Huawei will unveil its Mate 90 series of flagship smartphones in China on Oct. 1, with reports indicating the top-tier Huawei Mate 90 Pro Max will support a dedicated external camera attachment.
Key points
- Huawei is expected to unveil the Mate 90 series in China on Oct. 1.
- The flagship Mate 90 Pro Max reportedly supports an external camera accessory with an independent 1-inch sensor.
- The add-on offers a continuous 24mm to 240mm zoom range and variable f/2.0 to f/4.5 aperture.
- Unlike regular lens extenders, the unit captures images without relying on the phone's internal camera sensors.
The accessory functions as a standalone optical unit rather than a basic clip-on telephoto lens, expanding mobile imaging capabilities beyond the physical constraints of slim phone chassis.
Independent Sensor and Continuous Optical Zoom
According to information shared by tipster Ice Universe, the hardware attachment mounts directly to the back of the Huawei Mate 90 Pro Max. Instead of redirecting light into the handset’s internal image sensors, the module includes its own 1-inch sensor.
The external unit reportedly covers a continuous focal length from 24mm to 240mm, providing native 1x through 10x optical zoom. Huawei has paired the optical stack with a variable aperture ranging between f/2.0 and f/4.5. This optical assembly allows the unit to shift focal lengths and adjust physical light intake independently, avoiding the digital cropping common in smartphone zoom systems.
Functional Differences From Add-On Mobile Lenses
Traditional mobile photography accessories typically consist of auxiliary lenses placed directly over an existing phone camera to alter focal length. Huawei’s reported approach differs by using a self-contained image capture pipeline.
- Standalone sensor: Operates using its own 1-inch sensor rather than the handset’s built-in camera hardware.
- Focal coverage: Moves continuously from 24mm wide-angle capture to 240mm telephoto reach.
- Aperture control: Adjusts physically between f/2.0 and f/4.5 to regulate exposure and depth of field.
- Autonomous operation: Captures full scenes directly without light passing through internal phone optics.
Because the accessory contains its own sensor and optical mechanism, the phone does not need to activate its built-in cameras when using the attachment.
Expected Mate 90 Models and Announcement Timing
The company is reportedly preparing three devices for the upcoming launch event:
- Huawei Mate 90
- Huawei Mate 90 Pro
- Huawei Mate 90 Pro Max
The standard Mate 90 and Mate 90 Pro are expected to serve as direct successors with incremental hardware revisions. The external camera module may arrive alongside a Special Edition variant of the Mate 90 Pro Max. Huawei will provide complete hardware specifications, availability, and pricing details during its official presentation on Oct. 1.
