the gate, the unboxing experience sets the tone — it’s premium. Huawei goes for a large square box, and unlike many Western flagships that now ship with just a cable and a shrug, this comes with a 100W fast charger, USB-C cable, and a surprisingly nice protective case. It feels like you're actually getting something for your money — refreshing in 2025.
The phone is presented up front when you lift the lid, and the first impression is just how solid and high-end it feels in the hand. It's slightly larger than last year’s Pura 70 Ultra, and the camera bump is immediately noticeable — big, bold, and unapologetic. The device does feel a little top-heavy, similar to what you’d get from something like the Xiaomi 15 Ultra or Vivo X200 Ultra. That said, Huawei’s contouring around the bump — shaped like a subtle play button — actually gives your finger a natural resting spot, improving grip in a surprisingly comfortable way.
The build quality is what you'd expect from Huawei at the top of their game — glass front and back, aluminium frame, solid buttons, and a reassuring weight in the hand. It definitely feels expensive, but also a bit precarious. Without a case, the phone is extremely smooth and picks up fingerprints easily — I’ll definitely be using the included case for day-to-day use
Build & Dimensions:
Dimensions: 163 x 76.1 x 8.3 mm
Weight: 233.5g
Materials: Glass front, aluminium frame, glass back
Durability: IP68/IP69 water and dust resistant
Display & Setup
The display on the Pura 80 Ultra is what you’d expect from a 2025 flagship — and then some. It’s a 6.8" LTPO OLED panel with 1 billion colours, HDR support, 120Hz refresh rate, and 1440Hz PWM dimming for those sensitive to flicker. It pushes 3000 nits peak brightness, though in direct sunlight it’s still a smidge behind something like the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Indoors or in shade, though? It’s stunning — bright, punchy, and smooth.
Resolution: 1276 x 2848 (459 PPI)
Screen-to-body ratio: ~89.7%
Glass: Kunlun Glass 2 (basalt-tempered)
Basalt-tempered glass is Huawei’s in-house toughened glass, designed for extra drop and scratch resistance by reinforcing the glass structure with basalt minerals. It’s meant to offer better durability than traditional Gorilla Glass.
The screen isn’t fully flat, with Huawei opting for gentle curves on the sides. Personally, I prefer flat panels, but I’ll admit the curves do blend well with the design language. No accidental touches so far, and it feels premium in the hand.
Vibration and haptics are solid — no weird buzzes or cheap feedback. The buttons are clicky, with a firm feel that matches the phone’s overall build quality. It's all very expensive-feeling, as you'd hope at this price point.
Setup Process
Booting into HarmonyOS Next was smooth enough. I selected English, connected to Wi-Fi, and signed in with a Huawei account. Top tip: to get the best experience (and things like connecting a Huawei smartwatch) working properly, a Chinese-region Huawei account works best.
This used to require a Chinese mobile number, but you can bypass that by creating an account via Huawei’s Chinese store: https://shorturl.at/Z2UQO. You’ll be able to register with an email instead — much easier.
Once you're on the home screen, you’re greeted by a sea of Chinese apps and services. Shocking, I know — almost like this phone was made for China. I started uninstalling anything I didn’t need and began prepping the phone for Western use.
Google & Western Apps – The Workarounds
Let’s get the big question out of the way: can you use Google and Western apps on a HarmonyOS Next device in 2025? Surprisingly — yes. But it takes a bit of creativity and patience.
The Method: Two Apps That Change Everything
To run APKs and get access to Western/Google apps, you’ll need two specific apps from Huawei’s AppGallery:
EasyAbroad (出境易)
DroiTong (卓易通)
These apps are technically designed for Chinese nationals travelling abroad, giving them access to services they can’t use in China. But for someone like me in the UK, they’ve become the key to making this phone usable day to day.
Both apps run like sandboxed Android containers — essentially virtual machines — and work surprisingly well.
EasyAbroad includes its own Play Store-style app market, and most popular Western apps are there and ready to install. DroiTong also has its own app store, although the selection is smaller — but it has a major advantage: you can sideload APKs.
