People familiar with the matter said that Samsung may stop its high-end Galaxy Note phones next year, a move that may reflect the sharp decline in demand for high-end smartphones from the coronavirus pandemic.
Galaxy Note is known for its large screen and stylus. It is one of two Samsung premium mobile phone series, and the other is the more compact Galaxy S, whose most advanced components attract consumers.
Three sources said that at present, the South Korean technology giant has no plans to develop a new version of Galaxy Note in 2021. Since the plan has not yet been made public, it declined to disclose.
One of the sources said that instead, the top model of the Galaxy S series, the S21, will be equipped with a stylus, and the next version of Samsung’s foldable phone will be compatible with the stylus, which will be sold separately.
Another source said that the company’s original development work for Note will now be transferred to its foldable phone series.
Samsung declined to comment.
Research firm Counterpoint analyst Tom Kang said that Samsung Note series sales are expected to drop by one-fifth this year to 8 million units, while S series sales may drop by 5 million units to 30 million. Below.
He said: “This year’s high-end demand has decreased, and many people are not looking for new products.”
The Galaxy Note 20 was launched in the United States this year at a price of US$999 (about Rs 73,400), which is the same as the Galaxy S20, while the iPhone 12 starts at US$799 (about Rs 58,700).
Samsung released the Note for the first time in 2011, which opened up a new phase for the large-screen model market and enabled it to surpass Apple for the first time that year and become the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer.
© Thomson Reuters 2020
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