Huawei’s Pura 80 roll-out in Dubai is latest move in global smartphone push

Huawei Technologies rolled out the next phase of its global smartphone push on Thursday, with a launch event for the Pura 80 series in Dubai, as the Shenzhen-based tech giant seeks to revive its once-lucrative handset business amid US sanctions.

Three models – the Pura 80, Pura 80 Pro and Pura 80 Ultra – were unveiled at a launch event in Dubai, as Huawei showcased its commitment to the market dominated by Apple and Samsung Electronics even though its devices are not supported by popular apps such as Gmail or Google Maps.

The Pura 80 series, which debuted in mainland China last month and boasts improved photographic capabilities, marks Huawei’s latest expansion into major overseas markets such as the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Europe, as the Chinese tech giant seeks to revive its international smartphone business amid US sanctions.

The company also launched the Pura 70 series last May and the Mate X6 series in December.

“The Pura series has always been the smartphones that had the biggest impact in the market,” Andreas Zimmer, head of product at Huawei’s consumer business group, said at the event on Thursday.