Samsung will release its latest Note phablet earlier than previously, with a launch in mid-August, a person familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal. The company's move is part of a bid to give its Galaxy Note smartphone-tablet hybrids some breathing room before mid-September, when Apple typically unveils a new iPhone, the report said. Since 2011, Samsung has used the Ifa trade show in Berlin in September to launch the Note. However, the launch of a larger screen iPhone the same month proved strong competition for the Note. Samsung's move to mid-August would help it avoid the same fate this year, according to the person, who said the launch event is being planned for a major US city that hasn't yet been decided.
