Huawei is back with a bang – or at least a blindingly bright display – as the new Mate 80 series has officially landed in China.
Comprising the Mate 80, Mate 80 Pro and the top-end Mate 80 Pro Max, this collection is all about two things: top-end screen tech and impressive cameras.
But with Huawei’s recent history of selective global releases, the big question is, will these phones ever make it outside of China? We’ve got all the details on what makes the Mate 80 collection so interesting, from retina-burning displays to souped-up camera systems, and here’s everything you need to know right now.
Huawei Mate 80 release date rumours
The Huawei Mate 80 collection is official in China, having debuted in the company’s home region on 25 November 2025 – but there’s no word yet on when it’ll make its international debut.
And, in fact, there’s no guarantee that it’ll make a debut outside of China at all. Last year’s Mate 70 collection was tipped for a February 2025 global launch, but that date came and went without any big reveal from Huawei – and it could well be the same this time around too.
That said, we’ll keep our eyes and ears open and we’ll update this section if we hear anything different.
Huawei Mate 80 pricing
As the Huawei Mate 80 is only available in China, we’ve only got CNY pricing for now – and as we all know by this point, prices can change quite a bit once phones leave China.
That said, the Mate 80 starts at CNY 4,699 (around $660), while the 80 Pro will set you back CNY 5,999 (around $840). The top-end Pro Max has the highest price tag of the collection at CNY 7,999 (around $1,120).
Interestingly, these prices are slightly lower than the equivalents from the last-gen Mate 70 collection in China – let’s hope those savings are also present once the collection makes its international debut.
Huawei Mate 80 series design and features
There are three models in Huawei’s Mate 80 series – the Mate 80, 80 Pro and 80 Pro Max – and as all three have had their China debut, we know a lot about Huawei’s new flagship range.
Huawei Mate 80
The standard Huawei Mate 80 is anything but basic. Front and centre is a 6.75-inch LTPO-enabled OLED screen that Huawei claims can hit a frankly wild 8,000nits of peak brightness, the brightest of any smartphone yet.
It’s not just bright though; it offers a 1-120Hz refresh rate, a QHD resolution, 1440Hz PWM dimming and 300Hz touch sampling for faster response times in games. The whole thing is covered by Huawei’s second-gen Kunlun Glass, which the company claims specifically improves drop resistance compared to earlier iterations.
Flip it over, and you’ll see a rather familiar-looking setup if you’ve followed Huawei’s previous flagship efforts.
You get a redesigned circular camera module with three somewhat familiar sensors, including a 50MP main camera with variable f/1.4-4.0 aperture, a 40MP ultrawide and a 12MP 5.5x periscope telephoto, while the front houses dual selfie cameras that enable 3D face unlocking via a proper 3D ToF system similar to that offered by the likes of Apple and Honor.
Interestingly, however, Huawei still offers support for a side-mounted fingerprint reader, so you’ve got two solid options to get into the phone.
Under the hood, the Mate 80 is powered by the company’s own Kirin 9020 chip with either 12- or 16GB of RAM, so it should be more than comfortable running most tasks, even if it’s not a Qualcomm or MediaTek-branded chip.
The 5750mAh battery is shared with the more expensive Pro model, and it packs speedy 66W and 50W wireless charging, though you’ll need Huawei-branded tech to hit those speeds.
Finally, Huawei’s open-source, Google-less HarmonyOS 6 sits on top, bringing refreshed visuals and new AI features – but whether the latter will ship outside of China is yet to be seen.
Huawei Mate 80 Pro
The Pro model takes the basis of the regular Mate 80 and, somehow, cranks it up a notch.
It keeps the 6.75-inch LTPO OLED panel with Huawei’s headline-grabbing 8000nit peak brightness, along with aforementioned premium features like a 1-120Hz refresh rate, a pixel-packed resolution and Kunlun Glass protection – but the Pro model is much beefier inside.
Within the phone sits the more advanced Kirin 9030, which Huawei claims is 35% faster than the 9020 found in the base model. That should translate into snappier performance across the board, whether you’re doomscrolling or gaming, especially when paired with a generous 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage.
The rear of the phone houses a similar-looking camera module to the base model, and actually includes the same variable 50MP main and 40MP ultrawide sensors, but the zoom lens gets boosted to a 48MP f/2.1 sensor that should translate to better performance, particularly in low-light conditions.
The 5750mAh battery may be the same as the base model, but charging isn’t; it offers boosted 100W and 80W wireless charging, allowing for a rather rapid top-up if you’ve got a Huawei-branded charger handy.
Huawei Mate 80 Pro Max
If you’re looking for the best that Huawei has to offer, the Pro Max is the model to go for.
It, unsurprisingly, features the same incredibly bright panel as its siblings, though it goes a step further by featuring a larger 6.9-inch dual-layer OLED similar to that of Apple’s top-end iPad Pro. In theory, that should help it hit those huge brightness numbers more efficiently, while keeping heat in check – ideal for longer HDR watching sessions.
The hardware changes don’t stop there either; the Mate 80 Pro Max shifts the camera count up to four, including dual 50MP periscope telephoto lenses at 4x and 6.2x, giving Huawei’s top-end option more versatility.
The main and ultrawide cameras remain consistent with the other models, however, so it’s only worth opting for this one if you’re going to make the most of its zoom capabilities.
It features the same Kirin 9030 as the Pro model for rapid everyday performance, and it also comes with 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage depending on the variant you go for.
The battery is also slightly bigger at 6000mAh, though how much of a difference it’ll make in day-to-day use compared to the Pro is yet to be seen, and it offers the same 100W and 80W wireless charging.
