Samsung to market S21 FE as Note 20 replacement following weak Galaxy S21 sales

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Weak Galaxy S21 sales push Samsung to market S21 FE as Galaxy Note replacement
There won’t be a Galaxy Note 21. Partly because Samsung is pushing foldables and partly because of the global chip shortage. But a new claim suggests the company is planning a spiritual successor of some kind.

The Galaxy S21 FE could be a Galaxy Note follow-up


Evan Blass reports that Samsung is planning to position the upcoming Galaxy S21 FE as a successor to the Galaxy Note 20 series rather than the Galaxy S20 FE, something that seems to reflect the model’s importance when it comes to sales.

An image shared in reply to the original post reveals Samsung’s disappointment with the Galaxy S21’s performance so far. Sales volume for the 2021 flagships is 30% lower than what the Galaxy S10 series experienced a couple of years ago.

It’s worth noting that these disappointing numbers have been achieved in a time where Samsung has faced much less competition than usual, especially compared to 2019. Huawei is completely out of the picture outside of China, while Xiaomi and Oppo still struggle in the premium market.

The Galaxy S21 series also launched a month earlier than usual, meaning the only real competition for the first couple of months was Apple’s iPhone 12 series, which has performed exceptionally well since it hit shelves in October and November.

Samsung is also betting on the Galaxy Z line


Marketing the Galaxy S21 FE as a Galaxy Note replacement might seem like an odd move when you consider the fact that it won’t offer a built-in S Pen or act as a premium flagship, even if it does still turn out to be one of the best Android phones in 2021

But hopefully Samsung will enable S Pen stylus support on the phone and position it as a decent upgrade for customers using older Galaxy Note models like the Galaxy Note 9 or Galaxy Note 8.

The move also means Samsung might be able to spend more of its marketing resources on the foldable Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3. These devices won’t be as popular as the Galaxy S21 line, but a hefty sales target has nevertheless been set.

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