Huawei's P20 phones may boast iPhone X-style notches

In addition to the notches, the Huawei P20 Pro will reportedly come with triple rear cameras.

Gordon Gottsegen CNET contributor

Gordon Gottsegen is a tech writer who has experience working at publications like Wired. He loves testing out new gadgets and complaining about them. He is the ghost of all failed Kickstarters.

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Gordon Gottsegen

Feb. 28, 2018 2:37 p.m. PT

2 min read

Huawei is said to be gearing up to launch the next iteration of its P series phone line, which is rumored to include the Huawei P20, P20 Pro and P20 Lite. And while we'll have to wait to see if these phones can reach the popularity of the iPhone X, there is speculation that the phones may at least resemble it.

That's because the Huawei P20, P20 Pro and P20 Lite are reported to feature a 18:9 display with thin bezels and an iPhone X-style notch running across the top of the screen, according to VentureBeat. The notched phones were shown in supposedly leaked images of the P20 and P20 Lite tweeted by mobile tipster Evan Blass.

This is the Huawei P20 Lite https://t.co/0bTjf1TfeV pic.twitter.com/KB30kexfsf
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) February 28, 2018

When Apple released the iPhone X last year, the phone's notched design was the subject of much debate. But the iPhone is not the only one to include it, and whether you like it or not, the notch may start popping up on more phones. The Essential Phone, for example, came out earlier in 2017 with its own camera cutout at the top. And Asus just announced the new ZenFone 5, which also features a notch (although Asus is quick to say that its notch is slimmer than the iPhone's).

But there's more to the P20 family than just the notches. VentureBeat reports that the more premium Huawei P20 Pro may have triple-rear cameras, upping the ante from the dual-rear cameras on other phones. Meanwhile, the more affordable P20 Lite is reported to feature a rear fingerprint scanner, dual-rear cameras and an octa-core Kirin 659 processor. All three P20 phones are rumored to run Android Oreo.

Huawei P20 (with two, not three, rear cameras) pic.twitter.com/GRJbIS8NNY
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) February 26, 2018

Although Huawei is a major player in the global smartphone industry, it's having a rough time breaking into the US market. Major US mobile carriers like AT&T and Verizon reportedly pulled out of deals to sell Huawei's phones due to security concerns. Officials from US government agencies like the FBI and NRA have also warned buyers against using Huawei phones.

But the US controversy won't slow down Huawei's plans. According to VentureBeat, Huawei is expected to announce its P20 line on March 27 in Paris.

Huawei did not immediately respond to request for comment.

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