Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 seen launching in September against Apple's 'iPhone 8'

Samsung will likely ship the Galaxy Note 8 in September "at the earliest," according to a report, a timeframe which would pit the device directly against Apple's new iPhones — including the "iPhone 8."

The Note 8's launch window was claimed by DigiTimes, citing sources among Taiwanese parts suppliers. Multiple reports this week suggested that the device will be announced in August — possibly Aug. 23 — but it could be the device will only hit shelves a few weeks later.

Rumors have hinted the device will include a 6.3-inch AMOLED screen, and come with other high-end features such as 6 gigabytes of RAM and dual rear cameras, both of them rated at 12 megapixels with optical image stabilization. Similar camera specifications are present on Apple's iPhone 7 Plus.

The Note line's distinguishing feature is the S Pen, which this time may be paired with enhanced software for functions like translation, currency conversion, and pinning notes to the screen, since AMOLED will allow the display to stay on with minimal power drain. The "iPhone 8" is expected to have an edge-to-edge, 5.8-inch OLED screen, replacing a physical home button with a virtual one.

Samsung released the Galaxy Note 7 in August last year, hoping to pick up more sales by beating the iPhone 7 to market. The tactic backfired, with battery fires leading to not one but two recalls before the product was discontinued. Samsung took billions in losses, and switched to a more rigorous testing scheme for the Galaxy S8 to prevent any repeats.

Apart from the "iPhone 8," Apple is also rumored to be launching an "iPhone 7s" and "7s Plus." Those devices may offer some "8" features — such as wireless charging — but omit others, most notably using 4.7- and 5.5-inch LCDs in place of OLED, and retaining physical home buttons.