Samsung Galaxy Note 21: New rumors reveal that it's dead

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

If you're waiting for the release of the Samsung Galaxy Note 21, don't hold your breath. Rumors about Samsung plans to ditch the S Pen-equipped device have been heating up, and now a new leak substantiates those claims.

Prolific tech leaker, Evan Blass, tweeted some news that will devastate Galaxy Note 21 hopefuls: the Note 20's successor is not on Samsung's radar this year. Instead, Samsung is reportedly focusing its efforts on the Fan Edition (FE) line.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 21 is reportedly cancelled

The Samsung Galaxy Note 21 may be signing off for good.  On Wednesday, Blass leaked Samsung's 2021 roadmap, and unfortunately for Note fans, the Galaxy Note 21 is notably missing.

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Blass' tweet compares this year's roadmap with last year's releases. Samsung's 2020 flagship line-up consisted of the Galaxy 20 family, the S20 FE and the Note 20. This year's roadmap shows the Galaxy 21 series, the S20 FE (again) and the S21 FE. 

The S21 FE seemingly replaces the Note 21. It's also odd that the S20 FE reappears on this year's roadmap. It may be a typo or an error, but according to TechRadar, this may allude to Samsung's plans to re-release the phone with a slashed price tag.

Blass' leaked Samsung roadmap reaffirms rumors that have been swirling about the Note series' cancellation since last year. Samsung made us take those rumors seriously when it released the Galaxy S20 line with S Pen support, stripping away the Note series' uniqueness of being Samsung's sole stylus-toting darling.

Rumors about the Galaxy Note series getting the axe took off in November when Max Weinbach, a popular tech leaker, unveiled Samsung's launch plans for this year, and similar to Blass' tweet, the Note 21 was nowhere to be found. 

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All devices poised for release in 2021 — the S21 family, the S21 FE, the Z Fold 3, the Z Flip 3 and the Z Fold FE — will reportedly have S Pen support.

As they say, where there's smoke, there's fire. All this chatter about the end of the Note series may, indeed, be true, but we won't know for sure until Samsung makes an official announcement. 

Samsung next-generation releases will be revealed during its Unpacked event, which is reportedly scheduled for August.

Kimberly Gedeon

Kimberly Gedeon, holding a Master's degree in International Journalism, launched her career as a journalist for MadameNoire's business beat in 2013. She loved translating stuffy stories about the economy, personal finance and investing into digestible, easy-to-understand, entertaining stories for young women of color. During her time on the business beat, she discovered her passion for tech as she dove into articles about tech entrepreneurship, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and the latest tablets. After eight years of freelancing, dabbling in a myriad of beats, she's finally found a home at Laptop Mag that accepts her as the crypto-addicted, virtual reality-loving, investing-focused, tech-fascinated nerd she is. Woot!