Phone Comparisons: Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra

Both Google and Huawei have rather compelling flagship smartphones available at the moment. In this article, we’ll compare them, the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra. Google’s handset arrived back in August, while Huawei announced its phone in April. These two phones are immensely different. Not only are they different from the design and in-hand feel standpoint, but the internals are also different, and the software too.

The main difference in terms of software is the fact that Huawei’s phone doesn’t have support for Google services. Yes, the launcher is different, as is on any other phone, but it’s still Android… just without Google services. In other words, there’s no Play Store here, and you won’t be able to use Google apps unless you jump through certain hoops. If you’re okay with that, and you’re still interested… let’s get to it.

Specs

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra, respectively

– Screen size:
6.8-inch QHD+ OLED (flat, adaptive 120Hz, HDR, 3,000 nits)
6.8-inch LTPO OLED display (flat, adaptive 120Hz, HDR, 2,500 nits max brightness)
– Display resolution:
2992 x 1344
2844 x 1260
– SoC:
Google Tensor G4
Huawei Kirin 9010
– RAM:
16GB (LPDDR5X)
– Storage:
128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 3.1)
512GB/1TB (UFS 4.0)
– Rear cameras:
50MP (wide, f/1.7 aperture, 1.2um pixel size, OIS, EIS), 48MP (ultrawide, f/1.7 aperture, 123-degree FoV), 48MP (periscope telephoto, f/2.8 aperture, OIS, EIS, 5x optical 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:
42MP (f/2.2 aperture)
13MP (wide, f/2.4 aperture, autofocus)
– Battery:
5,060mAh
5,200mAh
– Charging:
37W wired, 23W wireless (Pixel Stand), 12W Qi wireless, 5W reverse wireless (no charger)
100W wired, 80W wireless, 20W reverse wireless, 18W reverse wired (charger included)
– Dimensions:
162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5 mm
162.6 x 75.1 x 8.4mm
– Weight:
221 grams
226 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3/5.2
– Security:
Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner & facial scanning
In-display fingerprint scanner & facial scanning
– OS:
Android 14
Android 12 with EMUI 14
– Price:
$1,099+
€1,499+
– Buy:
Pixel 9 Pro XL (Best Buy, Google Store)
Huawei Pura 70 Ultra (Amazon)

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra: Design

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is made out of metal and glass. Huawei’s phone, on the flip side, is made out of metal and eco-leather. Because of that backplate, the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra is a lot less slippery device in comparison. The in-hand feel is considerably different too, not only because of the materials but the shapes of the two phones. The Pixel 9 Pro XL has flat sides all around, while the frame on the sides is rounded on the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra.

Also, the Pixel 9 Pro XL has flat front and back sides, including the flat display, of course. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra has a quad micro curved display, and the same goes for its backplate. In other words, the display is flat, but it does curve slightly towards the edges. The same goes for its backplate. That makes the phone immensely comfortable to hold and use, in combination with a soft-touch back, of course.

The power/lock button and volume up and down keys are located on the right-hand side of both smartphones. The position is different, however. The power/lock button is placed above the volume buttons on the Pixel 9 Pro XL. It’s the other way around on the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra. Their camera islands are also notably different. The Pixel 9 Pro XL has a pill-shaped camera island, which is horizontally laid out on the back. Huawei’s phone has a rather oddly-shaped camera island in the top-left corner, it sure does look unique.

Both phones include a display camera hole which is centered, though the one on Google’s phone is placed a bit lower. The bezels are immensely thin on both phones and also uniform. They have the same display sizes and essentially have the same height, but the Pixel 9 Pro XL is a bit wider. They have almost identical thicknesses. Google’s phone is 5 grams lighter, though. You’re also getting an IP68 certification on both of these smartphones, for peace of mind.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra: Display

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL features a 6.8-inch 2992 x 1344 LTPO OLED display. That panel is flat, and it offers an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz). HDR10+ content is supported, while the peak brightness sits at 3,000 nits. The display aspect ratio is 20:9, while the screen-to-body ratio is at around 88%. This display is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 from Corning.

