Rumor tracker Out in China
Huawei Mate 90: stacked Kirin chips, a 12,000-nit screen and a clip-on 1-inch camera. Everything we know
Huawei launched four Mate 90 phones in China on Oct. 1 and put them on sale the same day. Here is what Huawei's new chips and cameras offer, what the phones cost, which leaks held up and whether they will leave China.
Huawei skipped the usual build-up. It announced the launch date three days ahead, showed four phones on Oct. 1 and opened sales the same day with no pre-orders. The Mate 90, Mate 90 Pro, Mate 90 Pro Max and Mate 90 RS Ultimate Design are built around its own Kirin chips with a new stacked design.
The short version: the series is on sale in China from CNY 5,999 up to CNY 18,999, it runs HarmonyOS 7, and Huawei has not announced a launch anywhere else. US trade restrictions keep Huawei from selling new phones in the US.
Earlier than last year
The Mate 80 series launched on Nov. 25, 2025, so the Mate 90 arrived almost two months earlier in the calendar. A Chinese leaker with a strong track record had said in May that the series would come early, as four models with those exact names, though the leaker pointed to September. Other hints went nowhere: a government approval listing a Huawei launch performance in Shenzhen on Sept. 23, and a page on Huawei’s site that briefly showed a 2:30 p.m. launch time before it was taken down. On Sept. 28 Huawei set the real date: Oct. 1 at 10 a.m. Beijing time, which was 10 p.m. ET on Sept. 30.
The chips: Kirin, folded
The headline technology is inside. In May Huawei chip chief He Tingbo said the Kirin chips coming in the fall would be the first to use “logic folding”, a design that stacks circuits in vertical layers. The first one, the Kirin 9050 Pro, debuted in the Mate XT 2 tri-fold on Sept. 7.
The Mate 90 series uses four chips depending on the model: the Kirin 9030 in the Mate 90, the Kirin 9035 in the Pro, the Kirin 9050 in the 12GB Pro Max and the Kirin 9050 Pro in the 16GB Pro Max, the Premium Edition and the RS. Huawei says the 9030 has 54% faster graphics than the Mate 80’s Kirin 9020 and that the 9035’s AI unit is 51% faster than the 9030’s. A March rumor of a “Kirin 9040” was wrong: there is no such chip. At a briefing in Shanghai on Oct. 13, a Huawei chip executive said the next chip, “Kirin 2027”, is ready and testing as expected.
The screens and batteries
The Mate 90 and Pro have 6.75-inch screens, and the Pro Max and RS have 6.9-inch screens, all flat LTPO OLED panels at 1 to 120Hz. The Pro, Pro Max and RS reach 12,000 nits peak. A leaker with a strong record had described the 6.9-inch flat two-layer panel back in August without naming the brand.
Batteries are 6,600mAh in the Mate 90 and Pro and 6,800mAh in the Pro Max and RS, with 100W wired charging on all but the base model, which gets 66W, and 50W wireless on every model. All four are rated IP68 and IP69. A March report of a 7,500mAh solid-state battery did not come true.
The cameras, and a 1-inch add-on
Every model has a 50MP main camera with a variable F1.4 to F4.0 aperture, a 40MP ultrawide and a 4x telephoto, which is 50MP on the Mate 90 and Pro and 200MP on the Pro Max and RS.
The surprise is the Z10, a clip-on camera module with a 1-inch sensor and 10x optical zoom covering 24 to 240mm. It costs CNY 5,999, and its camera functions work only with the Pro Max Premium Edition and the RS. That neatly explains two leaks that missed: the 10x dual periscope and the 1-inch main camera rumored for the Pro Max and RS ended up in the add-on instead. A leaker did get the Premium Edition’s ring for an add-on camera right.
Satellites and SIMs
Huawei keeps its satellite lead, with limits. Only the RS makes Tiantong satellite calls. All four send BeiDou satellite messages, in mainland China only. The Pro Max and RS take four SIMs, physical and eSIM, with three on standby after a software update.
