Samsung Galaxy Note release date pushed forward so it can beat iPhone 6S to market

An August launch will let the new phone spend more time in the limelight, according to reports

Samsung's Galaxy Note Edge (pictured) is one of the few smartphones that are 4G+ compatible. (Reuters)

Samsung is set to push the launch of its flagship phablet forward by a few weeks, to avoid it being eclipsed by the launch of Apple’s iPhone 6S.

The Korean company has traditionally launched updates to the Galaxy Note at the IFA tradeshow, which happens at the beginning of September. But the Wall Street Journal reports that it is set to push that forward to August to avoid conflict with the new iPhone — which usually launches in early September, too.

The first ever Galaxy Note was launched at IFA in 2011, when it pioneered the “phablet” form factor, and has been updated at the show every year since. But while the updates usually receive a couple of weeks of attention, it is often thrown off by the launch of new iPhone.

The launches have been getting gradually more close together, and last year the Galaxy Note 4 was around for only six days before the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus was launched. Apple has also been expanding the size of its phones, launching its first phablet with the 6 Plus in September, meaning that it is encroaching more on the Galaxy Note’s territory.

The launch is set to take place in mid-August, in a city in the US, the WSJ reported.

Samsung will be hoping that the new launch will be enough to revitalise both the Galaxy line and the company’s profits. The company reported this week that profits are continuing to slip, amid worries that the iPhone 6 and cheaper phones were stopping people from upgrading to its flagship Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.

It isn't the first time that Samsung has shifted around its release schedule to make way for an Apple product. In May, it was reported that the company had delayed the launch of its first round-faced smartwatch so that it could wait for the hype around the Apple Watch to die down.