Samsung is again planning to launch its next-generation Galaxy Note handset early in an effort to get a head start on the iPhone 8 — a strategy that backfired in a big way last year.
A Samsung execu told South Korean media that the Galaxy Note 8 will get its big unveiling at an event in New York City in the second half of August.
Samsung used to launch its Galaxy Note devices at German electronics trade show IFA every September. But in recent years, the company embarked on a mission to beat the latest iPhone to market.
That backfired in 2016 with the Galaxy Note 7, which launched with all manner of battery problems that caused some handsets to overheat and explode.
Samsung eventually recalled the device and ceased production (before putting refurbished units on sale again last week).
You might think that fiasco would deter Samsung from rushing the Galaxy Note 8 this year, but apparently not.
An unnamed Samsung executive told The Korea Herald that the company’s new phablet will make its debut in the second half of August — around a month before the iPhone 8 is likely to go on sale. Other sources are reporting the same.
This will give Samsung weeks to promote the Galaxy Note 8 and push sales before we even get confirmation of what the iPhone 8 will bring. But it’s unlikely to have a massive impact on demand for Apple’s device, which is expected to be a significant upgrade over iPhone 7.
The Galaxy Note 8 will reportedly be a larger version of the Galaxy S8, with a similar design and edge-to-edge Infinity Display. It will likely carry very similar internals, with the addition of Samsung’s beloved S Pen stylus, which has become a hit among Note fans.
The handset’s launch date comes days after it was claimed that sales of the Galaxy S8 have been lackluster in recent weeks. However, Samsung quickly refuted those reports, and recently promised its best-ever quarter in terms of profit.