The price: up again
The Mate 90 costs CNY 5,999 for 12GB and 256GB, up to CNY 8,499 for 1TB. The Pro runs from CNY 6,999 to CNY 9,999. The Pro Max costs CNY 9,499 or CNY 9,999, and the Pro Max Premium Edition CNY 10,999 or CNY 12,999. The RS costs CNY 12,999, CNY 14,999 or CNY 18,999 with 2TB.
That is a clear jump. The Mate 80 started at CNY 4,699 a year ago, so the base model is up CNY 1,300. The Pro and RS start CNY 1,000 higher than their predecessors, as one leaker predicted, and the Pro Max CNY 1,500 higher. Consumer chief Richard Yu blamed memory, saying Huawei’s phone costs are up an average of $200: “We’ll have to raise prices going forward, though it will be moderate.” Huawei has even raised the old Mate 80 Pro to CNY 6,999 in its China store, CNY 1,000 above its launch price.
Will it leave China?
Huawei has not said. Its global site still lists the Mate 80 Pro and no Mate 90. The best guide is last year: the Mate 80 Pro launched outside China at an event in Madrid on Feb. 26, three months after its China debut, running EMUI 15 instead of HarmonyOS. A similar gap would put a global Mate 90 around the start of 2027, but that is history, not a promise.
The US
No. US trade restrictions keep Huawei from selling new phones in the US, and the Mate 90 is not sold there.
What to watch next
There is no dated moment on Huawei’s calendar. Watch for a global launch event, which last year came in Europe, and for any price changes in China.
Our latest report: Huawei Mate 90 release date: out in China since Oct. 1, with no global launch yet
Official images
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Huawei Mate 90 FAQ
When did the Huawei Mate 90 come out?
Huawei launched the Mate 90 series in China on Oct. 1, 2026, and sales started the same day. It has not announced a launch outside China.
How much does the Huawei Mate 90 cost?
In China, the Mate 90 starts at CNY 5,999, the Pro at CNY 6,999, the Pro Max at CNY 9,499 and the RS at CNY 12,999. The top RS with 2TB costs CNY 18,999. Huawei has given no global prices.
Can I buy the Huawei Mate 90 in the US?
No. Huawei is on the US Commerce Department’s Entity List and the FCC’s Covered List, and the FCC does not approve new equipment from companies on that list. Huawei does not sell new phones in the US.
What chip is in the Huawei Mate 90?
Huawei’s own Kirin chips: Kirin 9030 in the Mate 90, Kirin 9035 in the Pro, Kirin 9050 in the 12GB Pro Max and Kirin 9050 Pro in the 16GB Pro Max, Premium Edition and RS. The 9050 chips use Huawei’s stacked “logic folding” design.
What is the difference between the Mate 90 Pro and Pro Max?
The Pro Max has a 6.9-inch screen instead of 6.75 inches, a 200MP telephoto instead of 50MP, a 6,800mAh battery instead of 6,600mAh and a Kirin 9050 or 9050 Pro chip instead of the 9035. It starts at CNY 9,499, against CNY 6,999.
Does the Mate 90 have satellite calling?
Only the RS supports Tiantong satellite calls. All four models can send BeiDou satellite messages, a feature that works in mainland China only.
Why does the Mate 90 cost more than the Mate 80?
The base Mate 90 costs CNY 1,300 more than the Mate 80 did at launch. Huawei’s Richard Yu said its smartphone costs are up an average of $200 as memory prices climb. Huawei has also raised Mate 80 prices in its store.
Will the Mate 90 launch outside China?
Huawei has not said. The Mate 80 Pro launched globally in Madrid on Feb. 26, 2026, three months after China, but there is no credible leak about a global Mate 90.
Huawei Mate 90 Pro vs Xiaomi 18 Pro Max: how do they compare?
Both start at CNY 6,999 in China. The Xiaomi has a bigger 8,500mAh battery, a Snapdragon chip and a rear display. The Mate 90 Pro has a brighter 12,000-nit screen, a Kirin chip and HarmonyOS 7.
Should I buy the Mate 80 Pro or the Mate 90 Pro?
Huawei’s China store lists both from CNY 6,999. The Mate 90 Pro adds the newer Kirin 9035, a bigger 6,600mAh battery and a brighter screen, but its wireless charging drops to 50W from 80W.