Huawei’s device lineup covers two very different corners of consumer technology, and the Pura 70 Ultra and the MatePad Pro sit at the top of each. Comparing them isn’t really about picking “the better device” in a vacuum — it’s about understanding what each one is actually built to do, because a flagship camera phone and a large-screen productivity tablet solve completely different problems.
The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra is Huawei’s flagship smartphone, built around a photography-first design with a large sensor-shift main camera, a telephoto lens, and a compact glass-and-metal body meant to be carried everywhere. The Huawei MatePad Pro (the 13.2-inch model is the current flagship tablet) is a large-screen productivity device aimed at note-taking, drawing, video consumption, and light creative or office work, often paired with a keyboard and stylus.
People end up comparing the two for a few practical reasons: some are deciding how to split a budget between a phone and a tablet, some already own one and are wondering whether the other is worth adding, and some simply want to understand where a phone’s capabilities end and where a tablet’s capabilities pick up. This guide walks through both devices side by side — design, performance, features, connectivity, battery life, and price — so you can decide which one (or whether both) fits your needs.
Quick Comparison
| Specification | Huawei Pura 70 Ultra | Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Flagship smartphone | Flagship tablet |
| Display | 6.8″ LTPO OLED, 1260 x 2844, 120Hz, 2500 nits peak | 13.2″ Flexible OLED, 2880 x 1920, 144Hz, 1000 nits peak |
| Chipset | Kirin 9010 (7nm) | Kirin T92 |
| RAM | 12GB / 16GB | 12GB / 16GB |
| Storage | 512GB / 1TB (no expansion) | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB (no expansion) |
| Rear cameras | 50MP wide (sensor-shift OIS) + 50MP telephoto (3.5x optical) + 40MP ultrawide | 50MP wide + 8MP ultrawide |
| Front camera | 13MP ultrawide | 16MP |
| Battery | 5200mAh, 100W wired, 80W wireless | 10,100mAh, 100W wired |
| Build | Glass front, aluminum frame, eco-leather back | Glass front, nylon fiber back, magnesium alloy frame |
| Weight | 226g | 580g (Wi-Fi) / 590g (LTE) |
| Water/Dust resistance | IP68 | Not officially rated |
| OS | HarmonyOS 4.2 (EMUI 14.2 internationally) | HarmonyOS 4.3 |
| Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, infrared | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 (LTE on select models) |
| Stylus/Keyboard support | No dedicated stylus | Yes (M-Pencil, keyboard cover sold separately) |
Note: Huawei has released multiple MatePad Pro sizes over the years (11-inch and 13.2-inch variants), and exact chipset naming has varied by region and generation. The specifications above reflect the 13.2-inch (2024) model, currently Huawei’s flagship tablet.
Design and Build Quality
The Pura 70 Ultra is a compact, pocket-friendly flagship phone. It measures roughly 162.6 x 75.1 x 8.4mm and weighs 226 grams, with a glass front, an aluminum frame, and a soft eco-leather back available in colors like Chanson Green and Mocha Brown. It carries an IP68 rating, meaning it can handle dust exposure and brief submersion in water — a meaningful advantage for anyone who wants a device that survives daily wear and tear without a case.
The MatePad Pro takes the opposite approach by design, because it’s meant to be held with two hands or propped on a stand rather than carried in a pocket. At just 5.5mm thick and 580 grams, it’s still remarkably slim and light for a 13.2-inch tablet, using a magnesium alloy frame and a nylon fiber back panel that helps keep the weight down while adding some resistance to fingerprints. It does not carry an official IP rating, so it’s less suited to outdoor or wet-environment use than the phone.
In short: the Pura 70 Ultra is designed for portability and durability in your pocket, while the MatePad Pro is designed for comfortable extended handheld or desk use, not for rough conditions.
Performance
Real-world performance on the Pura 70 Ultra is defined by its Kirin 9010 chipset paired with up to 16GB of RAM. It handles everyday tasks, camera processing, and app switching smoothly, and HarmonyOS/EMUI’s animation and memory management have matured enough that multitasking between apps feels responsive. Where it can lag behind Western flagship competitors is in raw benchmark performance and in gaming, since the Kirin 9010 is built on an older 7nm process and doesn’t match the very latest Snapdragon or Apple silicon in sustained, graphically demanding workloads.
