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Samsung is KILLING The Galaxy Note 21 – Here’s Why…
Word on the street suggests Samsung might be killing off the Galaxy Note 21 in 2021…
Can you imagine a year with a Galaxy Note release? The Samsung Galaxy Note has been around, in one form or another, for what feels like forever. But there is now growing evidence that we might not get an update to the Galaxy Note 20 inside 2021.
Samsung Galaxy Note 21 Release Date – Is The Phone Cancelled?
This is all rumor and conjecture at this point, but we now have two separate sources claiming the Galaxy Note 20 could be Samsung’s last Note release. And this move could be inspired by Samsung’s recent “issues” with handset sales.
None of the company’s latest most recent (and most expensive phones) are selling like they used to. The Galaxy S20 was less popular than the Galaxy S10, and the Galaxy S10 was less popular with consumers than the Galaxy S9.
This is why we got the Galaxy S20 FE in 2020. And it is also why we will most likely be getting more FE phones from Samsung in 2021. People want – and are increasingly demanding – cheaper phones.
Samsung flagships to expect this year:
S21 FE
S21
S21+
S21 Ultra
Z Fold 3
Z Flip 3
Z Fold FE— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) November 15, 2020
COVID hasn’t helped, either. If money is tight and you’re worried about your future job prospects, the last thing you’re going to do is drop $1000+ on a phone from Samsung. Not when you have plenty of options for 50% to 60% less.
Or mobile phones like the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE.
Max Weinbach, a well-known leaker with a good track record, claims to have seen Samsung’s phone roadmap for 2021. Said plans include seven flagship phones, including the Z Flip 3, Z Fold 3, and Z Fold FE, but there is no mention of the Galaxy Note 21.
According to Weinberg, Samsung is killing off the Galaxy Note 21 in favor of more foldable phones – phones that no one really seems interested in. One positive from the leak, however, is the inclusion of a Galaxy Z Fold FE for 2021, opening up the possibility of an actual cheap foldable phone.
No More Galaxy Note But The S-Pen Will Live On…
Let’s assume Samsung does kill off the Galaxy Note brand in 2021. What happens then? More foldable phones? Sure. But one thing the leaker notes is that Samsung’s S-Pen, arguably the only thing that sets the Galaxy Note apart from the Galaxy S these days, is coming to several new Samsung phones in 2021.
If true, this means Samsung is taking the most recognizable aspect of its Note range and switching it into its other phones. So even though the Galaxy Note 21 is dead, its legacy will live on inside other, new phones in 2021 – most likely foldable phones and possibly the Galaxy S21.
Still, though, losing the Galaxy Note brand would really suck. Next to Apple’s iPhone, the Galaxy Note brand is one of the most iconic and influential phone lines ever released. It stated the whole phablet trend, it popularised stylus-use with mobile phones again, and it was usually a much more exciting prospect than the Galaxy S update that preceded it.
I’ve owned and used multiple Galaxy Note models over the years. I still think the Galaxy Note 9 was the best Galaxy Note model Samsung ever built – even today, that phone is still well worth a look, providing you’re cool updating the bootloader and installing a custom ROM.
I don’t have much love for Samsung’s newer Note models, but that doesn’t mean I want to see the brand disappear completely. Right now, all of the above is just rumor – nothing is confirmed. But I have a sneaky suspicion the leakers could be on to something.
There has been talk of Samsung merging (or doing away with the Note brand) for a couple of years now. And if the company wants to focus on foldable phones, scarifying the Galaxy Note 21 would be the easiest place to start – especially if Samsung can get its foldable phone prices down in line with what it would normally charge for a Galaxy Note phone.
At least the S-Pen isn’t going anywhere in 2021…