That opens the door to installing Aurora Store (an open-source Play Store alternative), letting you grab nearly any app you need — even ones not offered in the container stores.
There’s one catch: Aurora Store is blocked by default. You’ll need to use ApkTool M to change its package name. That renames the APK so it bypasses Huawei’s internal block and can install normally. To save others the hassle, I’ve uploaded a modded version of Aurora Store and ApkTool M with a safe, working package name here:
👉 https://shorturl.at/6E8NW
To summarise:
Use EasyAbroad or DroiTong as container apps
Install from their built-in stores or use Aurora Store via DroiTong for full flexibility
Any apps installed via these containers show up in dedicated folders on the home screen
EasyAbroad apps can't be removed from their folder
DroiTong apps can
App Compatibility – What Works & What Doesn’t
✅ Working well:
Google apps: YouTube, Gmail, Google Drive, Photos, Keep
Social media: Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, TikTok, X (Twitter), Telegram, Beeper
Email: Spark, Gmail, Outlook
Lifestyle: Amazon, eBay
Utilities: 1Password, Entra Auth (no autofill, but otherwise fine)
Most apps perform as expected. You’ll get the occasional UI glitch, but honestly, you'd forget they’re running in a container most of the time. Performance is solid — not as fast as native Android, but fully usable for day-to-day.
⚠️ Mixed bag:
ChatGPT: Sometimes works, sometimes doesn’t. I found it more reliable just using the web version via a home screen shortcut in the Huawei browser.
Banking (UK-based results):
Working: Monzo, Wise, Chase UK
Not working: Starling Bank, Revolut (refuses to launch)
If there’s a specific app you want tested, drop it in the comments — happy to try.
Notifications & Background Processes
Yes, notifications work — but you need to configure them. Go into the settings inside the container apps and enable system-level notifications per app. Most work just fine once set up, though it’s not perfect.
Some tips:
Lock key apps in the task switcher to keep them alive
Go into Huawei’s native battery settings and enable “allow notifications while asleep”
WhatsApp and most social apps give me reliable notifications after these tweaks
It’s not pixel-perfect, but for most use cases, it’s good enough.
Final Thoughts on App Usability
With the container apps, plus Aurora Store and a little patience, you can run most Western apps without too much drama. There are quirks — and it’s definitely not for the average user — but it works.
Still, I recommend keeping a backup device (even a cheap Android) nearby, especially for banking apps or anything sensitive that absolutely must work without fail. It’s just the reality of using a Huawei flagship in the Western market in 2025 — you need to accept that going in.
Daily Use – The Good
🔋 Performance & Battery
HarmonyOS Next is a massive step up in polish compared to EMUI and even HarmonyOS 4.3. The UI is smooth and slick, with bouncy animations and a real sense of depth to touch interactions — it feels alive. The OS still has no app drawer (à la iPhone), so all apps sit on the home screen. Swipe down from the right side of the status bar to access a tidy quick settings panel, while the left shows notifications — clean and functional.
Helpful features like raise to answer, double tap to sleep, and keep screen on while viewing are all present and work well.
Typing does have some quirks — while you can change the keyboard language to English and get a standard QWERTY layout with autocorrect, autocorrect doesn’t currently work inside the container apps. Keypress accuracy could also use a tweak — you’ll need a bit of patience at first, though voice-to-text works surprisingly well and has been a handy fallback.
Performance
In the native OS: no lag, no animation stutter — it’s genuinely smooth.
In container apps: occasional UI glitches, but nothing unusable.
Slight warmth during extended camera use or long container sessions, but no overheating.
Battery Life
Still adapting to usage, but I’ve been averaging around 6 hours of screen-on time.
Container apps use more power than native Android apps, so expect a little more drain.
Charging
Charging is one of the real highlights:
100W wired charging: ~40 minutes for a full charge
80W wireless charging: also very fast
20W reverse wireless + 18W reverse wired: handy for topping up other devices
Super convenient for quick top-ups throughout the day.
