Samsung will reportedly release a new version of its gigantic Android phone in July to beat Apple
Samsung usually waits until the August/September timeframe to release its large-sized Galaxy Note phones, but this year the company will reportedly make the big announcement in July, according to a recent Korean news report.
Samsung is expected to move its announcement up in an effort to undercut Apple, which is rumored to unveil a successor to the iPhone 6 Plus in September, reports Korean news outlet WhoWiredKorea. The launch of the Note 5 would also reportedly coincide with the release of Samsung Pay - Samsung's own mobile payment system that will work with any standard credit card or NFC terminal.
A prototype of the new phone is expected to be finished by June, according to WhoWiredKorea, and the company is expected to show it off to carrier partners before the end of July.
The Galaxy Note 4 is currently the biggest competitor to Apple's iPhone 6 Plus. But, while Apple has been selling boatloads of iPhones, Samsung has been struggling a bit. It's relying on a new phone like the Note 5 to give consumers a reason to choose its Galaxy phones over the iPhone.
It's too soon to know exactly what to expect from the Note 5, but blog Sam Mobile, which has an excellent track record when it comes to reporting on unreleased Samsung gadgets, claims to have some insider information. Samsung is reportedly developing a new version of its curved Note smartphone, too, which would be a successor to the Galaxy Note Edge.
The phone is reportedly being called "Project Zen" internally, and it might have different hardware than the standard Galaxy Note 5. This would be a different step for Samsung, considering the Galaxy Note Edge is essentially a clone of the Galaxy Note 4, but with a curved screen.
Sam Mobile says the Note 5 will feature either a 2K or 4K resolution screen and will run on one of Samsung's Exynos processors.
It's important to keep in mind that even if this information is accurate, there's a chance it could change by the time Samsung actually unveils its new Galaxy Note phone.