HUAWEI launches its Mate series every year but the Mate 40 series may be delayed this year due to the US government’s decision to cut down the chip supply.
Mate 40 delayed, productions are halted
This has led to HUAWEI halting some of its components productions, in addition to a reduction of orders in the coming quarters. The company is also worried that HiSilicon will be unable to provide it with mobile chips, AI chips and communication chips. The current situation causes the Chinese company to look for alternatives such as MediaTek and Qualcomm chips.
Using alternatives takes more time
However, an executive from a HUAWEI supplier also revealed to Nikkei Asian Review that using other chips might be more time-consuming as the mechanical parts of the smartphones might have to be redesigned.
Launch first, available later?
There’s also a chance that HUAWEI will still proceed with the launch of the Mate 40 series but will only make its devices available when they’re ready. Just like the Mate 30 series last year, this year’s devices will also go without Google Mobile Services.
On a side note, the US government has recently allowed US companies to collaborate with HUAWEI to develop 5G networks. This could be a sign that the Western country finally has more faith in HUAWEI.
