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Huawei seems to be in a rush to launch Mate 40 before iPhone 12 to preserve market share

By Anam Hamid

Updated: Oct 22, 2020, 7:02 AM

14comments

Huawei 5G

Huawei seems to be in a rush to launch Mate 40 before iPhone 12 to preserve market share

UPDATE: Huawei has confirmed that the Mate 40 series will be unveiled on October 22.

The original story continues below.

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Things haven't been going well for Huawei and it even broke the precedent of announcing its new flagship chip during the IFA trade show this year. The company had earlier negated rumors that the Mate 40 has been delayed to 2021. And now, a tipster has given us more clarity regarding the launch plans.

Huawei Mate 40 will likely be unveiled on October 22

We may start seeing Mate 40 teasers as soon as next week. The formal announcement is reportedly slated for October 22, and preorders will commence in China on the same day. The dates roughly coincide with iPhone 12's alleged release time frame.

The series, which apparently consists of the Mate 40, Mate 40 Pro, and Mate 40 Pro Plus, will go on sale in China on October 30.

Let's make it clear

•October 12 is next Monday, warm-up starts then

•October 22 is actual launch date of Mate 40 series ( pre sale start in China)

•October 30 is China's launch date.

(Global sales start are unclear)#HuaweiMate40Series #PorscheDesign pic.twitter.com/CMVNP6Yydp
— Teme (特米) (@RODENT950) October 9, 2020

Global launch plans are not clear at the moment. Per a previous leak, the handsets will reach international markets only next year, and that too in limited numbers.

The US has levied several bans on Huawei, and the long and short of it is that the Chinese company has been cut out of the global supply chain. On the supply side, this means it lacks the components to sustain operations. From the demand perspective, its phones have lost global appeal since they no longer come with Google's apps and services. The situation is so bad that it could slip to the seventh spot next year. In Q2, it sold more phones than any other vendor.

The Mate 40 phones will reportedly be powered by the 5nm Kirin 9000 chip, which could be Huawei's last proprietary silicon. The highest-end model is expected to sport a 6.7-inches waterfall screen with a refresh rate of 90Hz and a dual-sensor front camera. It will reportedly have a quad-camera array at the back with a 108MP primary sensor.

The new phones will apparently support 66W fast charging. They will come preinstalled with open-source Android 11 with EMUI 11 on top. The Pro model has reportedly been spotted in the wild too.

Mate 40 pro On the subway (screenshots from video clip) pic.twitter.com/RQc8DkgAPQ
— Teme (特米) (@RODENT950) September 25, 2020

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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.