Samsung is taking a gamble on its smartphone strategy by not releasing a Galaxy Note series phone this year and fans are evidently not happy.
After a ten-year run, the series is apparently on its way out. Rumors of its cancellation had been doing rounds for quite some time and they intensified when the Galaxy S21 Ultra became the first non-Note phone to support the S Pen stylus.
It was only in the March of this year that the company finally admitted that it was considering not launching a Note phone in 2021. At that time, the South Korean titan said it would be difficult to release two phones with S Pen support within a year.
Some reports had also claimed that the decision was forced by the global chip shortage. Later, Samsung said the Next range would be back next year, but that seems unlikely now, given that in a recent blog post the company’s mobile boss said it plans to bring Note features to more of its devices.
A petition has now been started by SamMobile to make Samsung release a Galaxy Note phone next year instead of the Galaxy S22 series. The outlet has a quirky idea for the company: alternate Galaxy S and Galaxy Note launches each year to keep both camps happy.
The petition has racked up 9,711 signatures so far.
Although the S21 Ultra supports the S Pen, unlike Note series phones, it doesn’t have a built-in compartment for the stylus and rumors suggest the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will also adopt the same approach. Leaked renders show that Samsung will release a bulky case with an S Pen slot for its upcoming flagship foldable phone.
Could a petition bring the Galaxy Note back?
Samsung has not explicitly said that it has killed the Note series and it appears to be testing the waters before finalizing the decision. Although foldable handsets seem to be taking off, sales are still low when compared to conventional handsets.
In March last year, a petition was signed by disgruntled fans to stop the sale of Exynos-powered handsets. This may have played a part in accelerating the company’s efforts to improve its Exynos chipsets.
The Note petition will likely not go unnoticed but signatures alone will not influence Samsung’s decision.
