Samsung to announce the Galaxy Note 5 in mid-August “to gain some ground” on Apple

According to The Wall Street Journal’s sources, Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Note 5 next month.

Samsung usually takes full advantage of the September IFA conference in Berlin to unveil its Galaxy Note flagship, but this year, “according to a person familiar with the matter,” will see executives shift its strategy to a “mid-August” announcement. The WSJ specifically noted the reason for the move is “to gain some ground” and “breathing room” before Apple releases its newest phones, presumably in September.

There are no other details listed, such as price points, carrier partners, or specs. Rumours have indicated the Note 5 will run Android 5.1 Lollipop, sport a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display at 2560 x 1440 pixels, an octa-core Exynos 7422 processor and a 3,100mAh battery.

Update: Reuters is now corroborating The Wall Street Journal’s initial report of its sources claiming that Samsung will announce the next Galaxy Note in August. The report noted, “The world’s top smartphone maker will launch a new version of its Galaxy Note phablet in mid-August, the person said, declining to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. Previous versions, such as the Note 3 and 4, typically launched in September.”

Related: Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Review

[source] WSJ, Reuters [/source]