Samsung Galaxy S30 Ultra, Z Fold 3 could make the Note series obsolete

The S-Pen has been a fixture on the Samsung Galaxy Note series from the get-go, dating all the way back to 2011. We’ve seen it on every Note flagship since then, but we’ve never seen it on the mainline Galaxy S series.

Now, Korean outlet The Elec reports that the top-end Galaxy S30 phone (ostensibly the Galaxy S30 Ultra) will be equipped with an S-Pen. Furthermore, the website reports that the three S30 series phones are code-named M1, N2, and O3 (the latter being the top-end model).

The Korean publication claims that a Galaxy Note 30 launch hasn’t been confirmed for the second half of 2021 either. However, it adds that Samsung could be planning to launch a Galaxy Z Fold 3 with an S-Pen in this time-frame.

Foldables to replace Galaxy Note series?

In fact, The Elec says the biggest factor pertaining to a 2021 Galaxy Note series launch is the sales performance of the Galaxy Z Fold series. It says Galaxy Note phones usually sell 10 million units in the period from their launch to the end of the year, adding that Galaxy Z Fold sales haven’t reached this mark yet. The outlet also says that production of ultra-thin glass (UTG) is also a factor that could hinder foldable sales on the level of the Note series.

We’ve heard murmurings before that Samsung is thinking about bringing an S-Pen to the Galaxy Z Fold series, but this might be the first major rumor we hear regarding the S-Pen coming to a Galaxy S series phone. Either way, this report (if true) suggests that the Korean manufacturer foresees the Galaxy Z Fold series eventually taking over from the Galaxy Note line, while the Galaxy S Ultra essentially turns into a more conventional Note device.

There’s still a major technical challenge in getting an S-Pen to work with foldable phone screens though. Sure, Samsung’s latest foldables have UTG for added durability, but the firm used a plastic protective layer of sorts atop the glass layer which is still prone to scratches. So we’d imagine that any future Z Fold with an S-Pen would require a harder protective layer or UTG on the surface itself.

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