A new report from Korea revealed that Samsung might be planning to launch the new Galaxy Note 5 model as early as July 2015.
WhoWiredKorea announced that Samsung may be presenting the final device to its global carrier partners ahead of its previously anticipated release in September 2015. According to the report, the early release might be due to Samsung Pay and the new Apple iPhone 6s, which will be launched in September. Tech Buffalo cited that Samsung might have launched the Galaxy Note 5 ahead of schedule to introduce its new mobile payments service to the public, Samsung Pay. The release of the new device with the said feature is expected to help Samsung gain more leverage against its top competitor, Apple.
The report also stated that the Galaxy Note 5 model may feature an Ultra-HD AMOLED screen with a 2160 x 3840 resolution. The screen size will be 5.89 inches for the regular version of the Galaxy Note 5 and 5.78 inches for the Galaxy Note 5 Edge. With the Ultra-HD resolution, the display can present a pixel density of over 700 per inch, which will be great for VR and 4K viewing. The Note 5 will measure 7.9 mm thick, which is thinner than the Note 4 by 0.6 mm. The phablet will also include a 4100 mAh battery and the Samsung Exynos processor.
Phone Arena reported earlier that Sony is developing a new phablet model that features six inches of screen. Dubbed as the Sony Xperia Z4 Ultra, the device will reportedly be manufactured in Taiwan and will most likely include a display with a 1440 x 1260 resolution, 3 GB of RAM and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, according to another Phone Arena report. Although there was no confirmation regarding the device's specs, except for the giant screen, insiders are speculating that the upcoming unit will most likely present similar specs as the Sony Xperia Z4. The insiders also further mentioned that Sony is currently focused on making mid-range and high-end smartphones to boost profits in 2015.
The Sony Xperia Z4 Ultra phablet may have the advantage in terms of its screen size, but Samsung likely has the edge in terms of top quality resolution. PhoneArena cited that if Samsung manages to include all the expected specs in the device, it will be a "dream come true." The new Galaxy Note 5 is also better in terms of its processor, battery and features. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 appears to be ahead of the Xperia Z4 Ultra as far as technology and features are concerned.