Huawei Mate 90 Pro Max Leaks: 10x Optical Zoom Returns — Will Android Flagships Follow Again?

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Many flagship phones are gradually abandoning the “true telephoto optical lens” approach. Compared to the complex and space-consuming periscope structure, many manufacturers prefer to use high-pixel sensors combined with cropping algorithms to achieve telephoto effects. However, judging from recent leaks about the Huawei Mate 90 Pro Max, Huawei seems to still want to continue down the path of “pure hardware telephoto.”

Current leaked information suggests that the Mate 90 Pro Max may include a dedicated 10x optical periscope lens and retain the dual telephoto lens setup. If this is true, it will become one of the few flagship phones still offering native optical zoom across multiple focal lengths.

Huawei has actually been quite aggressive in the field of telephoto lenses. The previous generation Mate 80 Pro Max was equipped with dual periscope lenses, one for 4x optical zoom and the other for a longer 6.2x zoom. Compared to many solutions that rely solely on digital cropping to “harden the magnification,” this multi-telephoto combination has a more obvious advantage in real-world shooting, especially in mid-to-long-range detail, night scene telephoto, and video zoom stability.

If this technology truly achieves 10x native optics, it somewhat evokes the “mobile imaging arms race” of the past. This is because many manufacturers are now focusing more on algorithm and AI integration, while Huawei continues to increase its investment in optical hardware.

Interestingly, this leak about the Mate 90 Pro Max comes right after OPPO showcased the new 10x telephoto lens solution for the OPPO Find X9 Ultra.

OPPO’s approach to telephoto lenses with the Find X9 Ultra is quite radical. It uses a 50-megapixel sensor, combined with a periscope structure equivalent to 230mm, and a complex prism optical path design, allowing it to retain remarkably high detail even at high magnification. OPPO even achieved so-called “lossless 20x zoom” by cropping the sensor, clearly emphasizing the importance of original telephoto hardware.

Based on current information, Huawei seems to be preparing to continue moving in a similar direction. The rumored Huawei Mate 90 Pro Max will not only feature a dedicated 10x periscope lens, but will also continue to be equipped with a large 1-inch main camera and the XMAGE imaging system.

While the exact specifications of that telephoto lens haven’t been fully revealed yet, Huawei has consistently been one of the earliest manufacturers to seriously pursue “super telephoto” technology. Many may have forgotten that back in 2020 with the P40 Pro+, Huawei achieved true 10x optical zoom within a relatively limited body space. At the time, that folded optical path structure was quite cutting-edge in the mobile phone industry.

So looking at the Mate 90 Pro Max now, it seems like Huawei has returned to that path, only this time it combines a larger sensor, a more mature algorithm, and AI image processing capabilities that have now clearly evolved a lot.

In recent years, the direction of Android flagships in telephoto lenses has actually changed significantly. Previously, many manufacturers pursued “native high-magnification optical zoom,” but later they gradually began to shift to larger sensors, higher pixel counts, and algorithms for cropping.

Samsung is a prime example. The Galaxy S21 Ultra brought 10x optical periscope lenses back to mainstream flagship phones, and it even featured a dual telephoto lens structure. This approach is reminiscent of the somewhat “crazy” Galaxy S4 Zoom era.

However, with the later Galaxy S24 Ultra, Samsung readjusted its strategy, replacing the 10x telephoto lens with a 5x lens and adding a larger 50-megapixel sensor. Essentially, the aim was to cover a wider zoom range through higher resolution and better algorithms.

However, Huawei doesn’t seem to want to completely follow this route. The Huawei Pura 90 Pro Max already boasts impressive telephoto capabilities, especially in high-magnification video recording. The large 200MP telephoto sensor delivers exceptional detail retention. Even at high magnification, the image doesn’t exhibit significant blurring.

According to current leaks, the Mate 90 Pro Max may take this a step further. It won’t just be a simple increase in pixels, but may reintroduce a native 10x periscope structure with even higher magnification, combined with a larger sensor and AI image enhancement.

This approach is quite interesting. Many manufacturers are now leaning more towards “algorithm-based photography,” while Huawei seems to be returning to a “hardware-first” approach—focusing on strengthening the actual optical capabilities first, and then using AI to assist in optimization.

If it ultimately comes to fruition, the Mate 90 Pro Max will likely become one of the few flagship phones still adhering to the native optics approach for ultra-telephoto lenses. For those who enjoy telephoto shooting, concerts, sporting events, or high-magnification video recording, this approach is actually more appealing than simply piling on AI.

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