Huawei Mate 40 Series is coming in two weeks against all odds

Smartphone companies released phones this year like clockwork, despite setbacks and delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Huawei, however, had more than just the new coronavirus to worry about, and, for a time, it almost seemed that the company wouldn't make it this year. Despite and in spite of all that, the embattled Chinese giant will be putting up its strongest face later this month when it unveils its Mate 40 series, what may be its last "normal" Android phone.

Huawei's phones haven't actually been "normal" since last year, at least as far as international markets are concerned. But while the US, Europe, and other regions felt the pain of Google Play Store's absence, it has been business as usual in China where Huawei unsurprisingly got its biggest sales numbers.

The Huawei Mate 40 could be different, though. It could be the last premium Huawei phone to run on its HiSilicon Kirin processor. Huawei may still be able to find some semiconductor suppliers or processors to use for future P and Mate series phones but it will be hard-pressed to find one that could deliver the same features and performance as the mobile market's top chips.

The context alone could make the Huawei Mate 40 series interesting but the company will surely pull out all the stops to sell the phones. Disregarding all the drama, Huawei's phones arguably have the best cameras in the smartphone market and it will be interesting to see if it can actually raise the bar even higher this year.

All eyes will be on Huawei on October 22, even perhaps those not interested in buying a Mate 40 or one of its variants. Being the last of its kind could also work in its favor, as collectors might want to grab a piece of mobile phone history before it simply becomes a footnote.