Rumor | The Huawei Mate 50 series will launch in mid-2022 with a new 5G-enabling accessory

Huawei is all set to launch a new foldable flagship, the Mate Xs 2, tomorrow (April 28, 2022). Those looking for an alternative with a conventional form-factor that will also debut during this show might have their hopes dashed, however, as the Mate 50 series is now rumored not to emerge until later in the year.

In fact, the leaker who calls themselves "The Factory Manager was my Classmate" on Weibo now asserts that the Mate 40 successors will not be here until July 2022. They are said to launch with 4G/LTE-only versions of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or the Kirin 9000 (or, possibly, both), and the tipster says nothing to dispel this projection.

On the other hand, the apparently knowledgeable user also hints at a "residual" form of 5G for the Mate 50 and its siblings. This, then, might suggest that Huawei's rumored "5G case" is indeed a thing and will debut with compatibility for these phablets rather than the P50 series as originally thought.

Should this truly pan out, the large lozenge-sized cut-out in this putative accessory might provide a hint that the Mate 50 series will move away from the classic star-ring rear camera design its forebears have stuck with for several generations now.

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