Samsung Electronics has not announced the release date of its upcoming flagship smartphone dubbed as Galaxy Note 4, but report has it that the device might be released earlier than expected, sparking speculation that it could have been either planned to avoid clash with iPhone 6 or due to poor sales of Galaxy S5.
The South Korean electronics giant was expected to unveil Galaxy Note 4 at an Unpacked event on 3 September before releasing it on 25 September. Traditionally, Samsung Note devices, including Galaxy Note 3 are announced at or around the annual IFA Expo before releasing a few weeks later. This year's IFA Expo in Berlin is from 5 to 10 September.
However, a report by ETNews has claimed that the Galaxy Note 4 might be released in the beginning of September with mass production of the device likely to start next month.
The move to release the flagship smartphone early has sparked off speculations that it could be Samsung's business strategy after the poor sales of its recently released smartphone – Galaxy S5. There was lots of hype around the device ahead of its release but the company's second quarter earnings failed to live up to the expectations of the analysts, which could have prompted the smartphone maker to release the upcoming device early.
Moreover, Apple Inc. is reportedly unveiling two variants of iPhone 6 – a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models – on 19 September before releasing them at the end of the month. The larger variant of iPhone 6 is seen as a rival to Galaxy Note 4, so it is possible that Samsung wants to make maximum business before the release of Apple's device.
Samsung will release two models of Galaxy Note 4, one to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 and the other by Exynos 5433 8 Core, according to AnTuTu benchmark listings. The Korea Times reported that one variant might have a curved OLED display and the other with a flat OLED display. The device may sport a 5.7-inch super Amoled display with a 2560x1440 resolution (500+ppi) and could be powered by either by Android 4.4.3 KitKat OS or Android 4.5 Lollypop.
According to a report by Samsung4Note website, the next-generation Note series may come with a 16MP rear camera with ISOCELL technology, 4K video recording and a 2MP front camera with 1,080p video recording and AnTuTu benchmark listings also hinted a 16MP rear and a 3.6MP front snapper. However, a report by G4Games (via ETNews) suggested that Galaxy Note 4's camera pixel could be reduced from 13MP seen in its predecessor to 12MP with an optical image stabilization (OIS). The device may also have S-Pen stylus powered by ultrasound technology with updated gestures and air command, and house 3GB LPDDR3 RAM.
