Could the Galaxy Note 20 that Samsung just revealed be the last of its kind? Samsung has long been rumored to abandon the Note series and focus its efforts on the Galaxy S line of phones. And yet, each year the Note sticks around for the sake of S Pen scribblers.
But if a new report from Korean site Thelec.kr (via Sammobile) is accurate, then the Galaxy Note's days could be limited. The report claims that the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra will come with an S Pen, the key differentiator between the Galaxy S and Note lines.
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The S Pen will reportedly be available only on the top-of-the-line model, or what is expected to be called the Galaxy S21 Ultra. By introducing the S Pen into the Galaxy S phone line, Samsung can do away with redundancies and drop the Galaxy Note series without alienating its customers.
The Galaxy S and Galaxy Note smartphone models were once separated not just by the S Pen but also by display size. But not anymore. The screens on the Galaxy S models have increased over the years while the Galaxy Note has seemingly reached its ceiling at around 6.8 inches. With similar screen sizes and overall dimensions, there isn't much separating the Galaxy S20 from the Galaxy Note 20 when you remove the S Pen from the equation.
The report says that adding the S Pen to the Galaxy S21 Ultra could help Note fans transition to a Galaxy S phone rather effortlessly. On the other hand, abandoning the Galaxy Note is a risk; the trend-setting "phablet" is still a top seller with the Galaxy Note 10 exceeding sales expectations.
There is no urgency for Samsung to drop the Galaxy Note line but if the Galaxy S21 Ultra comes with an S Pen, it could signal the eventual death of one of the most beloved Android devices ever.
