Although the Galaxy Note 8 has received a great response, perhaps it isn’t what Samsung thinks will compete with the new iPhone 8. According to The Investor, a popular news site in Korea, the Galaxy S9, Samsung’s next flagship, may get a January release early next year.

“Samsung Electronics’ next flagship smartphone Galaxy S9 is highly likely to debut earlier than usual, possibly in January. The report said Samsung Display’s OLED panel shipments will start in November, two months in advance of the current S8 whose display shipments started in January this year before the phone’s unveiling in March.”

The article adds that part makers have already predicted the S9’s advanced launch considering the panel development started in April last year under the name “Star.” According to XDA Developers, the Samsung S9 will have a Snapdragon 845 processor and will run Android 8.0 Oreo. The fingerprint sensor will reportedly be in a centered rectangular cutout. There are also rumors that the Galaxy S9 will bring a 4K screen (although the same has been said about several previous Samsung smartphones). There is a lot of excitement for the Galaxy S9 on Twitter.

I want the Galaxy Note 8, but think I'm going to wait for the Galaxy S9 instead. So excited for its release next January! — Carol Weber (@carolrweber) September 2, 2017

I just can't wait for a #Samsung Galaxy S9 to come out it's going to be so amazing that a lot of people are going want one. — The Faucet Guy ™ (@mrfaucetfix) January 19, 2017

Some may see the leaking of Galaxy S9 information as a sign of weakness when it concerns Samsung and especially the Galaxy Note 8. Samsung is not letting Apple get away with ruling the market. The Korean company should be concerned with re-branding when it comes to the Note 8 after the Note 7 debacle last year. Many claim that the Note 8 is too safe, but this really works in with Samsung’s long-term plan.

The Galaxy Note 7 debacle, in which Galaxy Note devices literally blew up in people’s hands, almost took Samsung off the face of the earth, and they lost $5 billion. Samsung erased part of the bad vibes when they released the Galaxy S8 last spring. PCMag gave the device four-and-a-half-stars.

“We create things, whether they’re words or pictures, and we share them. The Galaxy S8 is the best phone available for creating things you want to share, sharing them, and experiencing things shared by others. It’s the most connected device possible.” The Samsung Galaxy S8 marked a return to relevance for Samsung. [Image by Daryl Deino]

Did Samsung want to take risks when it came to the Galaxy Note 8? Most likely. But Samsung learned what happened the last time when they took major risks with a Note device. Since the Galaxy S8 and S8+ already proved to be reliable, why not build a phone just like those but with an S Pen? It’s an all-around safe bet that will be profitable for Samsung in the end.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is made for re-branding, but the real challenge to the iPhone 8 will come with the Galaxy S8. [Image by Daryl Deino]

The Galaxy S9 is where Samsung could prove their innovation. Let’s face it, the iPhone 8 is going to be taking over all the column inches and water cooler talk no matter what for the fourth quarter of 2017. However, the hype will die down after that. Samsung is doing the right thing by unveiling the Galaxy S9 during the first month of the new year. Instead of talking about the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, we will soon be talking about the innovative and groundbreaking features of the Galaxy S9.

[Featured Image by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images]