Huawei Pura X View Review: The Wide-Screen Phone That Makes You Forget BlackBerry
Ever since smartphones entered the era of long, narrow screens, there has been a persistent desire to return to the typing experience of the classic BlackBerry. This demand led to niche products like keyboard cases and crowdfunded phones such as the Unihertz Titan 2 Elite. However, no major manufacturer has truly attempted to revive this form factor until now, with the arrival of the Huawei Pura X View.
As a new member of the Pura family, the Pura X View marks a return to traditional proportions in an age dominated by slim devices, heralding a visual renaissance with its 16:9.5 screen. Its form is so reminiscent of the past that it could easily pass for a modern BlackBerry Classic or Q10. After extensive use, we believe this is the first truly "interesting" phone of 2026. The Pura X View's design is simple yet effective: it adopts the wide vertical screen of an unfolded Pura X, but in a standard slab form factor.
Although its 6.39-inch diagonal measurement might suggest a "small screen" phone, the 16:9.5 aspect ratio gives the Pura X View an actual display area of 114.27 square centimeters, surpassing many Pro Max models. This wide display offers an incredibly immersive experience for watching videos and reading e-books or comics, providing a sense of scale comparable to a physical book. Its advantages seem similar to a wide foldable phone, but it masterfully avoids their most critical flaw: software optimization.
Pura X View (left) vs. Pura 90 Pro (right)
The Pura X View's greatest strength is that apps—even those notoriously problematic on wide foldables—display perfectly without any stretching, DPI scaling issues, or misplaced controls. Its standard portrait orientation is another hidden advantage. With information-feed UIs dominating modern apps, there's no need to constantly rotate the phone between landscape and portrait, a common hassle with foldables. This "wide slab" design is simply more convenient and effortless for today's app ecosystem.
Beyond its innovative and practical screen, the Pura X View is built on a solid hardware foundation. It packs a massive 7000mAh silicon-carbon battery into a 201g body. Combined with the power efficiency of HarmonyOS 7 and the Kirin 9030s chipset, this phone easily lasts two days on a single charge. In an extreme test case involving travel, constant 5G data, and mixed Bluetooth/hotspot use, the phone still had 60% battery left after 6 hours and 22 minutes of screen-on time.
The camera system is equally impressive. The 200MP main sensor captures excellent detail in good lighting, and the 3.7x telephoto lens doubles as a capable macro shooter. Complemented by features like XMAGE Intelligent Capture and AI-assisted posing and composition, the Pura X View's imaging capabilities are fully competitive. The only challenge is that its width can make it a bit difficult to hold steady for photos.
However, the unique form factor does introduce some challenges. While the wide body offers a superb typing experience, it can cause hand fatigue during prolonged use; I experienced noticeable finger soreness after just a few days. Additionally, all color variants feature a glossy back and frame, making them prone to fingerprints. For users of multiple devices, it's also worth noting that the HarmonyOS WeChat app currently does not support tablet mode login on the Pura X View.
Ultimately, the Pura X series stands out as a true innovator in an increasingly monotonous smartphone market. The question isn't why the 16:9 ratio is back, but why only Huawei thought to create a "wide slab" phone now. T
he answer lies in the fact that only top-tier manufacturers can afford such experimental ventures. For users who crave a new form factor but are hesitant to invest in a foldable, the Pura X View is, without question, the most interesting phone of 2026