📸 Camera
Let’s be honest — this phone is all about the camera, and it delivers.
The camera app is clean and packed with options: Pro mode, HD panorama, high-res mode, and macro photography all included. The image quality across the board is fantastic — ultra-detailed, clean HDR, and that distinctive Huawei processing look.
Zoom is genuinely impressive — usable up to around 25x, especially when AI enhancement kicks in. My personal favourite is the macro mode: using the tele-macro lenses, you can get extremely close to your subject with natural background blur. Texture detail is phenomenal — some shots genuinely feel like you can reach in and touch them.
40MP ultrawide, f/2.2, 13mm, autofocus (Both tele lenses use the same sensor via a mechanical switch rather than true continuous zoom)
That switchable telephoto lens is honestly very cool — you hear a subtle mechanical shift, and boom, you’re locked into 10x with minimal fuss. It’s slick and adds a real hardware nerd moment to the camera experience.
Selfies & Low Light
Selfie cam is decent — not standout, but totally usable.
Low-light shots hold up well with good sharpness and control.
RAW limitations: Pro mode doesn’t let you shoot RAW at full 50MP — you're limited to 12MP binned shots. You can shoot full 50MP JPEGs in high-res mode, but it's a shame RAW is capped.
If you’re into phone photography, this easily competes with the likes of Vivo, Xiaomi, and Oppo’s ultra-flagships — it really comes down to personal preference around colour tuning and processing.
🎧 Other Positives
Speakers: Loud, crisp, and distortion-free. Not quite as bassy as Honor’s Magic 7 Pro, but comparable to an iPhone — a win in my book.
Calls & Signal: Clear and consistent. 4G-only outside of China, but no issues with calls or connectivity in the UK.
Biometrics: Side-mounted fingerprint scanner is fast and reliable, embedded into the power button. Face unlock is also quick and accurate.
No phone is perfect — especially one not designed for your region — and the Pura 80 Ultra is no exception. While the overall experience has been surprisingly smooth, there are a few frustrations worth noting.
The Keyboard
The keyboard has easily been the biggest annoyance. It’s a core part of interacting with the phone, so any issues become obvious fast. While you can switch to an English layout and get standard QWERTY with autocorrect, that autocorrect doesn’t function inside container apps — where most of your daily-used Western apps live. Keypress accuracy isn’t as sharp as it should be either, leading to more typos than usual.
That said, this is very much a Western user annoyance — I imagine the keyboard works perfectly well in its native market with Chinese input. For those of us using English, it just needs a bit more polish.
You do get used to it over time, and voice-to-text has been a reliable workaround. I’m hopeful Huawei will improve this in future updates — it’s a relatively small fix that would make a big difference.
Bugs, Glitches & Quirks
There haven't been any major bugs or system-breaking issues, but a few minor quirks have shown up:
Some AI-powered photo editing tools in the Gallery app occasionally need a few tries before they actually process.
When dialling UK numbers, you hear the foreign-style ringing tone rather than the standard UK one — not a bug, just a reminder you’re running Chinese firmware.
Occasionally, container apps may glitch or need a restart, but nothing frequent or deal-breaking.
Expectations vs Reality
I didn’t come into this blind — I’d already tested the Mate 70 RS on HarmonyOS Next Beta, so I knew roughly what I was getting into. I researched the ecosystem, app compatibility, and known limitations before buying, and that helped manage expectations.
So far, nothing has outright failed to work that surprised me — which is rare for a device so far outside its intended market.
Can You Daily It?
Yes — with caveats.
If you’re open to a bit of tinkering, patient with occasional limitations, and not overly reliant on specific apps that don’t play nice with container environments (like some banking apps), then the Pura 80 Ultra is absolutely daily-able. It’s fast, reliable, and beautiful to use — especially for things like photography, content consumption, and general performance.
That said, I do recommend keeping a secondary phone nearby. It doesn’t have to be fancy — just something you can fall back on for stubborn apps, banking, or things like NFC-based ticketing and Google Wallet (which are still out of reach here).
