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Last year, there was the HUAWEI Pura X, then the Pura X Max, now this is the Pura X View. These are the phones with the new form factors, that HUAWEI has been experimenting with. I say experimenting, but actually they are not exactly new, I think BlackBerry was the brand that’s known for wide phones. And interestingly, the Pura X View is a lot like those. Here in this review, we will do a very quick hands-on. And since we are not sure if this will be released globally, you can purchase the Chinese version from Geekwills.
Form Factor
Now this phone is sort of like the non-foldable sibling of the Pura X, they share almost the same size of inner screen. The aspect ratio of the screen is 16:9.5, which means, it is just a bit wider up and down than regular 16:9 videos we watch all the time.
And it weighs about 201g, a very light phone actually. And unlike the regular flagship that has a heavy camera module on top, holding in the hand is very comfortable. It’s hard to describe it with words, you will know when you really hold it in your hand.
And although it is wider, there is no problem putting it in the pocket, and you won’t feel uncomfortable at all. And also because it is wider, it can be made thinner, it is indeed a bit thinner than other flagships. One thing I personally am not quite fond of is, since the frame is thin and glossy, it is a bit hard to grab it from the desk, but maybe a better case can fix this problem. It packs a 7000mAh big battery, again thanks to the wider body.
Experience
With this wider screen, it is better for typing, dealing with docs, reading, watching content, even gaming. Let me show you these one by one.
As you can see, each key is wider than on regular phones, so the chances you mistype are a lot lower, therefore your productivity is better. But to get that productivity, you have to type with both hands. If you do want to use only one hand, there is a one-hand mode. It can also recognize which hand you are using, then move the keyboard to that side.
Then viewing docs or tables, there are not necessarily more words in one line, but certainly more immersive. The same goes for tables, you can stretch the whole file on the regular phone, but the comfort of reading bigger text is still never there. But if I put a regular foldable next to it, the regular foldable still wins.
Ok for reading, the screen size of this phone is actually very similar to the Kindle Paperwhite, so the experience is a lot similar. But when it comes to reading comic books, the visual impact from colorful drawings is just very different. Plus, you can use the power button to turn pages, and it is more pocketable than the Kindle.
When watching the most common 16:9 video, you get a bigger viewing area when you hold the phone vertically. And more content left and right for TikTok 9:16 content. When watching content horizontally, there are just tiny black bezels up and down, versus a big empty space left and right on the regular phone. We switched to a 2:1 ratio format for our YouTube videos a while ago. In this situation, the black bezel up and down is bigger, but the left and right are filled, still better than regular phones. Personally, I think it looks better on the Pura X View. If you have access to IMAX movies, this screen will still give you a better viewing experience.
What about gaming? Not sure why Genshin Impact can’t be installed, so I tried Valorant instead. Indeed there is more content up and down, and it is kind of more immersive if you are playing some battle-type games. And one thing to mention here, the cooling plate is bigger, so it is cooler when playing games for a long session. And again because of the screen size, it can simulate a Game Boy, with a screen on the top, and the buttons at the bottom. There is a good App in the App Store that can do that, you just need to download the games from somewhere else.
Other Features
Some other info about this phone. It is powered by the Kirin 9030S chip, with 12GB of RAM, and runs HarmonyOS 7. The cameras are very good, too. There is the 200MP main camera, 50MP telephoto, and 8MP ultra-wide, with a second-gen RYYB sensor for accurate colors. The front camera is 50MP also. The screen is OLED, FHD+ with 406 PPI, and protected by Kunlun glass. It supports IP68 protection. It can support 2 SIM cards, and also eSIM. Battery is 7000mAh, 66W wired charging, 50W wireless charging.
Summary
So overall, I love this phone a lot. Even after so many years with the bar phones we have, the second I pick it up, it feels so good in the hand. That’s why I feel like using it all the time, it really is a fresh experience you can only get when you get your hands on it. If you ask me who this phone is for, I will say everyone, literally everyone. The only uncertain thing is how it is going to be optimized for the global market, whether it is going to be EMUI still, and whether it will have support for popular Apps. So wait until it gets launched globally, or if you want it now, you can head to Geekwills to buy it.
