In January, Samsung announced the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra flagship phones. The S21 Ultra became the company’s first S-series to arrive with S Pen stylus support. The Galaxy Note 21 arriving in H2 could have been the second S Pen-driven smartphone of the year. Fresh information reveals that Samsung may not launch a new Note series phone this year. The company is not canceling the Note series but rather plans to launch it next year.
At the recently held 52nd annual shareholders meeting in South Korea, Samsung Electronics CEO Dong-jin Koh said, “Note series is positioned as a high-end model in our business portfolio. It could be a burden to unveil two flagship models in a year so it might be difficult to release Note model in 2H.” He further stated, “The timing of Note model launch can be changed but we seek to release a Note model next year.”
Prior to S21 Ultra’s launch, the S Pen remained exclusive to the Note line. Several reports that have appeared in recent months have claimed that the forthcoming Galaxy Z Fold 3 and some of the upper mid-range smartphones may arrive with stylus support. Hence, the rumor mill started speculating that Samsung may discontinue the Galaxy Note line completely.
Koh also said that there is a ‘serious imbalance’ in the demand and supply of semiconductors across the world. The global chip shortage is likely to affect its business in the next quarter. However, it is not clear whether the decision not to launch a Note series phone this year is related to the ongoing semiconductor turmoil. Skipping the Note 21 this year appears to be Samsung’s strategy towards streamlining its lineup, according to Bloomberg.
(source)
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