By Adele Chan
Smartphone cameras have gotten better and better with every release; with the quality between flagship phones constantly being compared. Take Xiaomi’s partnership with Leica… it goes directly up against Oppo’s collaboration with Hasselblad. Then there’s vivo’s co-engineering with Zeiss lenses.
The one brand that has always stood on its own and yet somehow always tops the ranks at DXOMARK, is Huawei. Their XMAGE system and Harmony OS have gained a loyal cult following — and not just in China, but globally.
Last December, I used the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra at Soundstorm Music Festival in Riyadh, and was impressed by the 1-inch sensor and high quality zoomed-in photos.
This week, I’m in Kuala Lumpur for the global launch of the Huawei Pura 90s series, which includes the Pura 90s Pro Max that I’ll be reviewing.
DESIGN
The Huawei Pura 90s Pro Max is available in three key colours for Singapore: including the model’s hero shade — the striking Orange Ocean finish, which is a dual-tone gradient inspired by holidays and vacations. In photos, it looks like a clear winner, and in person, it is truly stunning and stands out from the crowd of solid-coloured phones.
The expansive 6.9-inch LTPO OLED screen is wrapped in an anti-reflective coating, making visuals pop with incredible clarity, plus it’s also protected by the latest Kunlun Glass, the chassis is reassuringly robust without sacrificing its sleek, tactile elegance.
200MP TELEPHOTO LENS
While competitors chase raw megapixels on their main cameras, Huawei’s upgraded XMAGE array delivers a staggering 200MP sensor behind the 4x optical periscope telephoto lens.
This lens fundamentally changes the photography experience:
- Intentional Portraiture: At a 4x or 5x crop, the lens naturally separates subjects from the background, delivering a creamy, painterly optical bokeh that rivals dedicated full-frame camera systems.
- Architectural Precision: Whether framing the Petronas Twin Towers or the interior of a restaurant or hotel, the massive 200MP resolution allows for aggressive cropping while retaining crisp textures and clean lines.
- Editorial Colour Science: The new Red Maple colour engine completely bypasses the hyper-processed, over-saturated look of modern smartphones. Skin tones are warm and accurate, while environments retain their sophisticated, true-to-life palettes.
AI-POWERED IMAGING
In the new Pura 90s Pro Max, Huawei has improved their AI technology on scene coverage, and camera position and movement guide.
- Intelligent Composition & AI Pose: If you are framing a portrait or lifestyle shot, the real-time AI Pose engine analyses the human form and the geometry of your surroundings, suggesting real-time composition adjustments and natural angles so shots never feel stiff or staged.
- Neural Anti-Shake: Telephoto lenses are notoriously sensitive to the slightest hand tremors. Working alongside the physical hardware stabilisation, Huawei’s AI anti-shake algorithms predict movement patterns, delivering a massive 30% improvement in stability. The result is perfectly crisp handheld shots even at an extreme 20x zoom.
- LOFIC & Semantic Exposure: By pairing the main sensor’s variable aperture with advanced AI exposure mapping, the camera separates the scene into multiple semantic layers. It understands that a candlelit dinner requires a different shadow falloff than a backlit sunset, protecting highlights from blowing out while ensuring shadows retain their natural grain and depth.
Rather than making images look artificial, the AI on the Pura 90s Pro Max does something far more valuable — it removes the technical friction of mobile photography, leaving you with images that appear natural, high quality and aesthetically pleasing.
ALL DAY USE
Beneath the glass, the experience is incredibly fluid. Powered by the latest Kirin architecture and EMUI, the device transitions seamlessly between apps and international 5G bands.
When your itinerary runs long, the 6000mAh battery handles a full day of heavy shooting with ease. If you do run low, the 100W wired (or 80W wireless) charging tops the device back up in the time it takes to finish a quick espresso.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Huawei Pura 90 Pro Max has incredible image quality that isn’t compromised by low light situations or long zooms. It is a professional-grade creative camera system housed within a beautiful chassis, making it an excellent companion for documenting life and travels. When it comes to smartphone photography, right now you can’t get any better than this.
The Huawei Pura 90s Pro Max is priced at $1,498 (12+512GB). Pre-orders are from 30 July – 5 August 2026, with retail available starting on 6 August 2026.
