Exclusive: First pictures of the HUAWEI P20 leak, could feature three rear cameras

The HUAWEI Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro were stylish smartphones. The Pro even won our Phone of the Year 2017 award. HUAWEI’s next flagship looks like it could continue that trend. We got our hands on an early prototype of the HUAWEI P20, which should launch in Paris at the end of next month, and it looks like HUAWEI might make some changes to its design language.

It looks like HUAWEI is attempting to go with a more sleek design by cutting down the bezels. The prototype has much smaller bezels at the top and bottom than the P10, similar to the Mate 10 series. The edges of the phone also appear to feature almost no bezel at all. The prototype didn’t turn on so it’s not entirely clear just how far the display will stretch.

This prototype doesn’t have a physical volume button. On the right side of the HUAWEI P20, there’s a power button with some touch indicators above it. We’re not sure exactly what this means, but it seems like a virtual volume key. The ability to swipe up and down to control the volume could be an interesting change to the current status quo of physical keys.

Previously the camera section has been a visibly different color than the rest of the phone. Now the camera surround blends into the handset a lot more, though it’s still noticeable. The P20 also appears to have rounder edges than the P10, which makes it more comfortable in hand. It’s a welcome change to HUAWEI’s design language.

Another big change is the speaker placement. The prototype appears to have dual speakers at its bottom, shifting from the HUAWEI P10’s single speaker. It’s not entirely clear whether there are going to be dual speakers, but that’s definitely another speaker grill at the bottom. HUAWEI could also just be following other OEMs by having two grills for a symmetrical design. We won’t know for sure until we receive more information.

One of the more recent rumors surrounding the HUAWEI P20 is that it may sport three rear cameras cameras. This prototype only had two cameras, but our source tells us there will be two versions of the P20 — a regular and a Pro or Plus, if the P10 and Mate 10 are any indication — and one will have three rear cameras. It’s not clear what the third camera would be used for but, as the invite to the event suggested, the HUAWEI P20 will have three rear cameras. The prototype also features a USB Type-C port with no headphone jack to be seen, which suggests the HUAWEI P20 will follow the Mate 10 Pro by removing the headphone jack.

We don’t have any further specs or concrete information about HUAWEI’s new flagship, but these images give us an indication of what to expect next month. With just over a month until the launch in Paris, there’s likely to be more leaks in the next few months.

What do you think of HUAWEI’s new design? Does a phone with virtual volume keys and three rear cameras sound exciting? Let us know your views in the comments below!