Samsung Electronics Co. revealed on Tuesday its new flagship Galaxy Note8 will debut in New York toward the end of August ahead of the expected podium of the Berlin electronics show in September to beat Apple’s global release of the much-awaited 10th anniversary iPhone.

The successor to the ill-fated Note7 was expected to debut in the Berlin IFA 2017 trade show opening Sept 1, as the flagship Galaxy S8 had been released a month later than expected after the flop with the Note7. The Korean tech giant had suffered a major blow with its Note7 launch last year when its fire-prone battery defect led to a record global recall and eventual discontinuation just a few months in the market.

“We thought of unpacking the new Note a day ahead of the IFA opening, but decided to pull up the date to steal public attention (away from iPhone),” a company official said. The date could be either on Aug. 23 or 24.

The world’s largest smartphone maker expects it can start selling Galaxy Note8 from September by pushing up the unpacking ceremony for a head start in the premium league competition against Apple’s much-hyped iPhone 8 series.

The 10-year iPhone, sporting a fresh look and innovative features, will be unveiled in September as scheduled but global sales are rumored to be delayed to November or even later as tight supply in parts could stall mass production.

According to teasers and rumors, Galaxy Note8 would feature its signature pen and the big screen made even bigger as in the Galaxy S8 series, with the display cutout nearly covering the device in curves on both sides. It will add the iconic specs of the latest Galaxy series - personal assistant Bixby and iris scanner. The phone is also rumored to be mounted with a rear dual-camera. The fingerprint sensor that was embedded at the back of Galaxy S8 is expected to go on the front due to consumer complaints.

By Seo Dong-cheol

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