Samsung Galaxy Note 21 with UNDER-SCREEN camera is the hole-punch free phone you've been waiting for

While leaks continue to pour in leading up to the release of both Samsung’s Galaxy S21 and Galaxy Z smartphones, rumours continue to describe Samsung’s desire to axe the Galaxy Note series in 2021, meaning no Galaxy Note 21. 

However, new information has come to light that may serve to prove, once and for all, that not only is a Galaxy Note 21 arriving next year but it’ll be packing a feature that has never appeared on any Samsung smartphone to date.

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Twitter user and leaker cozyplanes, sourcing from a Naver blog by user yeux1122, claims that not only is the Galaxy Note 21 in active development but that Samsung is also testing both holepunch and UDC (under-display camera) variants of the device. Both of these claims are also being supported by another leaker, chunvn8888, who went on to describe the Galaxy Note 21 as a successor to the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra specifically.

As manufacturers strive to push the design of smartphones towards ever smaller bezels, UDCs are quickly becoming established as the definitive solution to the numerous front facing camera designs, such as the Galaxy S20’s holepunch or the iPhone 12’s notch, that have served to not only halt the end goal of totally bezel-free displays but also frustrate enthusiasts wanting to get uncompromised use out of their smartphone’s screen. Now, manufacturers like Oppo and Samsung are racing to bring the first device with a UDC to market.

Reports currently suggest that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will also feature a UDC whereas the Galaxy S21 will not, instead carrying over the holepunch design from the Galaxy S20. 

While the inclusion of a UDC helps to create greater distinctions between the various Galaxy device families, Samsung’s reported decision to include an S-Pen with the Z Fold 3 serves only to further, and confusingly, blur the lines between the Galaxy Note and Galaxy Z Fold handsets.