Samsung has been rumored to be retiring its Galaxy Note series for a while now, and with S-Pen support on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, and reportedly coming to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 now, it didn't seem to farfetched. But a noted tipster has weighed, bidding the series farewell, and now the demise of the Galaxy Note series looks more likely than ever.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20’s party was comprehensively spoiled by last year’s Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G, which went on sale on March 5, 2020. The Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G was a real rival to the Galaxy Note, boasting top-tier tech specs that were as good as, or in some cases, better than the Note 20 Ultra that followed in the summer.
Current information suggests that while we'll see a Galaxy Note 21 this year, it'll be the last. The news comes from noted Samsung leaker Ice Universe who tweeted simply “Galaxy Note” with a graphic that reads “The End”. It seems Mr Universe thinks Samsung’s winding up this particular project.
Sadly, it kind of makes sense. The Samsung Galaxy Note range used to be the enthusiast's phone. It was the one that Android fans would gravitate towards with loads of extra features. It had the advantage of a summer launch, which meant it appeared alongside the new iPhones with generally more powerful hardware than Samsung’s S series phones.
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Back then, if you wanted a stylus you bought the Galaxy Note but guess what - Samsung has thrown that into disarray too with the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, which now supports the same pen. And with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 likely following suit, the writing (wait for it) is on the phone; with this small change, Samsung has made it clear that the difference between the two devices is now essentially nothing. What’s the point of producing two identical phones in a year – it’s madness.
Leaking site LetsGoDigital has echoed Ice Universe’s thoughts in a post that pulls in some of its fantastic renders based on the leaks of the next, and possibly last, Galaxy Note. The site suggests that the development efforts that went into the range will now be re-deployed to create the company’s range of foldable and perhaps rollable phones which it’s sure to be investing heavily in. You can check out its stunning Samsung Galaxy Note 21 Ultra 5G, by in-house designer Giuseppe Spinell, in the video above.
If you're looking for a new handset, don't forget to check out our guide on the best smarphones
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As a special T3 treat, here’s a link back to our review of the original Samsung Galaxy Note, back in 2011. At the time we liked it, although we suggested the audience for a phone like this might be a little limited. While the Note was a bit of a niche phone, it’s certainly found its audience over the last 10 years.
Ian has been involved in technology journalism since 2007, originally writing about AV hardware back when LCDs and plasma TVs were just gaining popularity. Nearly 15 years on, he remains as excited about how tech can make your life better.
