RIP Galaxy Note: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 will reportedly take over

RIP Galaxy Annotation: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold iii volition reportedly have over

(Prototype credit: Time to come)

Samsung is banking on its flagship foldable phone series, and it's piece of cake to empathise why. The Milky way Z Fold 2 impressed with its debut this autumn, especially given the rocky launch of its predecessor. And with rumors heating upwards virtually the Milky way Z Fold 3, Samsung'southward upcoming foldable could pale out an fifty-fifty bigger role in the company's phone lineup.

How large? Korean publication Aju News claims that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will take center stage by the middle of 2021, every bit the phone maker discontinues its long-running Galaxy Notation product line.

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Dropping the Galaxy Note would be a big move for Samsung, as the phablet line has been a key focus at Samsung for a little less than a decade. Samsung hasn't commented on the growing number of rumors about the Note'due south fate, which started in earnest more a week ago when noted leaker Ice Universe tweeted that at that place was no indication Samsung was working on a new version of the Note.

That hasn't been the instance with the Milky way Z Fold 3, which has been the focus of many rumors and leaks — the biggest of which suggests that it will characteristic a stylus similar to the Note's Due south Pen. That has been the Note's exclusive feature, which suggests to some that the phablet's days are numbered in favor of a foldable phone with a larger screen.

Additionally, the Galaxy Notation xx series experienced sluggish sales, non long subsequently launching. According to analytics firm Counterpoint Research, the Galaxy Annotation 20 and Milky way Notation 20 Ultra ended upwardly placing only quaternary and eighth in the tiptop 10 smartphone sales just in the first week of September alone behind the iPhone 11 line. With opening numbers like these, it seems obvious that Samsung would be wise to rethink its phone lineup.

The Aju News report claims that Samsung was able to notice an in-screen digitizer that lets the S Pen work with the Galaxy Z Fold 2'southward foldable screen that has a much thinner layer of glass than traditional smartphones. Without making changes to the S Pen, the stylus would scratch up the Fold's display

Other rumors suggest that the Galaxy Z Fold iii will characteristic under-screen camera technology, a first for Samsung that will become rid of visible cutting-outs for cameras in the phone's screen.

According to Aju News, the Milky way Z Fold 3 could debut as soon as June, which would be before than the usual August/September rollout for the Galaxy Note. But we could get a sign that the Annotation's days are numbered before and so with the early on 2021 release of the Galaxy S21. If that new telephone lineup adopts more Galaxy Notation features — like stylus support — the Milky way Note's days could be truly numbered.

Brittany Vincent has been covering video games and tech for over 13 years for publications including Tom'due south Guide, MTV, Rolling Stone, CNN, Popular Scientific discipline, Playboy, IGN, GamesRadar, Polygon, Kotaku, Maxim, and more. She'south also appeared as a panelist at video game conventions similar PAX East and PAX West and has coordinated social media for companies like CNET. When she's non writing or gaming, she's looking for the adjacent great visual novel in the vein of Saya no Uta. Y'all can follow her on Twitter @MolotovCupcake.