South Korea's Samsung launched the latest version of its Galaxy Note phablet earlier than expected Wednesday after US rival Apple reported record sales of its latest iPhone 6. Samsung said the Galaxy Note 4 -- initially scheduled for launch in October -- would hit stores in South Korea and China this week before being sold in 140 nations by the end of next month.

The decision to bring forward the launch came after rival Apple reported a record opening weekend for its latest range of iPhones. Sales topped 10 million in just three days following Friday's launch in the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico and Singapore.

The new iPhone is not yet available in China.

The 5.7-inch Note 4 -- priced at 957,000 won ($920)-- comes with S-pen stylus allowing users to draw and write on the screen and perform various tasks simultaneously.

Samsung also announced Wednesday it plans an October launch for a new version of its Galaxy Gear smartwatch - the gear S -as well as a virtual reality headset, Gear VR. The Gear S will come to the U.S. this fall will be available through AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless.

Apple unveiled its "Apple Watch" earlier this month, with plans to get it into stores early next year.