Huawei Mate 40 is coming soon, company confirms
The IFA and Huawei Developer Conference came and went, and we saw no signs of the new 5nm Kirin chip that will power the upcoming Mate 40 series. A recent report had suggested that Huawei's new flagship won't see the light of day this year. That's not the case according to Richard Yu, CEO of the company's Consumer Business Group.
He has assured that the next-generation Mate flagship is coming soon.
The new handsets will apparently be sold in China initially, and they will be online exclusive at first.
A series of US-imposed bans have impacted Huawei's relationship with its key suppliers, and it had until today to stockpile on crucial components such as chips, displays, and camera lenses. The company had earlier confirmed that the Mate 40 would probably be its last phone to feature a proprietary chip.
The current tensions between China and India mean Huawei's future isn't so bright in the subcontinent either. It has reportedly already downscaled its Indian operations massively.
That leaves Huawei with just its home country and this perhaps explains why it has reduced component orders.
That doesn't necessarily mean the Mate 40 will never make it out of its home turf and leaks imply it will go on sale in global markets in 2021.
There is also a possibility that the new flagship devices will go on sale in European markets earlier than expected, as Huawei's UK Twitter account has assured fans that they are coming soon. Unless the company is planning to sell the phones in the UK this year, it doesn't make sense to build a hype around them.
Per rumors, the Mate 40 will sport a 6.4-inch display and the Pro variant will feature a 6.7-inches waterfall screen. The fingerprint sensor will likely be embedded within the display and the dual-sensor selfie camera will be housed in a pill-shaped cutout.
The handsets are expected to feature a quad-camera system with a 108MP main sensor.
That's all we have on the new phones at the moment and more information should surface in due time.
He has assured that the next-generation Mate flagship is coming soon.
We've got some exciting news for you...
— Huawei Mobile UK (@HuaweiMobileUK) September 15, 2020
The next-generation #HuaweiMate is coming soon - Stay tuned! 1/2 pic.twitter.com/6QGgZFz1zJ
The new handsets will apparently be sold in China initially, and they will be online exclusive at first.
A series of US-imposed bans have impacted Huawei's relationship with its key suppliers, and it had until today to stockpile on crucial components such as chips, displays, and camera lenses. The company had earlier confirmed that the Mate 40 would probably be its last phone to feature a proprietary chip.
A recent report claims that Huawei has cut component orders for the Mate 40 and Mate 40 Pro by 30 percent. It is not clear if this was a result of supply-side issues or low potential demand. Per estimates, sales could fall to 75 percent of current levels by next year if restrictions are not lifted.
Huawei doesn't sell its phone in the US and now that its devices don't come with Google's apps and services, its global appeal has taken a hit. It also doesn't help that some European countries have backed away from using its 5G gear because of pressure from the US.
The current tensions between China and India mean Huawei's future isn't so bright in the subcontinent either. It has reportedly already downscaled its Indian operations massively.
That leaves Huawei with just its home country and this perhaps explains why it has reduced component orders.
Mate 40 international release plans are not clear at the moment
There is also a possibility that the new flagship devices will go on sale in European markets earlier than expected, as Huawei's UK Twitter account has assured fans that they are coming soon. Unless the company is planning to sell the phones in the UK this year, it doesn't make sense to build a hype around them.
The handsets are expected to feature a quad-camera system with a 108MP main sensor.
That's all we have on the new phones at the moment and more information should surface in due time.
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