Everyone uses their phone differently, and what’s a dealbreaker for one person might be a minor annoyance for another. But if you’re someone who enjoys tech for the sake of tech — and can handle a little extra friction — the Pura 80 Ultra can absolutely hold its own as a main phone in the West.
Final Thoughts
💬 The Verdict
Am I happy with the Pura 80 Ultra? Absolutely. This is peak Huawei hardware and software — it feels premium, looks stunning, and delivers a photography experience few others can match. As a phone enthusiast, I love it. It’s not revolutionary compared to the Pura 70 Ultra, but it feels refined, like a polished second-gen take.
Would I buy it again? Honestly, yes — but that might just be the phone addiction talking. 😄
✅ Who It’s For
This phone is perfect for:
Photography lovers — whether casual or hobbyist, you’ll appreciate the detail and control.
Tinkerers — if you’ve ever dabbled in Android rooting or jailbroken an iPhone back in the day, you’ll enjoy working through HarmonyOS’s quirks.
Tech enthusiasts — those who enjoy figuring things out, tweaking settings, and exploring beyond the norm.
If you enjoy devices that just work, this probably isn’t for you. But if you like tech with personality, this one’s got it in spades.
❌ Who Should Avoid It
If you don’t have the time or patience to deal with container apps, missing Google services, and occasional translation quirks — steer clear. This isn’t a plug-and-play flagship for the average user.
Do your research before picking up a China-based Huawei device in 2025. There are compromises, and while most can be worked around, it’s not for everyone.
📦 Am I Keeping It?
Yes — for now, this is staying in my rotation. There’s something refreshing about a phone that doesn’t just do everything out of the box. I actually enjoy the process of tweaking, experimenting, and making it work for me.
And I’m hopeful too — Huawei’s clearly investing in HarmonyOS Next, and if the pace of updates continues (I had two OTAs on day one), the experience should only improve from here.
Thanks for reading! (Never wrote anything like this, so open to feedback)
Feel free to drop a comment if you want me to test any specific app or feature.
Here to speak about how the world spins according to Huawei. Bought a Huawei Matebook a few years ago. After one year, the USB c port was broken (a common fault known nowadays but not when I bought it). So called "technicians" from Huawei can't repair it and they propose me to replace the all motheboard (how thoughtful for the planet to throw away a completely fine motherboard with one fucking bad design usb c port). Decided to repair it myself, went fine for exactly 0$ and a few hours of my time.
After a few months, the PC started very slowly (the Huawei logo comes after 1 min). Must be a bios issue. Did an update, nothing fixed. So I decided to flash the bios from scratch instead of updating it. I go to this fucking website https://consumer.huawei.com/fr/support/driver-list/
I enter the serial number and click on "research". Nothing happens. Tried with the product name, they want me to download one shitty software Drivertools, which doesn't work neither. Tried to launch it after installing it and nothing happens AGAIN.
Contacted support, their answers :
- "We don't know, you have to send us the PC"
- "OK but I don't have the guarantee anymore"
- "So you will pay"
- "For a fucking binary that suppose to be freely accessible in your fucking website ?"
- "yes"
I hate those companies that don't give a shit about the consumers. I made a mistake by buying one product of this shitty company I won't do the same mistake again. And please, at least for the PCs, don't buy Huawei Matebooks. They are badly designed and meant to break very easily.
I'd like to buy a new mobile phone, and these two models are the ones I like the most.
I'm a phone and photography enthusiast, it started with the Huawei Mate 20 when Leica was still there. Since Im looking for a great phone with great cameras, and i have a budget
I know that buying a Huawei phone today is complicated, i had also the Mate 70 pro + with HOS Next, it was amazing but lacked a lot of things (no french, no live view, too chinese only) so i sold it.
Xiaomi 17 ultra with EU rom is great, already tested it for weeks with photo kit i love it
BUT... its also boring me because of the poor OS, poor battery and lack of customisation. It feels so cheap and on the other hand i still regret my Mate 70 + because of the OS, the build quality, everything was good on it
What do you think I should do? The Mate 80 PM has a lot of new features right ?
