The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are no longer a secret, and that’s because someone was able to steal a batch of XL phones and sell them on the black market months before the expected October launch. Nevertheless, the Pixel 3 and 3 XL will be the first new Android handsets to run Android 9.0 Pie out of the box. But if you’re looking for a brand new Pie phone, you might be better off waiting for a device that’ll deliver even better specs than the Pixel 3, a phone that’s also supposed to launch this year soon after Google unveils the Pixel 3.
The Pixel 3 press event is likely set for early October. Later that month, Huawei will take the wraps off the Mate 20 series, a phone line that’s supposed to be much better than the Pixel 3, and that’s been making the news for a few weeks now. Various rumors and reports already revealed the Mate 20 Pro, which will be the best Mate 20 version, will have no rival this year when it comes to Android flagships.
The phone is supposed to pack Huawei’s brand new 7nm processor, the Kirin 980 chip that will be unveiled at IFA 2018 in a few days, as well as a triple-lens camera on the back and a huge all-screen display with a built-in fingerprint sensor. Some reports say the phone will feature 3D facial recognition like Apple’s Face ID, although others claim the phone’s notch will be so small that it won’t have any room for all the components a complex system would need.
In other words, Huawei will deliver Galaxy S10-grade specs and features nearly half a year before Samsung launches its next-gen flagship. The best part about the phone is that it won’t come with Android 8.0 Oreo on board, which is what’s expected for most late 2018 flagships that aren’t Pixels.
According to listings that 91mobiles found over at the Eurasian Economic Commission the other day (above), the Mate 20 phones will run Android 9.0 Pie out of the box. Even if that means you’ll get EMUI 9.0 on top of Pie, you’d still get a phone ready to deliver the best of Google’s mobile operating system this year.
As a reminder, documentation filed with the same commission revealed various model numbers for the upcoming Apple Watch Series 4 that Apple will launch alongside new iPhones next month.
