Samsung is likely to launch the Galaxy Note 9 earlier than expected in an effort to compete with iPhone X , but also to offset what are believed to be lower than expected sales for the Galaxy S9.
A report from The Herald notes that Samsung Display is set to start manufacturing OLED for the phablet as early as April, compared to the typical June schedule. This means the device could see the light of day in July or August, the source adds.
This is a strategy Samsung adopted for the Galaxy S9, which it launched earlier than usual because the South Korean company wanted to compete with the new iPhone X. The Galaxy S9 was unveiled in February and sales began earlier this month. It seems that the early figures are significantly lower than expected forecasts.
This is believed to be caused by the small upgrades offered in the S9 compared to its predecessor, despite Samsung particularly praising the device's cameras.
The company is now hoping that the Galaxy Note 9 will boost demand for high-end smartphones. The device will feature a slightly larger display than the previous model (6.38 inches versus 6.32 inches), but despite many rumors, it will not feature an in-display fingerprint sensor.
Instead, the Galaxy Note 9 will feature a fingerprint sensor placed on the back of the device, just like the Galaxy S9, as the reader integrated into the glass is not ready yet.
It goes without saying that these rumors should be taken with a grain of salt, although Samsung seems to be in a hurry to bring new models to market. Given the low demand for the Galaxy S9, launching a new model earlier than expected could really help, although it all depends on the upgrades the company plans to include.
