Huawei Mate 9 release date, specs news update: Dual Leica cameras, six color options revealed in leaked photos

Alleged leaked photos of the upcoming Huawei Mate 9 reveal that the smartphone will feature dual Leica cameras and will come in six color options.

The "leaked" photos, which are currently making the rounds on the internet, were first reported by AndroidPure. The photos are said to come from Weibo and were posted by user ichangezone.

It is unclear how Weibo user ichangezone came in possession of the alleged Huawei Mate 9 photos. Nonetheless, should these photos be the real deal, they confirm the long-standing rumors of a dual Leica camera setup.

In the "leaked" photos of the Huawei Mate 9, the Leica logo can be seen between the two camera sensors on the back of the phone. Huawei's partnership with Leica on the Mate 9 is not surprising given that the German optics manufacturer also collaborated with the Chinese tech manufacturer on its Huawei P9 smartphone.

The Huawei Mate 9 is expected to have a 12-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front shooter.

Apart from revealing the phone's possible dual camera setup, the photos from Weibo also show that the Huawei Mate 9 will come in multiple color variants. Six different colors are shown in the photos. These are brown, gray, gold, silver, black, and a sixth version that is either pink or rose gold. The black and pink/rose gold variants are new to the Huawei Mate lineup.

According to Android Central, the Huawei Mate 9 could come powered by a Kirin 960 chip, a bigger display, and a more efficient battery. It could also come loaded with the new EMUI 5 interface and Android 7.0 Nougat.

Android Authority suggests that given the November 2015 unveiling of the Huawei Mate 8 and the October 2014 launch of the Huawei Mate 7, the Huawei Mate 9 could be launched in December this year.

Huawei has not announced the official launch date for the Mate 9.