Samsung Electronics said Thursday it had modified the design of its newest tablet PC to bypass a sales ban in Germany and would start selling it there as early as this week.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1N, based on the Galaxy Tab 10.1, has a different metal frame and the location of the speakers has been changed, a spokesman for the South Korean company told AFP.

Samsung was dealt a blow in September when a German court ruled that it infringed upon Apple's design patents for its iPad. The court banned sales and marketing for the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

In a spate of lawsuits, Samsung and Apple accuse each other of copying designs or technology for their smartphones and tablet computers.

Apart from Germany, they have also launched patent claims against each another in the United States, Japan, South Korea and Australia.

Apple last month won a victory against Samsung in Australia, when a judge upheld a temporary injunction blocking the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Later in October Samsung announced it was trying to block the sale of Apple's newest product, the iPhone 4S, in Japan and Australia.

The decision to release a modified Galaxy reflects Samsung's eagerness to begin selling its tablet in Germany before the year-end shopping season.

But Apple's response to the new version would be crucial, said HI Investment and Securities analyst Song Myung-Sup.

It was not yet possible to say whether the modified tablet "will be free of any legal disputes with Apple", Song said.

-- Dow Jones Newswires contributed to this report --