Samsung unveils new Galaxy smartphone

Fresh off a legal battle with Apple, Samsung is announcing a new version of the Galaxy Note, an offbeat, oversized smartphone that's become a surprise hit.

Samsung, the world's largest maker of phones, is revealing the Galaxy Note II at a trade show in Berlin. The 5.5-inch screen is narrower but longer than on the first version. The processor is faster, and the software has been further adapted for the included stylus -- the phone's signature feature.

While Apple has been releasing a new smartphone model each year, Samsung makes several to target different types of customers, such as low-end phones for price-conscious customers. As a result, Samsung has been selling more smartphones than Apple this year.

The Note runs on Google's Android operating system but isn't among the phones that Apple is asking a judge to ban from the United States, after a jury in California ruled last week that some of Samsung's Android phones violated Apple patents. The jury awarded Apple $1 billion in damages in a high-profile case that could force Samsung and other Android phone makers to rethink their designs.

The Note is designed to work well with a stylus for jotting notes and drawing on a screen. The Note's large screen also makes the phone more like a tablet and more suitable for playing games and consuming content. Samsung started selling a tablet version of the Note this month.