Chances are high that we are not going to see a Galaxy Note model this year. It is also not just lazy speculation. Samsung itself has poured cold water on the prospects for a Galaxy Note 21 last week, with mobile boss Koh Dong-jin telling Bloomberg that a global scarcity can not mean a new note in 2021.
If that’s why Samsung does not want to give any new note, it’s fine with me. But the company will do just as well to announce that we’ve seen the latest of the Galaxy Note this year and beyond.
Do not dismiss me as a wild-eyed Galaxy Note hater. It has been an excellent phone over the years to set the standard for phones that other phone manufacturers try to meet. But the time as a clear and recognizable product at the head of Samsung’s phone range is over.
Big screen standout is no more
When the first Galaxy Note launched this fall a decade ago, it was ridiculed by competitors as an awkward crook and an insignificant part of the technical press. And people still bought it. The Galaxy Note may have been the first big screen phone, but it definitely made the concept popular. It is difficult these days to find a phone with a screen of less than 6 inches, and much of it is due to the popularity of the Galaxy Note.
If the S Pen is not strictly a Galaxy Note add-on from now on, what’s the point of that phone really?
But that last sentence cuts both sides. Because there are now many big screen phones, the Galaxy Note is just one of the many and no longer the standout. Samsung’s own smartphone range includes large screen options, with the 6.8 inches Galaxy S21 Ultra almost as much display real estate as the 6.9 inches Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. And if you have the extra cash, you can get even bigger with that of Samsung Galaxy Z Vou 2.
In other words, every Samsung phone Galaxy S21 occupancy is 6.2 inches or greater. The middle range Melkweg A72 just announced by Samsung is as big as the Galaxy Note 20. There is nothing more special about the screen size of the Galaxy Note.
S Pen comes to other Galaxy phones
The Note may still claim a special feature in the form of the S Pen provided with each model. The S Pen is no ordinary style, with Bluetooth connectivity enabling remote controls. It is also handy for writing down notes and helping with precise photo editing.
But as connected to the Galaxy Note as the S Pen may be, it is no longer exclusive to Samsung’s factory. The Galaxy S21 Ultra added support this year, and although you have to buy a separate case to accommodate the stylus, I can easily see future Galaxy S models, including a slot for the S Pen, just like the Galaxy Note does. These are rumors the coming Galaxy Z Fold 3 will also be adding S Pen support, and I would not be surprised if other phones join the S Pen party further down the road. And if the S Pen is not strictly a Galaxy Note add-on in the future, what’s the point of that phone?
It is certainly not to deliver breakthrough features. Recent notes have simply taken on the camera features that Samsung introduced earlier with the Galaxy S models of that year. The processor that drives the Note is usually the same one that debuts in the Galaxy S. The name of the Galaxy Note these days is just unique to the Galaxy Note.
Samsung’s future is collapsible
If you’re looking for something innovative these days, take a look at Samsung’s expandable efforts, whether it’s the Galaxy Z Fold 3 or the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 2. The devices have the extra screen space that users’ productivity needs, and features like Samsung’s flex mode use the foldable screen design to split the screen between a viewing area and dedicated controls. The biggest knock against foldable phones so far has been durability and price, and Samsung has reportedly been looking at strengthening the former while lowering the latter (or at least folding phones less ridiculously expensive).
There’s an argument from the point of view of issues that Samsung needs a release of the phone later in the year, not only to help with holiday sales, but also so that it does not be the spotlight on Apple and the annual fall of the iPhone do not give. But it’s easy enough for Samsung to address. A schedule showing rumors of product releases for the next six months is leaking this week, suggesting Samsung will have a lower cost Galaxy S21 FE to highlight in August; we could also see the foldable phone updates, after which Samsung apparently works. These are a bunch of potentially interesting phones, without any redundant tablets that take up space.
The Galaxy Note has enjoyed a good long-term, but with its key features adopted by other devices and parrot, it is no longer a unique face on the smartphone scene. Samsung will be better served to pull back the product name in style and focus its attention on the next big thing now that the last big thing is already being reflected in its other phones.