Samsung will release the new Galaxy Note 5 in mid-August 2015, according to a report by the WSJ citing people familiar with matter.
The South Korean-based decided to launch its premium smartphone earlier than expected in order to boost sales – giving it a head start before Apple releases the iPhone 6S.
Both the Galaxy Note 4 and Note 3 were announced in September, so what’s with the change in Samsung’s launch strategy?
It all comes down to market share. For a while Samsung had a much larger slice of the smartphone market than Apple. Consumers were attracted to the appeal of Samsung’s large-screened smartphones. However, when Apple released the iPhone 6 last year, the company’s first big-screened phone, many consumers switched over. In addition the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge didn’t enjoy the same popularity as the iPhone 6.
In fact, Apple overtook Samsung in market share for a short while. Market share refers to the size of one company’s sales relative to the whole market.
Not only has Apple been eating away at Samsung’s market share, but the popularity of Chinese-based phone makers such as Xiaomi and Huawei have also been posing a serious threat.
Introducing the Galaxy 5 Note in mid August, before Apple releases their new iPhone model, could win over some consumers – given the earlier release date.
The Galaxy Note 5 will reportedly feature a 5.67 inch screen, a built-in detachable stylus (allowing users to write and draw on the screen), 32gb internal storage, a 5MP front camera and a 16MP back camera with 4K video recording.
The phone is also expected to come equipped with a new Samsung processor called the Exynos 7422, says CNET.
Web developer Lance Whitney, columnist at CNET, said:
“Unlike current smartphones, which contain separate chips for different functions, the Exynos 7422 would be a first for Samsung as it would combine the central processing unit, the graphical processing unit, onboard memory, storage and cellular connectivity on a single chip.”
Samsung said that it probably didn’t meet its target for the second quarter
Operating profit from April to June is likely to have dropped 4% on an annual basis to 6.9 trillion won ($6.13 billion). Analysts expected earnings of at least 7.2 trillion won ($6.35 billion). This would represent the second straight drop in quarterly profit for Samsung on an annual basis.