Samsung, BlackBerry speed arrivals of new smartphones

PIPPED TO THE POST: The Galaxy Note 4 release overshadowed the kickoff of BlackBerry's newest Passport smartphone, aimed at business users in an effort to revive the fortunes of the struggling Canadian manufacturer.

SEOUL: South Korea's Samsung on Wednesday moved up the release date for it hotly anticipated Galaxy Note 4 big-screen smartphone, hitting the key Chinese market ahead of arch-rival Apple. 

Samsung's head start in the sizzling "phablet" race came as Apple stumbled, abruptly pulling back an update for the iOS software powering the iPhone after users complained of bugs, including one that disabled cellular service.