SamMobile has reported that the Note 9 will go on sale from 24th August 2018. They have sourced their information from a Korean publication called ETNews.
Comparatively the time frame between the launch date and the release date of the Note 9 is shorter than that of the Note 8. Note 9 is set to launch on 9th August at an event in New York, meaning that there is a gap of merely 15 days between the launch and the mass-market release. In contrast, the Note 8 hit shelves 3 weeks after its launch.
Industry experts have said that slow S9 sales have been a major reason behind the early release of the Note 9. Slow S9 sales have already caused a number of issues for Samsung. For example, they reported a 4% decrease in revenue quarter by quarter. Samsung hopes to capture the phablet market quickly so that users are lured away from the launch of other manufacturers’ flagships.
To further elaborate on that, Apple is expected to launch its flagship models in September. This year, Apple is rumored to be planning to launch three flagships. One will be a cheaper trim having a 6.1-inch LCD while one will be a 5.8-inch OLED model. Last but not the least, the iPhone X Plus, the most-premium and similarly most-expensive trim with a 6.5-inch OLED will be launched as well.
The iPhone X Plus is of particular concern for Samsung as it comes in direct competition with the Note 9 (similar screen size). Plus, considering the fact that there is a high social acceptance factor associated with iPhones, Samsung’s Note 9 might face a lot of difficulty in matching Apple.
Reports claim that the Note 9’s production is already in full swing and Samsung is ready to supply the phones to retailers on the release date of 24th August. Certain retailers in South Korea might open pre-orders 10 days before the official release. The Note 9 is expected to come in multiple variants, with one of the variants sporting 8 GB RAM and 512 GB storage.
