This new flagship phone has two zoom lenses, but only one zoom camera (wait, what?)

The Pura 80 Ultra's zoom camera sensor can physically move between two sets of telephoto lenses.

Jun 11, 2025 - 11:10

This new flagship phone has two zoom lenses, but only one zoom camera (wait, what?)

Credit: HUAWEI

HUAWEI has announced the Pura 80 series of smartphones.
The Pura 80 Ultra has a switchable tele lens, which sees one zoom camera used for two periscope lenses.
The phone is available in China for $1,391.

HUAWEI has been teasing the Pura 80 series of flagship phones for a while now, and leaks point to a radical zoom camera system for the Pura 80 Ultra. Now, the company has indeed announced the Pura 80 series.

The Pura 80 Ultra stands out from other smartphones by offering a single zoom camera sensor for two sets of periscope lenses (3.7x and 9.4x). In fact, text on the back of the phone characterizes this as a “switchable tele lens.” More specifically, a prism seems to move between the two lenses as needed. This differs from Sony’s variable telephoto camera system, which sees the lenses moving to achieve different levels of zoom.