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Smartphone manufacturers from China made some truly compelling flagships in the last year or so. We’ll compare two of them here, current-gen flagships, the OnePlus 12 vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra. OnePlus’ handset originally launched in December, but its global launch followed in Q1 this year. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra was announced back in April. Both models do come in global variants, though the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra ships without Google services. Huawei’s very own services and app store are included.
We will first check out their specifications, and will then move to other categories. We’ll be comparing their designs, displays, performance, battery life, camera performance, and audio output. These two phones are both powerful, but also quite different in so many was. That being said, let’s get to it.
Specs
OnePlus 12 vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra, respectively
– Screen size:
6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED display (curved, 120Hz LTPO, HDR10+, 4,500 nits)
6.8-inch LTPO OLED display (flat, adaptive 120Hz, HDR, 2,500 nits max brightness)
– Display resolution:
3168 x 1440
2844 x 1260
– SoC:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Huawei Kirin 9010
– RAM:
12GB/16GB (LPDDR5X)
16GB (LPDDR5X)
– Storage:
256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0)
512GB/1TB (UFS 4.0)
– Rear cameras:
50MP (f/1.6 aperture, 23mm lens, 1.12um pixel size, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS), 48MP (ultrawide, 14mm lens, 114-degree FoV, f/2.2 aperture, 0.8um pixel size, PDAF), 64MP (periscope telephoto, 0.7um pixel size, OIS, PDAF, 3x optical zoom, 6x “in-sensor” 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:
32MP (f/2.4 aperture, 0.8um pixel size)
13MP (wide, f/2.4 aperture, autofocus)
– Battery:
5,400mAh
5,200mAh
– Charging:
100W wired, 50W wireless, reverse wireless (charger included)
100W wired, 80W wireless, 20W reverse wireless, 18W reverse wired (charger included)
– Dimensions:
164.3 x 75.8 x 9.2mm
162.6 x 75.1 x 8.4mm
– Weight:
220 grams
226 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.4
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 with OxygenOS 14
Android 12 with EMUI 14
– Price:
$799.99+
€1,499+
– Buy:
OnePlus 12 (Best Buy)
Huawei Pura 70 Ultra (Amazon)
OnePlus 12 vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra: Design
It may seem, at first, that both smartphones have curved displays. That’s not really the case, though. The OnePlus 12 does, but the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra does not. It has a quad-curved glass on top of its display, so it may seem like the display is curved. The back sides of both smartphones are proportional to the front, in case you were wondering. The materials used on the back are different, however. The OnePlus 12 comes with a glass back, while the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra includes vegan leather aka eco-leather.
Both phones use aluminum for their frames, while the OnePlus 12 is slightly taller, wider, and thicker. It is also slightly lighter, by 6 grams. That’s not something you’ll notice while you’re using the phone, however. Both phones have a centered display camera hole on the front, and very thin bezels. The bezels on the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra are uniform, and that device has more rounded corners than the OnePlus 12.
Physical buttons sit on the right-hand side of both smartphones. The thing is, the OnePlus 12 also has an alert slider switch, and it’s located on the left side. Their camera islands both sit in the top-left corner on the back, but they look considerably different. The one on the OnePlus 12 is round, but it has a piece of metal that connects it to the side frame. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra has a truly unique-looking camera island, it’s even hard to describe. It is very easy to recognize it, however. Both phones include three cameras in there.
The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra is easier to hold and use, and the fact it’s less slippery has something to do with it. They feel entirely different in the hand, though. The OnePlus 12 offers an IP65 certification for water and dust resistance, while the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra comes with an IP68 certification.
OnePlus 12 vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra: Display
The OnePlus 12 includes a 6.82-inch QHD+ (3168 x 1440) LTPO AMOLED display. That panel is curved, and it can project up to 1 billion colors. It has an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Dolby Vision is supported, and the same goes for HDR10+ content. The peak brightness of this panel is 4,500 nits, in theory, though you’ll never be able to go that high. The screen-to-body ratio is at around 90%, while the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects this panel.
The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra, on the other hand, has a 6.8-inch 2844 x 1260 LTPO OLED display. That panel can also project up to 1 billion colors, and it does support HDR content. Its refresh rate is adaptive, and it goes up to 120Hz. The peak brightness of this display is at 2,500 nits. The screen-to-body ratio here is around 89%, while the panel is protected by Kunlun Glass (Basalt-tempered).