The MatePad Pro runs on the Kirin T92, a chipset built specifically for larger tablet workloads. In practice, it handles split-screen multitasking, note-taking apps, video playback, and light creative work (sketching, document editing) very well, especially with the extra screen real estate making multitasking genuinely useful rather than cramped. It’s not primarily built for high-end mobile gaming, though it can handle most titles at reasonable settings.
Neither device is marketed as a gaming-first product, but if raw single-app performance matters more to you, the phone’s tighter thermal envelope and higher pixel density make it feel snappier for quick tasks, while the tablet’s larger chassis allows for better sustained performance during longer sessions like video editing or extended app use.
Features
This is where the two devices diverge the most, because they’re built around completely different use cases.
Pura 70 Ultra highlights:
- A three-lens rear camera system: a 50MP main sensor with retractable, sensor-shift optical image stabilization; a 50MP telephoto lens offering 3.5x optical zoom; and a 40MP ultrawide lens
- Up to 100x digital zoom and 4K video recording
- IP68 water and dust resistance
- Infrared port for controlling home appliances
- Full 5G cellular connectivity
MatePad Pro highlights:
- A large 13.2-inch OLED canvas well suited to note-taking, sketching, and reading
- Support for the M-Pencil stylus and a detachable keyboard cover (sold separately), turning it into a laptop-like productivity device
- Six built-in speakers for a noticeably fuller audio experience during video or media playback
- An optional PaperMatte display finish that reduces glare and mimics a paper-like writing texture
- A significantly larger battery suited to long work or study sessions away from a charger
If photography, portability, and always-on connectivity matter most, the phone clearly wins on features. If your priority is a large canvas for writing, drawing, reading, or watching video, the tablet’s feature set is purpose-built for that.
Storage and Connectivity
Both devices offer similar RAM configurations (12GB or 16GB) and neither supports expandable storage via a memory card, so your storage choice at purchase is final. The Pura 70 Ultra offers 512GB or 1TB options, while the MatePad Pro spans a wider range — 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB — giving budget-conscious buyers a lower entry point on the tablet side.
On connectivity, the Pura 70 Ultra has the clear edge as a standalone device: it supports full 5G cellular networking, NFC for contactless payments, and an infrared port, alongside Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. The MatePad Pro relies primarily on Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, with LTE cellular connectivity available only on select regional models — and even then, it lacks 5G and NFC. Both devices use USB Type-C with DisplayPort output, letting you connect an external monitor.
For anyone who needs a device that works independently of Wi-Fi and can make calls or use mobile data on the go, the phone is the only real option between the two; the tablet is best thought of as a companion device that usually needs a Wi-Fi connection or a paired phone for full connectivity.
Battery, Power, and Efficiency
The Pura 70 Ultra packs a 5200mAh battery with 100W wired fast charging, 80W wireless charging, and 20W reverse wireless charging — enough to comfortably get most users through a full day of moderate-to-heavy use, with a very fast top-up when needed.
The MatePad Pro’s larger 10,100mAh battery is nearly double the phone’s capacity, which makes sense given its bigger, brighter, and higher-refresh-rate display. It also supports 100W wired fast charging, capable of going from 0% to 80% in around 40 minutes despite the much larger cell. For a large-screen tablet, this results in strong multi-day standby life and long single-session use for video or note-taking work.
In terms of efficiency, both benefit from Huawei’s HarmonyOS power management, but the tablet’s larger battery relative to its usage pattern (often used for longer, less power-intensive sessions like reading or writing) tends to deliver a longer runtime per charge in absolute hours.
Price and Value for Money
Huawei positions the Pura 70 Ultra as a premium flagship smartphone, priced accordingly at the high end of the smartphone market — reflecting its advanced camera hardware and compact premium build. Exact pricing varies significantly by region, storage configuration, and current promotions, so it’s worth checking Huawei’s official regional store or authorized retailers for up-to-date figures rather than relying on a fixed number.
The MatePad Pro is generally positioned as a more accessible flagship-tier tablet, with its base storage configuration typically priced lower than the phone’s entry point, though prices climb with the higher storage tiers and if you add the keyboard cover and stylus as separate purchases. As with the phone, actual pricing depends on your region and current retailer offers.
