Although Huawei just recently released the P9 lineup as its current flagship, speculations suggest that the company is targeting another flagship release this year. According to rumors, the next Huawei Mate iteration is just around the corner, complete with a dual-cam setup as well as upgraded specs.

Phone Area reports that as per industry analysts, the next Huawei Mate 9 may be expected to arrive before 2016 ends. Reportedly, the next Huawei Mate will not just be an improved version of the Mate series but will serve as the top-tier smartphone of Huawei – even topping the P9 – once it releases. While there is no specific release date yet, a late 2016 unveiling is certainly plausible, given that the predecessor, the Huawei Mate 8, was launched late last year.

Rumored specs of the upcoming Huawei Mate 9 include a new Kirin chipset. Allegedly, the Mate 9 will be the launching vehicle for the Kirin 960 SoC, an octa-core CPU that supports LTE Category 12 and CDMA connectivity. This makes the upcoming processor an upgrade to the Huawei P9's Kirin 955. In addition, it is said that the Mate 9 will also benefit from the recent camera setup trend of Huawei, as it will feature a 20MP, dual-cam setup. It is still unclear, though, whether Huawei will again be partnering with Leica for this assembly, much like what the company did with the Huawei P9.

The other features in the specs sheet are still unconfirmed, though it can be said that the internals are most likely top-notch. This means that at least 4GB of RAM can be expected, as well as expandable storage and other top-tier features like clear display, fingerprint sensor, and above-average battery capacity. The design and build may also get upgrades.