This year continues to be one of the toughest challenges for Huawei yet. With no Google to team up with, the company looks to survive on its own in the world market. And in spite of the banning and limited business interaction with all US companies, it still tries to bolster its market share by keeping track of the Mate 40 Series. Slated for September 2020 release, here’s everything you need to know about Huawei’s 2020 flagship lineup from multiple yet (somewhat) credible sources.
Starting with the specs, the Mate 40 Series is confirmed to use the small 5nm process node for the new-gen Kirin 9000 SoC. According to claims, it’s 50% faster than the previous generation Kirin 990. Unfortunately, it may also be the last Kirin chipset from Huawei, as Trump’s restrictions prevent them from manufacturing. Outside the performance, the cameras are another thing to expect. For the Mate 40 Pro, it will pack 50MP and 80MP sensors alongside periscope and 3D ToF lenses. Huawei may also be looking to market the Pro’s cameras as “liquid lens”, wherein the sensor gets utilized for autofocus and stabilization. Interestingly, the camera module may also be more resistant to scratches and cracks. In the case of Mate 40, it’ll sport 50MP, 20MP, and 8MP periscope lens. The selfie cameras have yet to be identified, but the pill-shaped cutout will apparently house a 3D face recognizer instead of a secondary lens.
Size-wise, the Mate 40 Series will clock in at 6.67″ with waterfall curves and 90Hz refresh rate. As per usual, it’s going to be OLED from either LG or BOE. According to a source, there will be three sets of batteries — 4300mAh, 4600mAh, and 5000mAh. The last one is reserved most likely for the third model of the series, which is the Mate 40 Pro+.
Now for the prices. The Mate 40 Pro is allegedly priced at CNY5999(~P42,000), CNY6499(~P45,000), and CNY7399(~P51,800) for the 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB, respectively. There’s no word yet regarding the rest of the lineup.
On September 12, at Huawei Developers Conference (HDC), the company will announce EMUI 11. Based on Android 11, the Mate 40 Pro will carry the new open-source version of Android, complete with HMS. Weirdly, the Mate 40 will sport an older EMUI 10 version. While we can expect the Mate 40 Series unveiled after HDC, don’t expect it to be widely available. Coming from a well-known leakster, Huawei apparently can’t produce enough chips for its upcoming flagship series. Though not surprising, it’s yet another challenge for them.
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