Huawei has just revealed the Huawei P40‘s launch date: March 26. That will be exactly one year on from the launch of the Huawei P30 and Huawei P30 Pro − that last Huawei flagships to have access to full-fat Android and Google’s apps.
“Next month, in Paris on March 26 we will launch the world’s most powerful 5G flagship smartphone: Huawei P40 series,” Huawei CEO Richard Yu said right at the end of the Chinese firm’s MWC press conference, where the foldable Huawei Mate Xs was formally unveiled.
Related: Best smartphone
Like the Huawei Mate 30 series, the phones that make up the P40 series aren’t expected to be able to run Google apps.
It’s precisely because of this that the Huawei P40 series looks set for a significant price cut compared to previous entries in the line, precisely because of the ongoing Google ban.
Reports have claimed that there will be three variants of the handset:
- Huawei P40 – €600 (~£500)
- Huawei P40 Pro – €800 (~£680)
- Huawei P40 Pro Premium – €1000 (~£850)
As we’ve grown accustomed to, it seems that the P40 will pack an extremely powerful camera. The standard model is expected to pack triple rear cameras and dual selfie sensors, and the Pro model has been rumoured to sport a periscope camera capable of providing a 10x optical zoom.
Related: Best Android phones
Specs-wise, the P40 sounds very promising indeed, but due to the lack of Google apps it wouldn’t be hugely surprising if much of the western world turns its back on it. That would be a huge shame for Huawei, which in recent years has cemented itself as one of the best smartphone makers in the world.
A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Richard Yu had said the Huawei P40 would be the “the world’s most powerful 5G flexible smartphone”. That was due to a misunderstanding, and this article has now been updated with the correct information.
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.
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.
