Over the years, Huawei has often been accused of simply copying its competitors. This year, though, the company has finally begun carving out its own look with a focus on triple-camera setups and the introduction of gradient finishes. And, from the look of things, this strategy is paying off.

Less than a week after Huawei Mate 20 Pro shipments commenced, the Chinese company has announced that the device has broken its pre-order record by 40% in Western Europe. Previously, the record was held by the P20 Pro which itself launched earlier this year and sold a whopping 316% more units than the P10 Plus it succeeded.

While the Mate 20 Pro offers a wide range of premium features, the smartphone does also retail at a much higher price than previous Huawei devices. Because of this, it's possible that the initial popularity had something to do with the pre-order promotions that were associated with it. After all, in Western Europe, the company was offering customers a free Huawei Watch GT with their purchase. Additionally, certain markets also had the chance of receiving a free wireless charger with the smartphone and watch.

The company has not yet announced sales figures for the device. However, its pre-order demand could suggest Mate 20 series shipments will be above those of the P20 and P20 Pro, which took just three months to sell six million combined units.