Samsung has warned that it might not be able to ship a Galaxy Note phone in 2021 after all, citing difficulties in launching two flagship phones in one year, in comments at its annual shareholders meeting reported on by Bloomberg.
“[The] Note series is positioned as a high-end model in our business portfolio,” said mobile chief DJ Koh. “It could be a burden to unveil two flagship models in a year so it might be difficult to release [a] Note model in 2H. The timing of [the] Note model launch can be changed but we seek to release a Note model next year.”
The comments came as Samsung sounded the alarm about a global semiconductor shortage, saying that its business will likely be affected next quarter. The potential delay or cancellation of a 2021 Galaxy Note is apparently separate, however; Koh says it’s more about streamlining the lineup, according to Bloomberg.
The release of a Galaxy Note this year was already far from a sure thing. Samsung had indicated plans to bring its key stylus feature to more phones in the Galaxy lineup, sparking speculation that the line may come to an end. A Yonhap report, however, said that Samsung was still preparing to release a new Note phone in 2021.
Samsung declined to comment to The Verge on the existence of this device at the time, reiterating its plans to “bring some of the most beloved features of the Galaxy Note to more device categories in 2021.”
