Huawei Mate 30 Pro leak hints at return of wide notch, Face ID-like tech

The wide notch returns but it's still full of tech

Originally published on Chinese social network Weibo (via Slashleaks), a new photo shows what is claimed to be the Huawei Mate 30 Pro’s front panel. Specific details such as the size of the display weren’t shared but the glass panel itself does appear to reveal quite a bit because, just like its predecessor, the flagship is set to retain the same frontal setup wherein a curved OLED display is paired with a relatively wide notch. This time around, though, the curvature on either side of the screen will be much more pronounced and the notch itself should be ever so slightly smaller.

On the regular Mate 20 and the entire P30 series, Huawei uses a noticeably smaller waterdrop-like notch which, although more aesthetically pleasing to many, leaves no room for a 3D facial recognition system. The latter was one of the Mate 20 Pro’s standout features and from the look of things, Huawei wants to retain the feature on this year’s Mate 30 Pro, hence the presence of a larger notch.

On a separate design note, today’s leak suggests the upcoming flagship will adopt a more angular design that’s in line with that of the Galaxy Note 10 series. Presumably, Huawei is doing this in order to better differentiate the Mate series from the P lineup, the latter of which is associated with more rounded designs.

The Mate 30 Pro could ditch the square camera module

Although this leak doesn’t reveal much in terms of the Mate 30 Pro’s rear design, recent rumors suggest a major change is planned for the flagship. Last year Huawei introduced a new design language which utilized a large square-shaped camera module on the rear. The natural step would be for the company to continue with this look, but with countless leaks currently suggesting both Apple and Google are going to use similar designs this year, Huawei is reportedly switching things up again.

Like Motorola’s Moto Z and Moto G smartphones, the Mate 30 Pro will apparently adopt a circular module on the back. It’s expected to house the usual LED flash and a total of four individual cameras. One of these will act as the primary sensor while another is rumored to be a Time-of-Flight sensor. Huawei will probably also include a super-wide-angle shooter and a periscope-like camera similar to the one found on the P30 Pro.

Flagship specifications and possibly 5G support

Paired with everything mentioned above is expected to be a range of flagship specifications. These should include Huawei’s upcoming Kirin 990 chip and potentially support for 5G networks as standard. Additionally, a minimum of 8GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage seem likely, although variants with higher amounts are to be expected.

The Huawei Mate 30 Pro will probably ship with Android 10 Q straight out of the box alongside the upcoming EMUI 10 custom overlay. Other features should include support for at least 40W fast charging, reverse wireless charging, and IP68 water and dust resistance.

Huawei’s next flagship is rumored to arrived in mid-October followed by a release towards the end of the month. It will be accompanied by the standard Mate 30 and potentially a larger Mate 30 X and ultra-premium Mate 30 RS Porsche Design.