Samsung Electronics’ new high-end smartphone will go on sale in China early next week, ahead of any other market except South Korea, as the company tries to steal a march on Apple’s new iPhones and halt its sliding share of the world’s biggest mobile phone market.

Samsung, the world’s leading smartphone producer by sales, has lost market share in China over the past two years to cheaper homegrown rivals, and in the second quarter gave up the top spot, according to leading research firms.

The Galaxy Note 4 is an upgraded model of Samsung’s large-screen “phablet”. It will go on sale in South Korea on Friday and in China before the end of the month, Samsung said on Wednesday, marking the first time the South Korean smartphone maker has given China priority over other export markets with a new device in the flagship Galaxy range.