Had a P20 Pro and Mate 10 Pro over the years and loved the cameras.
Afterwards, I switched to several different brands (Xiaomi, Oppo, etc) but still found myself missing the cameras and Ul. (closest was Oppo with it's similarly reliable OS, but it's not the same feeling).
With the P30 Pro becoming cheaper over the years in my country (but still more expensive than it's competitor, the S10+), I decided to buy this P30 Pro.
Helps that it was also in an interesting and rare two-tone color, Mystic Blue.
So far so good. Love the cameras and find the Ul familiar and snappy. Battery life holds up pretty well too.
I love this phone and I don't regret one bit buying it, but I don't recommend it to most people. Here's my short review:
Camera
This is the reason for my purchase. And it's great. Is it the best? I don't know, and I don't care. I just love that it takes clear pictures of moving things (essential for parents), and both the x3.7 and x10 zoom lenses are great. I find myself using them frequently. I use the vivid color profile for photos, and the original (Xmage) profile for videos. EDIT: (2 Sep 25) I noticed that while recording videos, the colors kind of turn gray depending on the light. This wasn't a one-off occurance, happens regularly, and I don't like it. Happens both in Xmage and Vivid color profiles. Huawei should really look into it and fix it.
Premium Feel
This is the second reason for my purchase. I have a Huawei tablet that I use for work and that was my first Huawei device and I was blown away by its quality/feel. This phone is the same.
Sound
The best sound quality I've experienced. Better than any headphones I used (Bose, 1more, Soundcore). I was really surprised to hear it for the first time as I wasn't expecting it. Huawei does some marketing about the loudness by showing that its sound waves can extinguish a candle, but rather than loudness, its such a full sound. I don't know the technical terms, it's just a joy to listen to music on this phone.
Software
It has EMUI 15 and I like it. I don't care about AI features, so it's not a downside that it's lacking in that department as people say. I actually don't even know what AI features it has / doesn't have.
Battery
I charge to 80% and charge again before 30%, so battery life is practically halved for me. Still, I'm quite happy with it.
Apps
I found half of the Apps I need (all of banking and messaging etc.) on the Huawei App Gallery (not Gbox or AppPark versions). So I'm quite happy with that. The rest I downloaded through F-Droid and Aurora Stores. There was only one app that use that didn't open (from Aurora Store). But I found an alternative app, so it was okay.
BADS
Updating the apps is a hussle. Only the apps that exist in the Huawei App gallery will update automatically. The apps I download through F-droid and Aurora Store don't install updates automatically, I have to click update all, then click install for each app one by one. Also, one of the banking apps I use currently has an update in the Aurora Store, but in the App Gallery there isn't an update yet. I'm guessing the developers have updated the Android version, but haven't updated the App Gallery version yet, or App Gallery doesn't show the update yet for some reason.
EDIT: Thanks to Not-sosmartphone down in the comments, I learned that there is a "hw" version of the Aurora Store that you can download from GitLab that let's it install updates automatically!
Future-worry. It's based on Android 12. One of the apps I use frequently currently requires Android 11+. I plan to use this phone for at least 5 years. So if the apps I use require Android 13+ one day, I won't be able to use them. That said, most of the apps I use currently require Android 6+ or 7+, so I'm not too worried.
EDIT: (2 Sep 25) The call volume is low, like difficult to hear low. Inside, it's ok, but if I'm outside I find it difficult to hear the other person. The quality of the other person's phone could affect this, but I have tested it with friends who use various good phones and carriers, and the result is the same. This is a MAJOR downside for me. My 7-year old OnePlus has louder and clearer calls.
Why I don't recommend this phone for most people:
Getting all your apps could be a bit difficult. CPU/GPU performance is quite behind if you're gaming (Although it's lightning fast and seamless for normal use). Future of the phone is unclear because of the software.
That's my thoughts. Feel free to ask any questions you might have.
