The Galaxy Note 2021 Death Knell Keeps Getting Louder

Ask not for whom the bell tolls, Galaxy Note, it tolls for thee! Another set of sources delivered bad news for fans of the main Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone lineup this week. Earlier whispers of the demise of the Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone appear to have been corroborated, with a "sharp drop in demand for high-end smartphones due to the coronavirus pandemic" as a main factor in the equation.

A Reuters report added a set of "sources with knowledge of the matter" to the mix this morning. Three sources declined to be identified as plans for the 2021 season of smartphones from Samsung were not yet public. Those plans are reported to have no Samsung Galaxy Note planned for 2021.

The top-tier abilities and resources normally reserved for the Galaxy Note will instead be spread to Samsung's other major releases for the year. The most extravagant Samsung Galaxy S21 model for the year will play host to the Samsung Galaxy Note's S Pen. Another Samsung foldable phone will also work with a Samsung S Pen stylus.

It's important to note, here, the distinction between the Galaxy Note and the devices that'll have a S Pen. According to Reuters sources, the next version of Samsung's foldable phone "will be compatible with a stylus, which will be sold separately."

This follows the game plan run by Apple with their own branded stylus, the Apple Pencil. Apple Pencil works with a variety of iPad devices and is always sold separate from the tablet. It's likely we'll see Samsung expand on what they've done with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+, magnet-assisted wireless charging, and the whole Galaxy Note array of app associations.

It may finally be time for the Galaxy S Pen to take on a life of its own, away from the Galaxy Note, free to work on a wider variety of devices in the Samsung smart device universe. Not that Samsung's not already included styli in a variety of products – but the S Pen appearing as its own product on store shelves – therein lies the rub.