On Wednesday, Huawei launched its Pura 80 series smartphones, unveiling four models: Pura 80, Pura 80 Pro, Pura 80 Pro+ and Pura 80 Ultra. The Pura 80 Pro starts at RMB 6,499 ($905), the Pro+ at RMB 7,999 ($1,100), and the Ultra at RMB 9,999 ($1,370), with pricing for the standard Pura 80 yet to be announced. Why it matters: The Pura 80 series’ pricing signals Huawei’s intention to compete directly with Apple and Samsung in the premium smartphone segment. Software tests by users and tech bloggers suggest that both the Pura 80 Ultra and Pura 80 Pro+ are powered by the Kirin 9020 chipset. The top five smartphone brands in China for the same quarter were Xiaomi (13.3 million units, up 39.9% y-o-y), Huawei (12.9 million units, up 10%), Oppo (11.2 million units, up 3.3%), Vivo (10.3 million units, up 2.3%), and Apple (9.8 million units, down 9%).