- The availability of the Huawei Mate 40 series could be delayed.
- While the October launch is still rumored to be the start, the phone line may not go on sale until 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 the next flagship in Huawei’s traditional semi-annual release cycle, but you may have to wait a lot longer to get one this time.
According to a reliable tipster Evan Blassthe availability of the Mate 40 can be postponed until next year.
Sounds like if you wait for the Huawei Mate40 series you won’t get one until next year …
– Evan Blass (@evleaks) September 13, 2020
Pale, in conversation notes with display analyst Ross Young that this detail likely only applies to the “retail version” and not to the actual launch. It is still rumored that the launch will take place in October, which would be a month later than the Huawei Mate 30 debut.
Huawei told Android Authority Rumors are not commented on, but it was added that the sales plans were “drawn up locally” with individual countries deciding if, how and when new products should be launched. It was noted that it was not uncommon for some markets to release products later than when the product is available.
A Huawei game or a US ban delay?
It is not clear whether the delay only applies to international markets or to China as well. The Mate 30 series went on sale almost five months after the phone first launched in the UK. The delay could therefore be part of a new China-focused launch strategy for Huawei. Given the company’s dominance in its home country, this would also make financial sense.
The delay could also be a symptom of the trade dispute with the US. According to reports in June, Huawei would delay production of the next flagship Mate by two months due to supply pressures due to the ongoing U.S. trade ban.
The trade ban will be tightened further this week, which could curb shipments of Huawei components like TSMC, LG and SK Hynix. With that in mind, the company is reportedly planning to reduce smartphone shipments to just 50 million units by 2021, a projected drop of nearly 75% from 2020. Again, this could likely impact the global availability of the Mate 40 line.
Despite the downfall and darkness, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro could still be a pretty impressive prospect on paper. Early reports suggest that the final flagship Kirin chipset will be used, offering a 6.7-inch display with a pill-like camera cutout and quad cameras on the back.
Next: Huawei Ban Explained – A Complete Timeline and Everything You Need to Know