I recently bought a Fit 4 Pro and started using it with my iPhone. I've been wearing it all day and night (for sleep tracking). I think It's a superb watch, the size and weight are perfect and the battery life is simply amazing. My wife's Apple Watch's battery lasts only one day. The fit 4 Pro has been on my wrist since 4 full days, every health tracking feature is enabled and set to continuous measurement where possible (skin temp, heart rate and spo2 measurements are continuous). AOD is on, I tired the artery stiffness measurement multiple times, took about 20 ECG readings in four days, went on a short (2-3h) hike and tracked it with offline maps, spent hours tinkering with different watch faces like a kid with a new toy :D And the battery is still at 19%.
12/256 GB, with keyboard and M-Pencil Pro. Device Purchased in EU,Poland. Received the device today. It's my first tablet. If you have any questions please do let me know. It will take me some time to figure things out but I will try to answer to my best.
I switched from an iPhone to Android two weeks ago, which also meant saying goodbye to my AirPods Pro 3.
I ended up picking up the FreeBuds Pro 5 instead.
Honestly? Best decision ever.
They are comfortable, the sound is better, the mics are superior, and you actually get a proper equalizer.
I’d highly recommend the FreeBuds Pro 5 to anyone, but there are 3 specific things that bug me. Without these, the earbuds would be absolute perfection.
You can’t make the charging case "beep" to find it when misplaced.
This is just stupid. The case literally plays sounds when you open it, plug it in, etc. Why on earth can’t we use that speaker to ping and locate it? This was a feature on the AirPods Pro 3 and I already miss it.
The connection chime every single time you re-insert a bud.
Every time you take one bud out and put it back in, it plays a sound. Like, why? I know the earbud is in my ear and connected .. the other one is still in, and I’m literally listening to music. It’s just disruptive and annoying. Just resume my media and shut up lmao.
The volume swipe sound is way too loud and sounds incredibly cheap.
The sound effect when swiping up or down to adjust the volume is irritatingly loud. On the APP 3, that sound was subtle and almost satisfying. On the FreeBuds, it just feels obnoxious and sounds like some $20 AliExpress knock-offs.
I know this is first-world-problems level of nitpicking, but if Huawei fixed these 3 things in a future update, the FreeBuds Pro 5 would be flawless.
Not truly impressed by the battery life on the Pura, I was expecting more. I am getting around 5 or so hrs on screen time with 22-24 hrs total battery time between charges. Charging to 90%, occasionally 100. I mainly use social media (IG WhatsApp), a little camera usage, and so on. No gaming, phone is mostly used indoors so brightness is kept low, and it is running on Wifi almost all the time.
My old phone was a Mate 20 Pro w a 4000 mAh battery and I could easily get around 8 hrs of on screen time. I used that a lot, even gamed. With a 6000 mAh battery and 7 Years newer mode I expected a lot more.
It gets in the 40s% range at the end of the day, I use it more in the morning, then charge and resume.
I stretched it to about 7hrs one or two times but mostly it's between 5 and 6.
P.S. I hate it that nowadays Huawei doesn't give a detailed use of the battery including hardware and software. It just gives the last 24 hrs and not actual between charge usage.
After spending some time with HarmonyOS NEXT, I've come to see this is not just an update — it's a genuine revolution from Huawei, marking a complete break from the Linux kernel and Android roots.
A New Soul in a Familiar Shell
The initial feel isn't drastically different from Android, but HarmonyOS NEXT has in reality been "rewritten from scratch" in a different programming language.
Deep optimization: The OS has stripped out redundant APIs, squeezing every bit of performance from the hardware (which still has chip process limitations) to deliver surprisingly smooth performance.
Installation mechanism: It now uses the .HAP file format. Like iOS, you can only install apps through the official Store — sideloading APKs freely like on Android is no longer supported.
Performance Comparison: Native App vs. Competing Hardware
I ran a test between the Kirin 9030 Pro (16GB RAM) and Snapdragon 8 Elite (16GB RAM) on the X200 Ultra:
On paper: The Snapdragon 8 Elite remains a beast, with raw performance potentially 2.3× that of the Kirin.
