The rise of the ‘phablet’ has been unstoppable in recent years, providing a safe haven of a middle-ground for those who simply can’t decide whether to buy a phone or a tablet.
All the biggest companies are cashing in on the fad, with the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, Apple iPhone X, Google Pixel 2 XL and Huawei Mate 10 Pro all released within the last 12 months. We think a hotly-anticipated successor for the latter could be on the way shortly – rumours abound of a new Huawei Mate.
Will it be the Huawei Mate 20 or Huawei Mate 11, though? The next logical step after 9 and 10 is obviously 11, but eagle-eyed blogger Mobielkopen spotted in July that Huawei filed a trademark for the Mate 20. Huawei already jumped from P10 to P20 earlier this year, and this move suggests that they could do the same with their Mate series of phones.
For the purpose of avoiding confusion we’re going to stick with Mate 20 until proven otherwise.
Here’s the lowdown on all the rumours and leaks surrounding Huawei’s new Mate 20 Pro.
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Huawei Mate 20 Pro: Everything you need to know
Huawei Mate 20 Pro release date: When will you be able to buy one?
Huawei has been rather tight-lipped regarding an official launch for the next Mate model. However, they have been extending the series for a number of years now, suggesting that they will continue on the same path in 2018.
The last three Mate devices went on sale in November, so it would be wise to expect the same from their successor(s). This means an official announcement could be coming our way in September or October.
The smart money says that Huawei could be lining up an announcement at this year’s IFA exhibition in Berlin, which takes place from 31 August to 5 September. However, the Mate 10 Pro had its own reveal, completely separate from IFA, in 2017, and the same could happen this year. Huawei is also linked with a new entry into the wearables market, so perhaps this could be the centrepiece of their presence at IFA this year instead.
Either way, expect to see a Mate 20 Pro announcement at some point in the very near future.
Huawei Mate 20 Pro price: What will it cost?
If information recently shared on Weibo is correct, then the Mate 20 Pro could start as low as £555, if we do a quick currency conversion. However direct currency conversions are rarely 100% accurate and other sources suggest the price could be as high as £799.
One thing we can be sure of is that the Mate 10 Pro started at £699 when it was released last year, and I wouldn’t expect its successor to stray too far from this. Remember, one of the Mate 20 Pro’s biggest rivals, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, will set you back up to a whopping £1,100, so Huawei would be smart to undercut its main rival with the Mate 20 Pro.
Huawei Mate 20 Pro design: What will it look like?
We loved the look of last year’s Mate 10 Pro. Available in a wide-range of colours (despite the cringeworthy names such as ‘mocha brown’ and ‘champagne gold’), its near bezel-less design and curved edges made it a positive supermodel of a smartphone.
If rumours are to be believed, Huawei will stick to their winning formula. A recent leak from XDA Developers shows a render of the Mate 20 Pro with similarly curved edges and a stylish ‘water drop’ notch, which houses the front camera. If this leak turns out to be correct, Huawei would be following similar design principles as the upcoming Oppo R17 and Vivo X23.
The other notable element of the Mate 20 Pro’s rumoured design is the triple-camera module found on the back of the handset. Unlike the vertically-aligned cameras on Huawei’s other flagship model, the P20, these are grouped in a square-shaped arrangement alongside the flash.
Huawei Mate 20 Pro features: What’s new?
A massive 6.9in AMOLED HD+ display, with an 18:9 aspect ratio, could be on the way, according to The Bell. This represents a sizeable increase on the 6-inch display of its predecessor. Any bigger, and you’d be dangerously close to crossing from phablet into tablet territory.
The Mate 20 Pro is also expected to keep pace with its competitors by including such high-end features as a fingerprint sensor under the screen, facial recognition technology, and the aforementioned triple-lens rear camera.
Other anticipated specs include wireless charging and IP-rated dust and water protection.
Huawei Mate 20 Pro software: What’s inside?
One thing we can be sure of is that the Mate 20 Pro will be powered by an all-new 7nm Kirin 980 chipset, as confirmed by a recent Huawei press release. This processor, set to be officially unveiled at IFA 2018, will be an octa-core CPU in a 4x Cortex-A76 and 4x Cortex-A55 configuration. The first cluster has already been clocked at speeds of 2.8GHz, but figures for the second set of cores are still unknown.
The new chipset should result in significantly increased power and efficiency compared to its predecessor, the Kirin 970, which you’ll find inside Huawei’s P20 series. We expect this is thanks to the improvements in the chip’s manufacturing process.
Internal storage and RAM details are unknown at the time of writing, but expect to see at least 6GB - if not 8GB - of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage, expandable via microSD.
Lastly, a 5,000mAh battery is rumoured to keep the phone running, which would make it a market leader amongst phablets. This represents a huge increase on the 4,000mAh battery inside the Mate 10 Pro, and if the rumours of a 6.9in screen are correct, then you’re likely going to need it.
As previously mentioned, official details regarding the Mate 20 Pro are scarce. Make sure you stay tuned to this page for all the latest updates as and when we get them.
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