Samsung Moves Up Smartphone Launch to Take on AppleThe idea is to further distance itself from the furor and frenzy over Apple's latest devices

First it was primaries, now it's phones—front-loading to get an earlier jump on relevancy.

Samsungis moving up the launch of its Galaxy Note smartphone to mid-August from its historical mid-September launch date to further distance itself from the furor and frenzy over Apple's latest devices,according to sources cited by theWall Street Journal.

Apple unveiled its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus last year just six days after Samsung's introduction of its Galaxy Note 4, which quickly lost relevancy in the wake of Apple's shift to larger screens,WSJreports.

The newest rendition of the Galaxy Note has always been showcased at the IFA Berlin conference since the phone's introduction in September 2011, butWSJsays the South Korea-based company is looking to move its launch event stateside to a yet-to-be-named major U.S. city.

Samsung declined to comment.

Samsung executive Rory O'Neill told CNBC earlier this year that he was "delighted" that Apple followed the South Korean tech giant into the smartwatch market, and the company previously poked fun at Apple customer excitement over its move to larger screens.

The earlier launch could come as a boost to Samsung's underperforming mobile business as the company posted second quarter profit estimates that marked the seventh consecutive quarter of declines.

You can read the fullWall Street Journalreporthere.