Huawei is intending a late 2016 release for its next flagship, as speculations suggest the Mate 9 to have a Nov. 8 launch.
According to Android Pure, reports out of China — particularly on social media site Weibo — suggest that the Mate 9 will be officially announced by Huawei in early November. While the China-based company has yet to send out invites, a press event is said to unveil the new flagship on Nov. 8. Additionally, leaks underscored that the new flagship will have a starting price tag of 3399 Yuan or around $510. The price tag will be for the base model of the flagship, with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB onboard storage.
Speculations suggest that Huawei will be showcasing the Mate 9 as a full lineup, with at least two RAM iterations in the series. Aside from the 4-GB variant, the Mate 9 will also be reportedly offered in a top-tier version with 6 GB of RAM and at least 256 GB of internal storage. Both variants will be powered by the upcoming Kirin 960 chipset and will feature the same 5.9-inch QHD display with 2K resolution.
Aside from the base model, there will also be a step-up version, with 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of onboard storage, for 3899 Yuan (about $585).
Meanwhile, while waiting for detail confirmation from Huawei, fans are waiting to check out the supposed improved camera for the Mate 9. Rumors suggest that the upcoming flagship will also feature the overhauled dual-cam assembly that Huawei has first used on the current-generation P9 flagship. However, it is unclear if the China-based tech maker will again partner with Leica for a co-engineered, 20-MP dual camera setup. Should this prove true, it will be a massive improvement over the current-gen flagship as the P9 only carries a 12-MP assembly. The upcoming flagship's predecessor, the Mate 8, only featured a regular 16-MP setup.
