Images and specs of the rumoured cheaper version of Huawei’s next flagship have been revealed before its expected release. Here are the features we’re excited about.
Apparent images of the Huawei Mate 30 Lite have appeared on Chinese social networking site Weibo, courtesy of the tipster Wang Fenjing. These may well provide our first glimpse at the Huawei Mate 30 series, and we like what we’re seeing.
The pictures show a device that has quad cameras on the rear and a hope-punch cutout selfie camera on the front, with evidence of both continuity and changes in design.
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Huawei Mate 30 Lite (rear). Image Credit: Weibo/Wang Fenjin
The back of the device looks very similar to that of last year’s Huawei Mate 20 Pro, but with one important difference: this new device’s rear camera comprises four different lenses, while the Mate 20 Pro had three lenses and a flash in its setup (and the previous Lite model merely had two lenses).
The rounded square camera module looks set to become a distinctive feature of 2019 designs, including the iPhone 11 and the Google Pixel 4.
The metallic finish has an attractive reflective quality, and there appears to be a fingerprint scanner underneath the camera. That would mean the Lite version will miss out on an in-display scanner.
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Huawei Mate 30 Lite (front). Image Credit: Weibo/Wang Fenjin
The screen does, however, have a hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera. We’ve seen this feature come to phones from the Honor sub-brand (such as the Honor View 20 and the Honor 20 Pro), but it appears that the Mate 30 Lite will be the first mainline Huawei device to sport the new look, giving it a similar appearance to the Samsung Galaxy S10.
Aside from the selfie snapper there’s a noticeable bezel at the bottom of the screen, and the screen is flat rather than curved (a relief for some, but a disappointment for those who have got used to their screen rounding the edge of their handset). But design is only half the story — we’ve also got plenty of details on the phone’s apparent specs.
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The TENAA listing from China suggests that the Huawei Mate 30 Lite will run on a Kirin 810 SoC, with variants offering 6GB or 8GB of RAM, along with 128GB or 256GB of storage. The battery weighs in at a hefty 3900mAh.
The screen will apparently measure 6.26-inches diagonally and have a Full HD+ resolution, while that screen cut-out will hold a 32-megapixel camera sensor. The quad rear cameras purportedly have the following resolutions: 48-megapixel, 8-megapixel, and two 2-megapixel sensors.
The Huawei Mate 30 Lite may arrive a full two months before the Mate 30 Pro. Last year the Huawei Mate 20 Lite was launched in September, while the Huawei Mate 20 Pro variant was announced in November.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.