Published: January 14, 2026
A fresh wave of Huawei Pura 90 Ultra leaks is making the rounds today, and the headline is clear: Huawei’s next camera-first flagship could get a notable design shift and a major telephoto upgrade. Multiple reports circulating on January 14 point to a concept-backed horizontal camera bar on the rear panel—while keeping Huawei’s signature triangular lens layout—plus a 200MP periscope telephoto allegedly built around SmartSens’ SCC80XS sensor. (Huawei Central)
None of this is official yet, but the consistency across today’s coverage paints a fairly coherent early picture of what Huawei may be aiming for with the Pura 90 Ultra: more dramatic aesthetics, more ambitious zoom, and potentially a bigger battery and flatter screen to match 2026 flagship trends. (Huawei Central)
Today’s Huawei Pura 90 Ultra news in one minute
Here’s what January 14’s leak cycle is claiming, at a glance:
- New design direction: a wide horizontal camera bar across the top rear, still housing a triangular triple-ring layout. (Huawei Central)
- Big zoom rumor: a 200MP periscope telephoto, reportedly SmartSens SCC80XS made on a 22nm process. (Huawei Central)
- Main camera rumor: a 50MP 1-inch main sensor with variable aperture is repeatedly mentioned. (Huawei Central)
- Core platform rumors:Kirin 9030 / 9030 Pro, HarmonyOS 6.1, and potential 3D face recognition. (Báo và Phát thanh, Truyền hình Nghệ An)
- Battery/charging rumors: as high as 6,500–7,000mAh and 100W wired / 50W wireless charging. (Báo và Phát thanh, Truyền hình Nghệ An)
- Timing rumors: launch is widely rumored for May 2026 in China, with some suggesting a later wider rollout. (Báo và Phát thanh, Truyền hình Nghệ An)
The design story: Huawei may go horizontal—without abandoning the triangle
The most eye-catching update today is a new concept image shared by Weibo user SuperDimensional, picked up in leak coverage. The image suggests Huawei could move to a horizontal “camera bar” stretching across the upper rear panel—an increasingly popular design language in premium phones—while still retaining the triangular lens arrangement that has become a modern Pura-series signature. (Huawei Central)
According to today’s report, the concept shows:
- A wide rectangle spanning the upper rear
- Three large camera rings grouped on the left, maintaining the triangle layout
- The flash, a smaller sensor, and XMAGE branding on the right side of the bar
- Huawei branding placed toward the lower left of the back (Huawei Central)
It’s worth stressing what this is—and what it isn’t. This is a concept image, not an official render, and the same report notes there’s no front view shown. That matters because it keeps key questions (like the display cutout style or whether Huawei will bring back advanced face scanning hardware) firmly in rumor territory for now. (Huawei Central)
Still, the idea itself is plausible. A horizontal camera platform gives brands more room to spread out large imaging hardware (periscope modules especially) and can make a big camera phone look more “balanced” instead of top-heavy.
The camera story: a 200MP periscope telephoto is the headline leak
Today’s second major thread is the claim that Huawei’s next Ultra could finally join the top-tier 200MP telephoto club.
A January 14 report says the Pura 90 Ultra is speculated to use a 200MP “super zoom” camera sourced from SmartSens, pointing specifically to the SCC80XS sensor and describing it as a 22nm periscope imaging sensor. (Huawei Central)
A separate English-language report published today echoes the same theme: a 200MP telephoto camera based on SmartSens SCC80XS and a 1-inch main sensor with variable aperture. (Báo và Phát thanh, Truyền hình Nghệ An)
Why the SCC80XS detail matters
Unlike many leak-only part numbers, the SmartSens SCC80XS is a real, officially announced sensor—and its published capabilities line up with why a brand would pick it for a flagship telephoto.
SmartSens’ own announcement (dated October 2025) describes SCC80XS as:
- A 200MP mobile image sensor with 0.61μm pixels
- Built on a 22nm Stack process
- Supporting in-sensor zoom modes: 2x (50MP) and 4x (12.5MP)
- Featuring peak quantum efficiency up to 80%
- Offering dynamic range up to 85dB with PixGain HDR
- Supporting 4K 120fps (standard) and 4K 60fps HDR video recording
- Sampling planned for November 2025 and mass production targeted for Q1 2026 (SmartSense Tech)
That “Q1 2026 mass production” timeline is particularly relevant to today’s Huawei rumor cycle. If Huawei is targeting a spring or early-summer flagship window, choosing a sensor entering mass production in early 2026 would be consistent with normal supply chain planning.