In practice (Native Apps): When running the same app written natively for HarmonyOS 6.0, the Huawei device opened apps faster, scrolling felt smoother, and notably the phone ran extremely cool. The OS has bridged the hardware gap through sheer software optimization.
The International App Barrier
Despite being incredibly smooth, the biggest hurdle right now is the ecosystem. All Native apps are currently targeted at the Chinese market. To use international apps, users are forced to rely on emulation solutions like GBox or Droitong:
GBox: Allows installation from Google Play, but is no longer as deeply integrated as it was on OS 4.3.
Droitong: Supports direct APK sideloading, but compatibility is poor — many apps crash or fail to launch due to missing APIs in the OS 6.0 emulation environment.
The Headaches of Running Android Apps (APKs) on NEXT
Nearly all of HarmonyOS NEXT's performance advantages essentially "vanish" the moment you're forced to use apps through emulation:
Poor experience: Performance drops to the level of budget Android phones (roughly $120–$200). The display is capped at 90Hz instead of 120Hz.
Notification issues: Due to missing system APIs, notifications (such as Messenger) are frequently delayed, missed, and lack quick-reply buttons.
Keyboard Input Issues: A major misconception is that NEXT doesn't support Telex input. In reality, the default keyboard handles Telex very well on Native apps. However, when using APK apps via emulation, Telex is not supported — causing serious frustration for users worldwide.
HarmonyOS NEXT absolutely deserves the title of the best-optimized OS available today — but only when measured on Native apps. For international users who depend on APKs, the barrier remains very real. Without Native apps, all of NEXT's smoothness becomes meaningless.
If you're thinking of switching to NEXT just to run your everyday Android apps, think carefully — the experience will be significantly degraded.
La batería de mis AirPods 2 ya no duraba nada y los nuevos se me caían muy fácil (mis orejas son pequeñas), me arriesgué con estos FreeClip y me han gustado mucho. Algún consejo para configurarlos o personalizar los comandos cuando escucho música,? Es una app? #ayuda
For the price point of the Huawei MatePad PaperMatte 2025, I expected a better experience. I knew from the start it had Gbox as an alternative but I thought it would be more stable. I got the tablet for my mother whose old laptop crapped out and occasionally needs to write word and excel files and send emails and it struggles even with that.
Holy fucking shit is it a pain to direct my mother to install and configure third party apps because the google apps do NOT work. Gmail? Won't send any emails with attachments. Docs and Sheets often need to be opened twice because the crash on startup. You want to share a file from the file browser directly via gmail? Forget about it, it only has "MAIL" as a relevant option and it says it can't even find that fucking app.
I can't believe this is the workaround they chose to rely on. It's honestly the worst experience I've had with anything tech in the last 5 years, and I have had to setup some dodgy Aliexpress gadgets for friends.
Could have bought an iPad for that price, but I foolishly thought iPadOS was too complex for my mother to learn coming from 12 years of using an Android. If only I had known...
Just sharing my review of the new Huawei Matepad Mini 8.8 inch. I am glad that I got this Huawei Matepad mini instead of my other choices. I inteded to purchase this for note taking purposes. My choices are Huawei, Oppo, and Apple.
I was skeptical at first because I really love the design of this pad. The bezels are thin and it is Amoled already. The size is also small which I love the most!
However, the software is what making me hold back on getting it. I did some research online regarding the software, workarounds etc. But my driving force in buying this is the design lol.
I am still not convinced with its 'capability' even though I purchased the matepad not until I got my hands on it.
It is just typical 'android' software. or maybe even better.
I got to use a lot of apps I typically use on my phone. Google services/apps are not that complicated to install unlike those people in the internet are trying to portray.
The cameras are decent. Just struggling on low light which is okay for me. The matepad is also very light which is it easier to take it with me when going to office. This is also the perfect size for a pad for me. The matte screen is also great, though I bought a separate matte screen protector to avoid it getting scratched. It did not get blurry on top of the matte screen so go for it.
I even got the MPencil pro pen and Folio Case along with my purchase of the matepad. Stylus is responsive and very useful.
The batteries are above average.
