Samsung eyes earlier Note 5 launch: Will it matter in Apple battle?
Samsung, stung by a Galaxy S6 launch that didn't thwart Apple's iPhone 6 momentum, is reportedly pushing up the unveiling of its Galaxy Note devices to August.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Samsung will release its Galaxy Note phablets to August so it can get ahead of Apple's refreshed iPhone 6s.
Samsung's move aims to get its Note in front of businesses and consumers before Apple dominates the headlines with the new iPhone.
Related: Samsung misses supply, demand curve with Galaxy S6, S6 edge | Reported Galaxy Note 5, S6 Edge Plus design choices could hurt sales | Apple's iPhone 6s optimism may reflect better camera ahead
The big question is whether the latest Note will realistically be an iPhone 6 Plus rival. The Note has been popular, but the head-to-head iPhone competition chores went to the Galaxy S6 line of devices.
A few thoughts:
- The Note has been popular, but the 5.7-inch screen devices doesn't move the volume that the Galaxy line does.
- Moving up the date of the Note launch could help Samsung get attention in a seasonally slow August news month.
- However, Samsung's unveiling of the Note isn't likely to grab a ton of consumer attention since people are often on vacation.
- The Note's edge screen features will be worth watching to see if the hardware lines up with the Galaxy S6 edge approach.
Add it up and Samsung isn't likely to steal Apple's thunder with an earlier launch. The overall impact of the Note is likely to be minimal beyond the prosumers who favor it now.