In terms of value: the phone delivers more capability per device (camera, cellular, portability all built in), while the tablet delivers more screen and battery per dollar, provided you don’t need the accessories to unlock its full productivity potential — those add-ons meaningfully change the total cost.
Pros and Cons
Huawei Pura 70 Ultra Pros
- Excellent, versatile triple-camera system with strong zoom range
- Compact, pocketable, and IP68 water/dust resistant
- Fast wired and wireless charging
- Full 5G and NFC support for everyday convenience
Huawei Pura 70 Ultra Cons
- Premium pricing typical of flagship phones
- Smaller screen, less ideal for extended reading, writing, or drawing
- HarmonyOS/limited Google services may be a dealbreaker for some buyers outside China
Huawei MatePad Pro Pros
- Large, vibrant, high-refresh-rate OLED display great for creative work and media
- Long battery life thanks to a large 10,100mAh cell
- Excellent for note-taking and sketching with the optional stylus
- Six-speaker setup delivers strong audio for a tablet
Huawei MatePad Pro Cons
- Stylus and keyboard cover are sold separately, adding to the total cost
- No 5G, and NFC is generally unavailable
- Not IP-rated for water or dust resistance
- Bulkier and less pocketable than a phone, by design
Which One Is Better For?
- Students: The MatePad Pro is well suited to note-taking, reading, and studying thanks to its large screen and stylus support, though many students will still want a phone for everyday communication.
- Professionals: The Pura 70 Ultra covers everyday communication and mobile productivity on the go, while the MatePad Pro is better for document-heavy work, presentations, and extended writing sessions at a desk or in meetings.
- Content creators: The Pura 70 Ultra’s camera system is the stronger tool for photography and video capture, while the MatePad Pro is useful for reviewing, editing, and annotating that content on a larger canvas.
- Home users: The MatePad Pro’s large screen and long battery life make it a strong choice for streaming, browsing, and casual family use around the house.
- Business users: The Pura 70 Ultra’s cellular connectivity and portability suit users who need to stay reachable, while the MatePad Pro suits those who spend long hours on documents, spreadsheets, or presentations.
- Budget-conscious buyers: The MatePad Pro’s base storage configuration generally offers a lower entry price than the phone, though accessories add cost, so factor that in before deciding.
Gamers aren’t a strong fit for either device, since neither is specifically marketed or optimized as a gaming-first product — both can run games reasonably well, but that isn’t their core design focus.
Huawei Pura 70 Ultra vs Huawei MatePad Pro: Key Differences
- Form factor: The Pura 70 Ultra is a pocketable phone; the MatePad Pro is a large tablet meant for two-handed or desk use.
- Primary purpose: The phone is camera- and communication-first; the tablet is productivity- and media-first.
- Cellular connectivity: The phone has full 5G support; the tablet’s cellular options are limited to LTE on select models only.
- Battery size vs. use case: The tablet’s battery is nearly double the phone’s capacity, matching its larger, more power-hungry display.
- Durability: The phone carries an IP68 rating; the tablet does not have an official water/dust resistance rating.
- Accessories: The tablet’s most useful productivity features (stylus, keyboard) require separate purchases; the phone’s core features are all built in.
Final Verdict
There isn’t a single winner here, because the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra and the Huawei MatePad Pro are designed to solve different problems rather than compete directly for the same buyer.
Choose the Pura 70 Ultra if you want one device that handles calls, messaging, mobile data, and high-quality photography and video, all in a compact, durable, pocket-sized package. It’s the better pick for anyone whose priority is a capable everyday smartphone with a standout camera.
Choose the MatePad Pro if your priority is a large screen for reading, note-taking, sketching, or watching media, especially if you plan to pair it with a stylus and keyboard for lightweight productivity work. Its battery life and display quality make it a strong secondary device for work, study, or entertainment.
For many buyers, the two devices aren’t really competitors at all — they’re complementary. If your budget allows for both, the phone can handle mobility and photography while the tablet takes over for longer-form productivity and media consumption. If you have to choose just one, let your daily habits decide: pick the phone if portability and camera quality come first, and pick the tablet if screen size and battery life for extended sessions matter more to you.