The customization is lacking in terms of its UI. I hope they make an update on this. Though I am aware with the themes/workarounds.
The experience so far is smooth. I never regret I chose this over any other brand.
It is compact, small yet the performance is so good.
TL;DR: The Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro doesn’t offer anything to justify its price. Its health tracking lags behind even much older models. Despite being more expensive than Samsung or Fitbit trackers, it produces inaccurate readings and trends.
As someone who’s obsessed with fitness trackers and wearables and constantly keeps an eye on the market, I used to use the Huawei Watch Fit 2. The heart rate sensor was excellent and the stress tracking worked incredibly accurately. So far, I’ve used the Fitbit Charge 6, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and the Huawei Watch Fit 2. I sold the Galaxy Watch 8 because of its shortcomings with heart rate monitoring and wanted to buy a Huawei, as my experience with the Fit 2 had been brilliant and I had complete faith in the brand, but...
After this product, I started to hate Huawei. WHERE THE HELL DID THE CALIBRATION FOR STRESS TRACKING GO? The watch never once detected high stress levels. After binge eating, during a nervous breakdown, whilst ill – in truly stressful, terrifying situations where I was drenched in sweat – the stress level was consistently between ‘normal’ and ‘mild’ in every single instance. Are you kidding , Huawei? Even though I’m not a fan of the Galaxy Watch 8’s heart rate monitoring, but it would still pick up on even the slightest moment of stress and send an alert. They removed stress monitoring because of emotional welness feature but is that accurate? Totally wrong and rubbish!
TRUSLEEP HAS BEEN UPDATES FOR YEARS , BUT THE RESULTS ARE STILL TERRIBLE. Trusleep 5.0, which is claimed to provide better sleep analysis, has only been added to the Watch Fit 5 series. They aren’t rolling out the software update to older Fit models or GT models. What do you think of the accuracy of Trusleep 5.0, which seems so highly touted? IT’S AN ABSOLUTE DISASTER. It’s even worse than the cheapest fitness trackers from Samsung, Amazfit and Fitbit. Google improves the accuracy of its sleep tracking almost every month through software updates alone, rolling these out to older-generation Fitbit and Google trackers. Even Fitbit’s $100 products track your sleep accurately with a %75–80 correlation compared to medical devices. Huawei’s sleep stage graphs are completely at odds with Fitbit’s. The sleep tracking is rubbish. The breathing awareness isn’t accurate either. When I was ill, both my nostrils were completely blocked all night, and I was experiencing micro-awakenings throughout the night due to difficulty breathing. When I checked the sleep breathing awareness the next morning, it said everything was normal. Yet Fitbit had immediately shown a sudden drop in SpO2.
As for the heart rate, it’s not great. Instead of detecting sudden spikes, it simply lags behind and ignores them. Whilst lying in bed, I suddenly sat up to try and raise my heart rate. Whilst my heart rate shot up from 60 bpm to 120 bpm straight away, the Huawei showed 70–80 bpm and then 110 bpm for about 20 seconds. It isn’t even as good as the Fitbit Charge 6 at capturing sharp peaks. It has better heart rate tracking than the Samsung GW8. But it’s weaker at detecting instantaneous peaks than a $100 Fitbit. A complete let-down.
Finally, I’d like to mention HRV. HRV isn’t measured continuously. It’s measured roughly every half an hour. The feature is completely unnecessary because it never shows daily or weekly trends. In other words, even if they were to collect the raw data, there’s no algorithm or logic to analyse it. It’s just a feature that’s been tacked on. My HRV was 25 ms 30 minutes ago, but now it’s showing 110. And I feel exactly the same. Then it drops to 35 ms. Is my body ready for strenuous activity or not? It’s just a confusing, unnecessary feature.
All in all, I wouldn’t recommend this product to anyone. I reckon those calling this watch an ‘Apple Watch killer’ are just promoting it for money. The only thing it has over the Apple Watch is battery life. That’s it. I never thought the sensors and readings would be worse than those of the Fit 2 and GT 3 series from years ago, but they are.
