Samsung has changed the release date of its Galaxy Note 4 in China to the end of this month in a bid to enjoy early sales of its phablet before the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus debut.
Samsung and Apple, the world's two largest smartphone companies, have long engaged in fierce competition. The rivalry continues as Samsung is taking advantage of Apple's legal troubles in launching the anticipated iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in China. The South Korean tech giant announced Wednesday that it is bringing forward the launch dates of its supersized Galaxy Note 4 in its home country and China from October to this month end.
In South Korea, the Galaxy Note 4 will hit the stores starting Friday and the phablet will be available in China through all three mobile carriers by the end of this month, ABC News reports via AP. Besides the expedited release, it is also the first time Samsung is releasing a flagship smartphone in China before other major markets. But the move isn't surprising considering China is the biggest market for big-screen smartphones and Apple is set to launch its 5.5-inch iPhone 6 in the market soon.
The Cupertino tech giant has already won two of the three licenses from the Chinese government needed for its iPhone launch. Apple has promised to release its two new flagship smartphones in 115 markets by the end of this year. According to research firm IDC, 20 percent of all the smartphones sold in China last year comprised of big-screen phones between 5 to 7 inches, CNBC reported.
Samsung's announcement of an early release date comes shortly after Apple reported a record opening weekend sales of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in 10 countries. The company sold over 10 million units of both smartphones in first weekend sales last week, breaking its own record of selling 9 million iPhone 5S and 5C smartphones last year. The sales through pre-orders also topped 4 million units on the first day of launch. Apple blamed shortage of supplies for not over-reaching this number. Apple is expected to launch the new iPhones in 22 more markets this Friday, Sept. 26.
The U.S. launch of the Galaxy Note 4 remains unchanged, which is expected to begin Oct. 17. Samsung's another Note model, the Galaxy Note Edge, with a curved side screen for shortcut access is set to hit the stores in late October.
