Aside from Huawei's 2018 smartphone flagship, P20, the Shenzhen-based tech firm is expected to launch the next entry to its widescreen Mate collection this year. There are still no confirmed reports regarding the name of the Huawei Mate 10, although the recent leaks refer to the device as the Mate 20, which follows the P series numbering. The Huawei Mate 20 is rumored to be showcased at an earlier date, which could happen in summer this year instead of the usual Q4 (fourth-quarter) release.

According to the leaks, Huawei is likely to set an earlier launch date for the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro handsets in 2018. To note, the previous Huawei Mate iterations were unveiled during the last quarter of the year, with the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro announced last October. It appears that the company has already prepared in advance for the Huawei Mate 20. There is a possibility that the production of the handset will begin in the next few months, if not currently ongoing, especially now that Huawei can already focus on the Mate series as the P20, P20 Pro and P20 Lite will drop later this month.

The Huawei Mate 20 is rumored to sport a 5.9-inch Quad high-definition (QHD) display, while the larger Mate 20 Pro will have a 6-inch full HD+ screen. Under the hood, the Huawei Mate 20 is packed with the next-gen Kirin processor. The Huawei Mate 20 is likely to boast a more advanced mobile processor compared with the Mate 10, which uses a Kirin 970 chip. However, with the Mate 20 now expected to be released sooner, it is questioned whether the next-gen Kirin 980 will be available just in time for the handset's production. Nevertheless, the Huawei Mate 20's Kirin processor is expected to include a special Neural Processing Unit (NPU) that manages artificial intelligence (AI) functions.

The Huawei Mate 20 could be available in 4 GB or 6 GB random-access memory (RAM) options, as well as 64 GB and 128 GB internal storage variants. Meanwhile, the Mate 20 Pro will have a larger 256 GB storage option with base 6 GB RAM capacity. Both the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro are tipped to sport dual-lens camera setup for the front and rear shooters. The dual camera will be a combination of 12 MP and 20 MP sensors.