Rumor: Huawei Mate 40 availability may be pushed back to 2021
by Andy Walker
- The availability of the Huawei Mate 40 series could be delayed.
- Although the launch is still rumored for October, the phone line may only go on sale in 2021.
- The delay could be a symptom of the US trade ban or a China-first launch approach by Huawei.
The Huawei Mate 40 series is likely to be the next flagship in Huawei’s traditional biannual release cycle, but you may have to wait a lot longer to get one this time around.
According to reliable tipster Evan Blass, the availability of the Mate 40 may be pushed back to next year.
Blass, in conversation with display analyst Ross Young, notes that this detail may likely only apply to the “retail release” and not the actual launch. The launch is still rumored to take place in October, which itself would be a month later than the Huawei Mate 30‘s debut.
Huawei told Android Authority that it won’t comment on rumors, but added that its sales plans were “built locally” with individual countries deciding if, how, and when to bring new products to market. It noted that it wasn’t uncommon for some markets to release products later rather than as soon as the product is available.
A Huawei play, or US ban delay?
It’s not clear if the delay will only apply to international markets or include China as well. The Mate 30 series went on sale in the UK nearly five months after the phone’s initial launch, so the delay may be a part of a new Chinese-focused launch strategy for Huawei. It would make financial sense too, considering the company’s dominance in its home nation.
The delay could also be a symptom of the trade tussle with the US. Reports in June suggested that Huawei would delay the production of the next Mate flagship by two months due to supply pressures from the ongoing US trade ban.
The trade ban is set to further tighten this week, which could throttle Huawei’s integral component supplies from the likes of TSMC, LG, and SK Hynix. In light of this, the company reportedly plans to cut its smartphone shipments to just 50 million units in 2021, a predicted drop of nearly 75% over 2020. This too may likely have an impact on the global availability of the Mate 40 line.
Despite the doom and gloom, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro could still be a pretty impressive prospect on paper. Early reports suggest it will employ the last ever flagship Kirin chipset, offer a 6.7-inch display with a pill-like camera cutout, and feature quad cameras at the rear.