Samsung plans camera revamp

Samsung Electronics plans to highlight an upgraded camera when it unveils its next Galaxy Note smartphone on August 9, according to people familiar with the matter.

The new model, likely to be called the Note 9, will look similar to last year’s model, but will also include an upgraded processor from Qualcomm for some markets.

Samsung’s “Unpacked” event, which will be held in New York, comes about two weeks earlier this year than a similar occasion last year.

The South Korean company aims to release the new model as early as the end of August, the people said, though plans could still shift. A Samsung spokesperson declined to comment about the event.

Samsung had 23 per cent of the smartphone market in the first quarter versus 16 pe rcent for Apple, according to data from IDC. Earlier this year, Samsung released the Galaxy S9 phone with an upgraded camera, which has been well received by consumers.

The Note phone line helped usher in the largephone format, a growing category that appeals to singledevice consumers. Apple, which for years resisted making a largescreen iPhone, changed course in 2014 with the iPhone 6 Plus.

Later this year, Apple plans to launch its biggest smartphone yet, a model with an almost 6.5-inch screen that looks like a bigger iPhone X.