The global smart device race is becoming fiercer as major tech giants are moving to roll out their new gadgets in September.

Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and Sony will unveil their handsets during the IFA consumer electronics trade show in Berlin on Sept. 6-11. The release date for Apple’s iPhone 5S is reportedly slated for Sept. 20.

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 is set to debut during a press conference on Wednesday before the IFA event kicks off. It is speculated that the Galaxy Note 3 will feature a 5.7-inch full high-definition display, 13-megapixel rear camera and the latest Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system.

Samsung rival Apple’s new iPhone series will be launched weeks later on Sept. 20, according to sources. Its low-end iPhone 5C’s front will be shaped like the iPhone 5, with some added thickness. The iPhone 5S, whose size and appearance are said to replicate the iPhone 5, will add new flashy functions such as a fingerprint scanner and near-field communication.

Sources said Samsung seeks to give more prominence to its Galaxy by launching it earlier than Apple.

“Samsung’s earlier release of the product may bring positive effects to its sales,” said Seoul-based KDB Daewoo Securities’ analyst James Song.

LG Electronics will also unveil its G Pad at the IFA, the firm’s first tablet PC in two years since its Optimus Pad failed to make an impact in the 2011 tablet rush. The 8.3-inch Android tablet is known to have a quad-core processor and 2 GB RAM.

Sony’s Xperia Z1 smartphone has already been unveiled in multiple leaked images and official teasers. The image shows the alleged 20.7-megapixel rear-facing camera including a “G” lens with a 1/2.3-inch chip.

In the smart watch arena, Samsung will be the first to introduce its Galaxy Gear at the IFA alongside the Galaxy Note 3. Media reports the new gadget will function as a Pebble-like smart watch linking to smartphones via Bluetooth rather than hosting the full functions of smartphones. They will be capable of checking phone calls and text messages, but, unlike earlier expectations, not feature flexible display.

The smart watch battle between Samsung and Apple is expected to soon expand with the emergence of Google.

As Google acquired Android smart watch maker WIMM Labs, according to the company’s spokesperson last Friday, its Google Watch is likely to be launched earlier than expected. Currently, WIMM Labs researchers are working with Google’s Android team on an Android-based smart watch.

Rumors of Apple’s iWatch have been floating around for a long time, though the company never officially admitted to it. Observers said Apple already has a team of 100 designers working on wearable computing devices and CEO Tim Cook takes a keen interest in the device. Apparently Apple has registered the iWatch trademark in Russia and Japan, and recently, the company hired Jay Blahnik, a wearable computer expert. Sources predict the iWatch will be launched late next year.

The global wearable electronics market is expected to see over $8 billion in revenue and 130 million units shipped worldwide by 2018, according to a market research paper by ASDReports.

By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)