The Huawei Mate 80 Air is set to debut as early as December 2026, according to the insider Guo Jing on Weibo. It was previously thought the company would delay the phone until early 2027, but the manufacturer now reportedly plans to unveil it before the end of this year. In November, Huawei may focus on other launches, including devices from its OSTA sub-brand and the foldable Mate X8.

The Mate 80 Air continues the line of thin smartphones begun with the Mate 70 Air. Despite mixed sales for similar devices from Samsung and Apple, Huawei’s first phone in this series proved popular thanks to its slim body and large battery. Preliminary information says the new model will keep the round main camera module but gain a larger screen and an even thinner body. Support for expanded eSIM features is also expected.

Other rumored specifications include a Kirin 9030-series system-on-chip and a curved display in place of a flat one.

Guo Jing has become known in recent years as one of the most accurate sources on Huawei’s plans. He was among the first to predict that Huawei would bring its own 5G modems to Kirin chips after a long break caused by sanctions, and that it would move to the N+2 architecture (SMIC’s 7 nm process) for better energy efficiency. He also correctly gave the release timing and key specifications of the Mate 70. Details of the new phone remain unofficial.