Apple’s iPhone 14 may be the most anticipated smartphone of the season, but it might not be the one to set the new camera standard. Huawei is reportedly planning to launch its Mate 50 series just one day before Apple’s big iPhone 14 release — a strategic move that looks anything but accidental.
Huawei confirmed the launch date through its official Weibo account, which shows the debut will be in China before it ships in the global market. The timing alone makes a statement: Huawei wants to steal some of Apple’s spotlight and maybe its reputation for camera excellence, too.
The Mate 50 is Huawei’s long-awaited return to the flagship space. The company’s last major release, the P50 series, arrived in early 2022 after long delays, and the Mate 50 was even rumored to have been canceled. Now it’s back, and expectations are high.
While Huawei hasn’t shared the full lineup yet, leaks suggest multiple versions likely include a standard Mate 50, a Mate 50 Pro, and possibly both a budget and ultra-premium variant.
What makes the Mate series a standout in the crowd isn’t the design or software but its great camera. Huawei has consistently pushed smartphone photography forward, which often outperforms Samsung, Google, and even Apple in pure image quality.
The Mate 50 that’s on the horizon will probably be using an upgraded RYYB sensor – a color filter technology that’s ditched the traditional RGB setup in favour of something new. This design lets in more light and picks up on more detail, especially in low-light situations. That means Huawei has a leg up when it comes to dynamic range and picture clarity.
As for zoom, Huawei has been in the lead for a while now. Even though iPhones still top out at 3x optical zoom, Huawei’s flagships like the Mate 40 Pro have been carrying 5x optical and even 10x hybrid zooms, and the Mate 50 is likely to carry on that trend to solidify Huawei’s reputation for always pushing the limits with their optical zoom.
Until both the Mate 50 and the iPhone 14 are in reviewers’ hands, any comparisons we make are just guesswork. But Huawei has good timing and an impressive track record – it’s ready to take on Apple head-on. If all these camera rumors pan out, the iPhone 14 will find it tougher than you’d think to keep its crown as the “best camera phone.”