【Yoo Jung】

Samsung might be Yoo Jungmaking moves to stem the inevitable flood of iPhone excitement later this year with a big release of its own: the launch of the next iteration of the now-controversial Galaxy Note line, the Galaxy Note 8.

The follow-up to the explosive Note 7 has been the subject of rumors since early March, with many wondering when the Galaxy Note 8 would arrive. The company itself confirmed its plans to launch a new flagship smartphone in the second half of 2017 but declined to reveal exactly when that launch would be.

Thankfully, we have the rumor mill to help push our speculation into overdrive. The Note 8 is expected to drop in August ahead of the iPhone 8's projected September unveiling, according to a Korea Heraldreport picked up by BGR.

The Korea Herald's report comes with sketchy sourcing, citing rumors currently circulating smartphone circles. But there are other signs pointing to a Samsung announcement ahead of Apple's expected September keynote.

A separate report from earlier this week claimed the Note 8 is currently being tested on Android 7.1.1 (Nougat), rather than a beta version of the upcoming Android O, which could signal the smartphone could launch ahead of the OS's expected fall launch.

Also, an August release date wouldn't be new for the Note line; last year's Note 7 was announced on August 2 before shipping on August 19. All expectations about future versions of the smartphone were thrown into question after the Note 7 became arguably the biggest failure in the industry's history with disastrous battery explosions and eventually a recall. One of the things thrown into uncertainty is Galaxy Note's release cycle.

Fans of the South Korean brand are undoubtedly looking forward the release of the Galaxy Note 8, following the wildly successful launch of the Galaxy S8 in March and steady sales in the aftermath.

The Note 8 is expected to take design cues from the Galaxy S8, with an 6.4-inch all-screen display with small bezels to go along with an upgraded S-Pen and a powerful new dual-lens camera.

If Samsung is indeed aiming to undercut the iPhone 8 with an early release, the move isn't totally unjustified. Apple's flagship is expected to have premium new features that have consumers so amped up that the mere idea of the device is already rumored to be affecting sales and is expected to kick off a "super cycle" of iPhone purchases across the market.

Bringing the Note 8 into the world ahead of that frenzy could give Samsung a small window for upgraders on the fence about a potentially $1,000-plus iPhone ... just as long as the Note is ready, and there are no more explosions in Samsung's future.