Report: Samsung Galaxy Note series to be replaced by Z Fold next year
Samsung’s popular flagships might be in a for a major reshuffle as early as next year, if one were to go by recent reports that seem to suggest that the company is all set to switch around to a two-flagship model — one foldable and one regular.
Samsung’s current product portfolio consists of the S series, the Note series and the Z series of foldables. With the lines between them getting blurred and the prices overlapping more than ever before, the company might be considering a revamp to simplify these lines starting as early as next year.
This information comes from the Korean publication The Elec, which has often broken major news around Samsung. According to the report, the Samsung Galaxy S21 series from Q1 2021 will include three models, with the top-of-the-line variant (presumably an ‘Ultra’) coming with an S-Pen to differentiate itself from the relatively cheaper models. The series apparently has been codenamed as ‘Unbound’ with the phones internally being called M1, N2, and O3. This would be a radical change as the series has never sported stylus functionality till date.
Further, the Samsung Galaxy Note 21’s development could not be confirmed, but the source believes that the Note series will be discontinued next year in favour of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, which will finally support the S-Pen, and assume the productivity-centric flagship position.
This isn’t the first time we’re hearing of a foldable from Samsung with stylus capabilities. In fact, the new Galaxy Z Fold 2 was also said to have been tested for S-Pen usage but was dismissed due to durability issues. Perhaps Samsung will figure out a way to make the foldable displays durable enough by that time to not be held back in the same way that current implementations do.
In some ways, this move seems probable. Samsung has always been vocal about making foldables mainstream even if the competition is taking its time. With the Note series seemingly reached the limit of what is possible to accomplish on a phone, moving to a new form factor might just be the spark needed. After all, didn’t the Note series always stand for a big-screen experience without feeling overwhelmed?
Via GSMArena
