Things haven't been looking good for the Note series of Samsung phones since the last year's launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. That's because multiple stories have broken indicating that the South Korean maker is planning on ditching the Samsung Galaxy Note 21 range of phones this year.
A few reasons have been given for this, including Samsung looking to streamline its offering long term to the more recent suggestion that pandemic-caused chip shortages are to blame, with Samsung unable to product two flagship phone series in 2021. The result of this is that many commentators, including T3, have reported that the Note series appears to be dead – at least in the short term.
Is Samsung actually just keeping its cards very close to its chest, though? Could we actually be getting a Note 21 range after all? Or at least one flagship model? After all, nothing has actually been 100 per cent confirmed as of yet, and that is giving Note fans hope. And, talking of hope, a new video has just hit the internet that gives us out best look yet at just how special a Samsung Galaxy Note 21 Ultra could be if released.
This video is the work of talented future tech designer Technizo Concept, who has created what appears to be the ultimate Note series flagship. The phone here comes with a 7.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate, Exynos 2100/Snapdragon 888 system-on-chip and a 108MP main camera with 100x hybrid zoom.
The phone's design is clearly based on the recently released Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, but unlike that phone it actually comes with an S Pen digital stylus and it can be stored within the phone (the S21 Ultra supports S Pen use but does not come with one and it cannot be stored in the device).
Where the design differs, though, is that it comes with a next-gen under-display selfie camera, which so far has not been featured in any Samsung Galaxy device. Here at T3 we've been hearing that next year's Samsung Galaxy S22 range is where under-display cameras are going to debut for Samsung, but it would be showstopper amazing if the Note 21 actually debuted the tech instead.
What is the chance of that happening? Very slim, but as the Note series has traditionally been the technical leader for Samsung, the idea isn't too far out. It's possible but unlikely.
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In terms of price point, this phone is described as retailing for $1399, which is even higher that the S21 Ultra, while it is predicted for launch in August 2021. Samsung does traditionally launch its Note series in August, but that's during a normal year, so right now how accurate this is remains to be seen.
Here at T3 we'd be sad if the Note 21 was indeed the last ever Note series phone, and if Samsung is not going to launch a Note phone this year then we hope it is only a temporary measure. Either that or find a way to make the S series flagship each year deliver the same digital stylus storage.
Hopefully we will hear something official about a Samsung Galaxy Note 21 series soon.
- The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is one of the best Samsung phones
Rob has been writing about computing, gaming, mobile, home entertainment technology, toys (specifically Lego and board games), smart home and more for over 15 years. As the editor of PC Gamer, and former Deputy Editor for T3.com, you can find Rob's work in magazines, bookazines and online, as well as on podcasts and videos, too. Outside of his work Rob is passionate about motorbikes, skiing/snowboarding and team sports, with football and cricket his two favourites.
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