Samsung's Galaxy S7 could end up hitting the market as early as January.

That's the latest word coming out of the South Korea-based Electronic Times and as subsequently reported by Know Your Mobile. 

Samsung is reportedly planning to formally launch the Galaxy S7 in January in part because of their desire to stay ahead of Apple.

In the past, Samsung has traditionally launched their new flagship phones in February and they have at times even extended into March, so they would be moving up their schedule by at least a month if the rumor proves to be true.

In addition to possibly launching the Galaxy S7 earlier than expected, Samsung is also reportedly set to debut two different versions of their upcoming phone.

Samsung will be releasing premium and sub-premium versions of the new phone, according to GSM Arena.

The modem and the processor of the premium version of the Samsung Galaxy S7 will reportedly be contained within a single chip, while the other version will situate them in different spots.

The premium and sub-premium versions of the Samsung Galaxy S7 will also, apparently, differ in terms of their display sizes, with one at 5.2 inches and the other at 5.8 inches. It's unclear which of the smaller or bigger models will end up being classified as the premium or sub-premium version of the Galaxy S7.

As for the other specs and features of the Galaxy S7, it will supposedly be running the Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system upon its arrival, according to Trusted Reviews.

There have also been rumblings suggesting that Samsung will yet again be implementing their "Edge" design for the Galaxy S7, although this could differ depending on whether or not a particular model falls under the premium or sub-premium bracket.

More official news about the Samsung Galaxy S7 should be available soon as the rumored January release date draws closer.