The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra, on the flip side, has a 6.8-inch panel as well, an LTPO OLED display. That display is also flat, and it can project up to 1 billion colors. HDR content is supported, while the refresh rate is adaptive (1-120Hz). The peak brightness is 2,500 nits, and the screen-tobody ratio is around 89%. This display is protected by the Kunlun Glass (Basalt-tempered).

Both of these displays are great. They’re both vivid, sharp, and have great viewing angles. Both displays also get more than bright enough when you need them too. The touch response is also good on both of them. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra’s display does support high-frequency PWM dimming, if that’s something you care about, it has the edge over the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s display in that regard. The vast majority of you will be happy with either of these two displays, though.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra: Performance

The Google Tensor G4 fuels the Pixel 9 Pro XL. That is Google’s very own 4nm processor. The company also included 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM inside of this smartphone. UFS 3.1 flash storage is also included in the package, though it’s not expandable. The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, on the other hand, is fueled by the Kirin 9010 chip from Huawei, that is a 7nm processor. The phone also includes 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage.

Looking at their processors, the Pixel 9 Pro XL does have the upper hand. Huawei was quite limited in terms of processor use due to US sanctions. It had to create its own with SMIC in order to be able to use 5G. That chip works really well inside the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra, as long as you’re not planning on playing the most demanding games out there. We’ve experienced excellent performance from both of these phones in day-to-day use.

Neither phone is made to play games, however. The most demanding games will make them both sweat, while those simpler and mid-range games can be easily played on both smartphones. If you are planning on playing a lot of demanding games, however, we’d recommend getting some other phone. In general, however, they both offer really good performance.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra: Battery

A 5,060mAh battery sits inside the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra, on the other hand, has a 5,200mAh battery. Google’s phone technically has a more power efficient chip. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra has a larger battery. In the end, the battery life is somewhat balanced between these two phones, at least from what we’ve seen. Both of them actually offer really good battery life.

It is possible to get over 7 hours of screen-on-time on these phones, consistently. Do note that we used both phones quite a bit on those days, but gaming was not included in the equation. Also, using the camera a ton will affect battery life quite a bit, as will other processor-intensive tasks. Overall, though, both phones managed to last quite some time, and the standby time was not that bad either, especially on the Pixel 9 Pro XL.

The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra completely shames the Pixel 9 Pro XL in the charging department, though. Huawei’s flagship supports 100W wired, 80W wireless, 20W reverse wireless, and 18W reverse wired charging. The Pixel 9 Pro XL supports 37W wired, 23W wireless (with Pixel Stand), 12W wireless (Qi charging), and 5W reverse wireless charging. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra also comes with a charger, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL does not.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Huawei Pura 70 Ultra: Cameras

Both of these devices have three cameras on the back, though they are different, of course. The Pixel 9 Pro XL features a 50-megapixel main camera (1/1.31-inch sensor), a 48-megapixel ultrawide unit (123-degree FoV), and a 48-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (1/2.55-inch sensor, 5x optical zoom). The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra includes a 50-megapixel main camera (1-inch type sensor, f/1.6-4.0 aperture, retractable lens), a 40-megapixel ultrawide unit, and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (3.5x optical zoom, 5cm macro).

The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra does have a notable advantage in main and periscope telephoto camera hardware. That shows in images, actually, as soon as you take a closer look at them. Both phones do a great job with photos, no doubt about that, but if you zoom in, and take a closer look, the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra will likely impress you more. Huawei’s phone leans more towards warmer colors, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL does the opposite.

Both smartphones do a great job in low light too, though the low light images from the Pixel 9 Pro XL tend to look even too bright at times. The Pura 70 Ultra does a better job of making them belong, kind of. It’s all a matter of preference, though. Google does have a much better suite of AI features to offer, that goes for AI camera features as well. Both ultrawide cameras do a good job, though we were more impressed with the Pixel’s.

Audio

You will find stereo speakers on both of these smartphones. The ones on the Pixel 9 Pro XL are notably louder, though. That becomes very obvious when you play them side by side. The output quality is good either way, though.

There is no audio jack to speak of here, on either phone. You can always hook up your headphones via the Type-C port that both phones offer, though. Alternatively, the Pixel 9 Pro XL and Huawei Pura 70 Ultra offer Bluetooth 5.3 and Bluetooth 5.2, respectively.