The global launch of the Huawei Mate 40 could be delayed or even pushed back to as late as 2021 if trade problems persist.
The momentum that Huawei built in the past years has been completely wiped out. The U.S. trade ban on the company is harsh and unforgiving, which is leading to the company’s demise. Unfortunately, the light at the end of the tunnel is still nowhere in sight. As a result, the company is finding ways to make ends meet for their business.
It is especially true for its smartphone business. Now that Google is completely off the table, Huawei is expected to suffer from an almost 75% decline in its global smartphone shipment.
The flagship Mate and the P series have been a widely huge success globally. Sadly, the newest versions of these phones could be launched many months later than usual.
Huawei Mate 40 launch still in 2021?
Fans of Huawei’s premium Mate line may have to wait until 2021 to get their hands on the latest Mate 40 phone, according to Evan Blass. However, details about the phone could be disclosed in October 2020. It is still a full month late compared to its previous launches.
Sounds like, if you're waiting on the Huawei Mate40 series, you won't be able to get your hands on one until next year…
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) September 13, 2020
The delay could be brought about by two reasons. First, the pandemic could have pushed the production of the phones to a later time. Second, Huawei could have taken the time to adjust their forecasts amid the trade ban. The company refuses to comment on rumors. However, the two causes could likely be the reason for the Mate 40’s delay.
China may get the new flagship phone first
Now that the company is still on the hot seat in the U.S. trade ban, Huawei may just decide to launch the new phone in China first. After all, users in China will not mind that there will be no Android services on the phone. It could also be a good opportunity for the company to test run the HarmonyOS.
In the past weeks, Huawei announced that the company’s new OS would be available on certain devices. It added that HarmonyOS would soon be available on their devices as early as December of 2020.
Before launching globally, Huawei must also first consider the limited spare parts it has for its phone production. Just last week, Huawei ran out of options for its chipset manufacturer after Samsung pulled the rug from under their feet. Even Huawei’s screen manufacturers pulled its business away from Huawei. Based on the preceding, it seems like Huawei is on its own.
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