Samsung’s next flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S9, is likely to debut earlier than usual with a late January launch, according to new rumors.

The company has reportedly scheduled OLED display component shipments to start in November; and given that such component shipments for the Samsung Galaxy S8 started in January of this year, with that device launching in March, it seems a fair bet that Samsung intends to unveil its new smartphone in January, with a wider release expected to follow in February.

The speculation tracks with recent reports that Samsung’s management had decided to accelerate development of the S9 after the failure of its Note7 device. From a market perspective, it may also point to a desire to compete directly against Apple’s big new iPhone for this year, which is expected to have a later release date than usual.

That would make even more sense if Samsung succeeds in integrating an in-display fingerprint sensor into the Galaxy S9. Apple is widely thought to have failed in its attempt to bring Touch ID into the iPhone 8’s display; and this year Qualcomm, which provides microprocessor technology for Samsung, announced in-display fingerprint sensor technology that will be available in Q4. So Samsung could get a leg up on its rival in this technological area, and may use it to win over more consumers if the S9 does indeed go head-to-head against the iPhone 8 at the start of next year.

Sources: The Investor, Business Insider, Android Headlines