In short: The Mate 20 lineup of Android flagships may have a dedicated imaging mode for underwater photography, with the thereof being teased by Huawei on Chinese social media platform Weibo several hours back. While the new promo is relatively vague, previous reports suggested such a functionality is in the works, especially given how some of the company’s existing high-end Android devices already offer IP67-rated resistance to water, meaning they can effectively be submerged with no issues.
Background: The Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro have already been leaked on numerous occasions in recent months, with most signs pointing to ultra-premium devices using the new Kirin 980 chip from Huawei’s subsidiary HiSilicon. The larger model is expected to sport three rear cameras and a curved display panel with minimal bezels, in addition to offering up to 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage space expandable via a microSD card. High-end mobile photography and artificial intelligence will be the front and center of the new devices, as was the case with the P20 series. The addition of a second neural processing unit to the Kirin 980 should make local AI computing capabilities of the lineup even more powerful, whereas Android 9 Pie may be part of the package as well, though that has yet to be confirmed.
Impact: Including an underwater photography mode in its new smartphone is an extremely bold move by Huawei that could translate into some bad PR given how international warranties still don’t cover water damage and no handset manufacturer ever recommended its users to submerge their products, regardless of how waterproof they are. Still, with the company now losing the claim to the only triple-camera setup on the market, having a device that’s been designed for underwater use could provide it with that extra marketing power that could differentiate its offerings from those of its rivals this holiday season.