HUAWEI P40 series launch date confirmed (Update: More launch event details)

Update, March 10 2020 (3:11AM ET): HUAWEI confirmed the P40 series name last month, adding that it would launch in Paris on March 26. The manufacturer has just revealed a teaser banner for the launch, and it confirms that it’s now an online event.

The teaser banner on Huawei’s website links to a calendar entry titled “HUAWEI P40 series online global launch event.” So it looks like the manufacturer is following in the footsteps of other brands by going virtual instead.

The banner also shows us what appears to be a camera bump for a HUAWEI P40 device. This seems in line with apparently leaked HUAWEI P40 Pro renders. This most recent leak suggests a penta-lens camera setup, featuring a 52MP RYYB main sensor, a 40MP ultra-wide camera, a 3x telephoto snapper, a 10x periscope camera, and a ToF sensor.

Original article, February 24 2020 (9:16AM ET): HUAWEI has announced that the successor to the P30 Pro will be officially revealed on March 26, 2020 in Paris, France. HUAWEI CEO Richard Yu confirmed the name of the HUAWEI P40 series and described it as the “world’s most powerful 5G flagship,” presumably referring to the P40 Pro that recently leaked.

The confirmation came during its MWC-replacement virtual launch event earlier today. The Chinese brand also showed off its latest foldable phone the HUAWEI Mate XS, a 5G version of the MatePad Pro, as well as new laptops and smart home devices, and a bunch of updates to its HUAWEI Mobile Services ecosystem and the App Gallery.

While there’s not much else to go on, the news that the P40 series will support 5G suggests the phone(s) will be powered by the Kirin 990 5G SoC we saw debut with the Mate 30 Pro. We also know that unless something drastic happens between now and March 26, the P40 will not come with Google apps or the Play Store due to the US trade ban.

Richard Yu is no stranger to making big claims at HUAWEI events, but it’ll be interesting to see how the P40 stacks up against what most would call the most powerful 5G flagship family out there — Samsung’s Galaxy S20 series. We’ll find out in just over a month’s time.

In the meantime, be sure to check out our rumor roundup for all the latest on HUAWEI’s next camera-centric flagship.