The Huawei Mate 40 Pro is coming. Here’s everything we know about the upcoming smartphone including the release date, price, specs, and more.
Update: October 19,2020 (5:10 AM ET): An extensive leak has now laid bare the Huawei Mate 40 Pro’s physical design and internals. We’ve updated the article with the new information. Original article: June 10, 2020 (11 AM ET): The Huawei Mate 40 Pro is arguably the Chinese company’s most eagerly anticipated launch of the year. The Mate 30 Pro’s successor is expected to close out 12 months of mixed fortunes for the Chinese giant. Huawei has both topped global smartphone shipments for the first time in its history, but also lost a lot of ground outside of China due to the continuing impact of the US trade ban. Nevertheless, every major Huawei release is still a key event in the smartphone calendar, and the Mate series represents the pinnacle of the brand’s mobile portfolio. Looking back at previous Mate devices, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to expect the Mate 40 Pro to sport an upgraded chipset, daring design decisions, and notable camera improvements borrowed from the photography-focused P series. We’ve rounded up everything we know about the Mate 40 Pro and rumored Mate 40 RS with all the leaks, rumors, and confirmed details so far. The Huawei Mate 30 series was announced in September 2019, while the Mate 20 appeared in October 2018. Because of this, if we were to posit a guess for the Mate 40 Pro release date, it would be sometime in September or October 2020. However, considering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on other smartphone makers and the ongoing US ban on Huawei, we wouldn’t be surprised if the Chinese firm delayed the launch of the Mate 40 Pro to a later date. On September 16, WinFuture indicated that the phone series will break cover in mid-October this year, but will only launch in 2021. The latter corroborates rumors of delays we’ve heard from the likes of Evan Blass. For what it’s worth, Huawei Mobile’s UK Twitter account noted on September 15 that the next-gen Mate series would be “coming soon.” Twitter tipster Teme (@Rodent950) on September 30 suggested we could see the Mate 40 Pro debut on October 22, placing it the previously mentioned time-frame. This date was later confirmed by Huawei. As for the name, Huawei’s consumer business chief, Yu Chengdong confirmed that 2020’s Mate series will receive the Huawei Mate 40 moniker, as expected. Based on rumors thus far, we expect at least three versions of the device to make an appearance. Notably, @Rodent950 believes the Huawei Mate 40 Pro will now form the base of the model range, with the Mate 40 Pro Plus and Mate 40 RS also expected. It’s likely that Huawei will continue its focus on camera hardware with the Mate 40 Pro, with an alleged design that draws attention to it too. Leaked renders (via PriceBaba) suggest that the Mate 40 Pro phone will feature a pill-style selfie camera cutout, similar to the Huawei P40 Pro. This would be a first for the Mate line, which traditionally opted for notches. The Mate 30 Pro required a broad notch that housed additional sensors for face authentication. It’s not clear if Huawei would be able to fit these components in the cutout, or if it’ll adopt the secondary infrared camera found on the P40 Pro and P40 Pro Plus. See also: The best Huawei phones you can buy right now The Huawei Mate 40 Pro’s screen size is rumored to measure 6.7-inches across. That would be slightly larger than the Mate 30 Pro’s 6.53-inch display, but renders suggest a less aggressive “waterfall” edge on the Mate 40 Pro. This should appease users who hated the sacrifice of practicality for aesthetics on the Mate 30 Pro. On the back, the Mate 40 Pro may have a circular camera array, which protrudes by more than a millimeter from the phone’s actual body. Four sensors are indicated, which matches the Mate 30 Pro. Tipster OnLeaks also believes the Mate 40 Pro will be thicker than the Mate 30 Pro, measuring more than 10mm deep at its camera array and 9mm along its edge. OnLeaks also suggests that one of the Mate 40 Pro’s cameras will be a telephoto lens. An IR blaster, single-speaker grille, and the return of physical volume and power controls on the side of the phone are also hinted at in early renders (as seen above). A TENAA listing spotted by MySmartPrice writer Mukul Sharma on September 24 shed more light on the Mate 40’s apparent display and battery details. For power, the device listed includes a 4,000mAh power cell, while its screen measures 6.5-inches, slightly smaller than the 6.62-inch display on the Mate 30.
