What are Samsung's plans when it comes to the future of the Galaxy Note lineup? We've been following rumors about Samsung discontinuing the Note series for a while now, and the company did not launch a Galaxy Note21 this year, citing the chip shortage (though declining sales also likely played a key role). Despite the presence of a small but loyal following, Samsung now seems to have made up its mind on killing the handset: The Korean smartphone giant will reportedly stop production of all Galaxy Note models at the end of the year.

In addition to ending production, Samsung has supposedly not included any new Note device in its annual smartphone lineup for 2022, according to ET News. The report adds that Samsung should essentially be bringing the Note experience to the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which would be the spiritual successor to the Note20 Ultra. Leaked renders have already attempted to confirm that the S22 Ultra will feature a boxy design akin to the Note series, and more importantly, a dedicated slot to hold the S Pen. All the previously-Note-exclusive software features are rumored to also be present when the device is anticipated to launch early next year in February.

The report states that Samsung is halting the production of the Galaxy Note lineup to boost the production of its foldable devices. The move will supposedly help in reducing production costs, improve efficiency, and stabilize the production of the Galaxy Z Fold/Flip series. For 2022, Samsung has reportedly set itself an annual shipment target of 13 million units for its foldables, which is higher than the 12.7 million and 9.7 million Galaxy Note units it managed to ship in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

The Galaxy Note lineup has been Samsung's flagship device in the second half of the year. With this move, the world's largest smartphone manufacturer may be aiming to replace it with its foldable devices, which despite carrying a higher price tag have been able to attract customers easily with their innovative form factor.