What about the main camera?
Alongside the 200MP zoom leak, today’s reports repeatedly mention a 50MP 1-inch main camera with variable aperture—a combination aimed at improving low-light performance and giving photographers more control over depth and exposure. (Huawei Central)
However, even in today’s coverage, one key detail remains unclear: who supplies the 1-inch main sensor. At least one report explicitly notes that the supplier for that main sensor isn’t confirmed yet. (Huawei Central)
Specs rumors: Kirin 9030 Pro, HarmonyOS 6.1, flat displays, and a very large battery
Beyond imaging hardware, today’s leak round-up repeats several platform and design choices that would make the Pura 90 Ultra feel more “2026 flagship” than “iterative refresh.”
Flat displays and screen sizes
A report published today claims the Pura 90 line may return to flat screens, with sizes ranging around 6.58 inches and 6.87 inches, and that Huawei could integrate 3D facial recognition for added security. (Báo và Phát thanh, Truyền hình Nghệ An)
If accurate, this would mark a meaningful shift in feel—flat panels tend to favor usability (fewer edge touches, easier screen protectors), while 3D face recognition implies a more complex front sensor setup than basic selfie-camera-only unlocking.
Chipset: Kirin 9030 and 9030 Pro
On performance, multiple reports today suggest a split lineup approach:
- Pura 90 (base): Kirin 9030
- Pro / Ultra: Kirin 9030 Pro (Báo và Phát thanh, Truyền hình Nghệ An)
Software: HarmonyOS 6.1
HarmonyOS 6.1 is repeatedly listed as the expected OS for the Pura 90 series in current leak reporting, with at least one outlet framing it as focused on smoother multitasking and tighter ecosystem integration. (Báo và Phát thanh, Truyền hình Nghệ An)
Battery and charging: the “big phone” angle
Perhaps the most headline-grabbing non-camera rumor is battery size. Today’s reports claim:
- Base Pura 90 could land around 6,000mAh
- Pro/Ultra could reach 6,500mAh to 7,000mAh
- Charging could include 100W wired and 50W wireless (Báo và Phát thanh, Truyền hình Nghệ An)
If Huawei actually pushes the Ultra to 7,000mAh, it would place the phone among the most endurance-focused flagships—especially important if Huawei is also pushing high-performance imaging and high-brightness displays, which can be power hungry.
Release date rumors: when might Huawei launch the Pura 90 Ultra?
While Huawei hasn’t confirmed anything publicly, today’s reports cluster around a similar timeline: a May 2026 debut in China for the Pura 90 series. (Báo và Phát thanh, Truyền hình Nghệ An)
One outlet also suggests a broader rollout could come later, with Europe potentially seeing the devices in summer. (connect România)
Pricing is even more speculative, but one report today references a starting point around 5,499 yuan for the base model—while the Ultra would naturally sit higher. (Báo và Phát thanh, Truyền hình Nghệ An)
Why these leaks matter: Huawei’s next “camera phone” move could be both aesthetic and technical
Even in rumor form, today’s leak package is interesting because it points to two shifts at once:
- A new visual identity (horizontal bar) that could modernize how Huawei’s Ultra looks on a table or in a hand. (Huawei Central)
- A genuine zoom escalation (200MP periscope) that aligns Huawei with the current premium camera phone arms race. (Huawei Central)
And because the SCC80XS is a formally announced sensor with clear technical goals—high resolution, HDR, low noise, high frame-rate video—it’s not just a “bigger number” rumor. It’s a component designed for the kind of zoom and video bragging rights flagship buyers actually notice. (SmartSense Tech)
What to watch next
If you’re tracking Huawei’s next flagship camera phone, the next credible milestones typically look like this:
- More consistent renders (not just concepts) showing the same camera bar proportions and lens placements
- A second source confirming the main 1-inch sensor supplier
- Camera module or prototype photos that validate whether the horizontal bar is real or just a design exploration
- Regulatory filings / certifications that often hint at charging speeds and battery capacity before launch
Until then, treat today’s Pura 90 Ultra details as a directional snapshot: a likely imaging focus, a possible camera-bar redesign, and a pile of specs that fit the 2026 flagship template—but still not confirmed by Huawei. (Huawei Central)
