Samsung Galaxy Note 6 release date speculated to be earlier than iPhone 7 as Galaxy Note 5 price is slashed by $150

Discounts being offered by retailers on the Galaxy Note 5 are prompting suggestions that the Galaxy Note 6 release date is set to happen earlier than expected this year.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5, along with the Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, Galaxy S7, S7 Edge smartphones, are now available at a discount of $150 (AU$197) at Walmart. The deal, valid until June 30, is only on at Walmart retail outlets and not online, and has triggered speculations suggesting the South Korean tech giant is pushing out its existing Note 5 stock with Walmart in order to release the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 earlier this year.

Samsung is known for announcing its Galaxy Note series smartphones at the annual IFA Berlin event, which is usually held in September each year. However, the company did not announce the Galaxy Note 5 at the 2015 IFA Berlin, while the Note 5 was announced in August 2015. As a result, many believe Samsung will announce the Galaxy Note 6 a month or two earlier than the upcoming IFA 2016 trade show this year.

It was reported last month that the Galaxy Note 6, codenamed Grace, will arrive preinstalled with Android N OS. Google has already released the Android N Developer Preview to its users in March. Rumours suggest that the final version of the Android N will be available by July this year, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 release date to take place in mid-July or August this year.

Releasing its the Note 6 earlier than expected could be a wise move for Samsung, who has recorded good sales with its Galaxy S7 after timing the device's release way ahead of the iPhone 7 release date, which is set to take place in September, and before the release of rival smartphones from China.