Apple and Samsung are currently arguing over tech and design patents in a San Jose courtroom, but lest we forget, where the rivalry between these two companies really matters is on store shelves. And, so far, the court case between Apple and Samsung hasn't slowed down the ongoing fight for our consumer dollars.

Case in point: Apple and Samsung's latest smartphone release plans reek of competition. While neither company has made official statements regarding the specific release dates of their next flagship products, all signs are pointing to August and September.

Samsung sent out this press invite to Wired and other media on Friday. Image: Samsung

On Friday, Samsung emailed out a press invite to a Galaxy product event on August 15 in New York. Samsung officials declined to say just what would be shown off at the event, but an unnamed Samsung spokesman reportedly told Reuters that the company was planning on unveiling a new Galaxy Note smartphone in late August. If Samsung does indeed show off a new Note – maybe called a Galaxy Note II – in late August, it would arrive just ahead of Apple's rumored debut for its next iPhone.

The latest rumors suggest that Apple is announcing its next-generation iPhone on Sept. 12. Whenever this new iPhone does show up, it's widely expected to have a larger display than the 3.5-inch units seen on the last five generations of iPhones.

Large smartphone displays are something Samsung knows well. Samsung's current three top smartphones all feature bigger-than-iPhone screens. Samsung's Galaxy Nexus has a 4.65-inch screen, the Galaxy S III has a 4.8-inch display and then, of course, there's the Galaxy Note and its massive 5.3-inch touchscreen, complete with stylus input.

While many critics slammed the Note in reviews for having a laughably large screen, Samsung has sold Notes by the millions. The oversized phone is a genuine hit. If Samsung's history is any indication if it thinks there is room to grow, a follow-up to the Note could feature an even larger screen. The predecessor to the 4.65-inch display Galaxy Nexus was Samsung's Nexus S, which featured a 4-inch screen. The Galaxy S II had a 4.3-inch display, while the first-generation Galaxy S phone packed a 4-inch touchscreen.

Yet while the Note has been a sales success, massive phones haven't always worked out. The Dell Streak, a phone with a 5-inch display, was a significant enough sales flop and that Dell gave up on its smartphone efforts altogether.