[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics' mobile division head Koh Dong-jin has officially confirmed that the next-generation Galaxy Note will be unveiled in late August, with the sales beginning in phases from September.

Attending a media event in Taiwan on July 14, the Samsung CEO revealed the launch schedule, which has long been kept a secret.

Koh has been travelling around Asia to meet local media and partners before the unveiling of Note 8.

He was also quoted by local news outlets as saying that the phone will hit shelves overseas, includindthe US, and UK in September, followed by an October release in other nations.

His comments come in line with the recent rumors that the tech behemoth has been gearing up to unveil the Note 8 on Aug. 23, aiming to steal the thunder from Apple’s iPhone 8 -- expected to be launched a couple of weeks later, possibly in early September.

The Note 8 is anticipated to feature a dual-lens rear-facing camera, an iris scanner, and a 6.3-inch OLED display with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio.

Like the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, a fingerprint scanner will be placed on the back of the device.

Samsung is also expected to introduce an updated version of its first artificial intelligence assistant Bixby. The software, rivaling Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa, is available only in Korean now, but the new version will likely support more languages, including English and Chinese.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)