Samsung has announced that the Galaxy Note 4, the latest version of its popular ‘phablet’ range, will go on sale from September 26, initially in its home country Korea. It isn’t providing specific launch dates for other markets — operators in the UK and other countries have revealed local schedules — but Samsung says that the phone will be available to consumers in 140 countries by the end of October.
The company is rumored to have moved its launch schedule forward following the early success that Apple has had with its new iPhone 6 models, which are its largest devices to date. The iPhone 6 comes in at 4.7 inches while the iPhone 6 Plus is 5.5 inches — those enlarged form factors play down the major differentiator that the 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 4 has over previous iPhone models: its size.
An anonymous source inside Samsung told the Korea Herald that the company is aiming to ship 15 million Galaxy Note 4 devices within the first 30 days of its launch. Apple sold a record 10 million iPhone 6 units over its launch weekend, so the pressure is most definitely on — particularly given Samsung’s less than stellar financial performances this year.
Interestingly, Samsung’s release schedule could mean that the Galaxy Note 4 is on sale in China before either of Apple’s new iPhone 6 devices. We reported last week that an unknown issue is delaying Apple in China, spurring the grey market there which Apple once seemingly tamed. China’s state media claims that the devices have secured two regulatory approvals, but still require a network access license.
Update: Along the lines of that last thought, the AP reports that Samsung will launch the Galaxy Note 4 in China this coming Friday on all three national carriers, thereby beating the iPhone 6 to market. That detail isn’t included in Samsung’s initial announcement — we’ve contacted the company to confirm its launch plans in China.
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Related: Samsung Galaxy Note 4 hands-on: More of the same, but that might not be a bad thing
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