In a bid to steal the thunder away from arch-rival Apple's upcoming mini iPad, Samsung will unveil the successor to its GALAXY Note two weeks before the speculated date of the former's launch. A Samsung spokesperson said,"We plan to unveil the next GALAXY Note at the Samsung Mobile Unpacked event in Berlin on August 29", but didn’t give any further details, reports Reuters. The event will take place two days before the opening of Europe's biggest consumer electronics trade fair, IFA 2012.

South Korean media reports speculate that the new device will feature an unbreakable 5.5" display that is slightly larger than the current Note, as well as a faster processor and better camera. However, whether it ships with Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) out of the box is yet to be known.

Samsung, once a laggard in the smartphone market, overtook Apple last year to become the world's largest smartphone maker. The South Korean firm is looking to defend its supremacy by refreshing its lineup ahead of the launch of Apple's iPhone 5, widely expected to be released in October.

The original GALAXY Note features a 5.3" display, 1.4 GHz dual-core CPU, 8 mp rear camera with LED flash, and 2 mp front camera, along with support for voice calls. The device is ridiculously large for one-handed usage, let alone voice calls. The Note is currently available for Rs 33,000, and you can expect the new device to be priced at the Rs 35,000 mark.

How many of you agree that holding a 5.5" device against your ear while taking a call makes you look like a dork? Let us know in the comments.

TAGS: Mobile Phones, Events, Android, IFA, Samsung, GALAXY, Kamakshi