Not many of you will have complaints on either one of these two panels. They are both vivid, more than sharp enough, and have great viewing angles. The blacks are deep, and the touch response is also very good. Both panels are also well-protected, and they are also more than bright enough. There’s really nothing to complain about here. You can always nitpick, but the fact is, both of these displays are outstanding.
OnePlus 12 vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra: Performance
The OnePlus 12 is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, Qualcomm’s most powerful chip. The phone also includes up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage. On the flip side, the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra is fueled by the Kirin 9010 processor. It includes 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage. Neither phone offers storage expansion, in case you were wondering.
The OnePlus 12 has a considerably more powerful chip, a 4nm processor, compared to a 7nm chip inside the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra. Huawei is limited by the US sanctions, so it had to be creative. With that in mind, both processors do a great job regarding performance. Huawei optimized the performance of the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra really well. We did not have any issues with performance, as it was able to keep up with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in regards to multitasking, browsing, multimedia consumption, image processing, and so on.
If you fire up benchmarks, you’ll see considerable differences, of course. You’ll also notice a difference if you end up playing the most demanding games out there. The OnePlus 12 will perform better as it has a considerably more powerful chip. For everything else, however, they both performed really well, we didn’t have a problem whatsoever.
OnePlus 12 vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra: Battery
A 5,400mAh battery sits inside the OnePlus 12. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra has a 5,200mAh battery pack. The display sizes are almost identical here. In regards to battery life, the OnePlus 12 did better for us, overall. Just to be clear, both phones offered really good battery life, but the OnePlus 12 was able to pull ahead a bit. Both phones are capable of crossing the 7-hour screen-on-time mark, as long as you’re not gaming or something like that.
The OnePlus 12 was truly able to go the distance, as it offered approximately 20%+ better battery life. It was able to cross the 8-hour screen-on-time mark when needed, and still have some juice left in the tank. Both phones can go the distance if you need them to, that’s for sure. Yes, the OnePlus 12 did better for us, but the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra also offered great battery life, so… chances are most of you will be happy with the battery life both of these phones provide.
In regards to charging, both of them are well-equipped, but the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra is more versatile. The device supports 100W wired, 80W wireless, 20W reverse wireless, and 18W reverse wired charging. The OnePlus 12 supports 100W wired (80W in the US), 50W wireless, and 10W reverse wireless charging. Huawei offers faster wireless and reverse wireless charging, while it also offers reverse wired charging, unlike the OnePlus 12. Both smartphones do include a charger in the box, though.
OnePlus 12 vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra: Cameras
You will find three cameras on the back of both of these phones. The OnePlus 12 includes a 50-megapixel main camera, a 48-megapixel ultrawide unit (114-degree FoV), and a 64-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (3x optical zoom). The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra, on the other hand, has a 50-megapixel main camera (variable aperture, sensor-shift OIS, retractable lens). In addition to that, a 40-megapixel ultrawide unit is also included, and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (3.5x optical zoom).
Both of these smartphones can provide outstanding images. In fact, they’re amongst the best camera smartphones out there. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra does have the edge, though. Its main camera is more reliable, as it rarely misses a shot. The OnePlus 12 is not far from it, but still, it’s a bit behind. The two devices also provide different shots. The OnePlus 12 images are a bit more contrasty, while the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra shots have a warm tone to them, more often than not.
In low light, both phones are immensely capable. The colors on the OnePlus 12 look outstanding, while the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra balances low light shots perfectly. Their secondary cameras do a good job of keeping up with the color science of the main camera. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra’s telephoto camera is a great macro camera too, actually, one of the best on the market.
Audio
You will find stereo speakers on both of these devices. The ones on the OnePlus 12 are a bit louder, though. The difference is not huge, but that is something worth noting. The sound output is well-optimized and balanced on both phones.
You will not find a 3.5mm headphone jack on either of these two phones. They both have a Type-C port at the bottom, however, so you can utilize it if you want to connect your headphones via a wire, of course. If not, Bluetooth 5.4 is available on the OnePlus 12. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra offers Bluetooth 5.2.