Samsung thinks about giving the Galaxy Note refresh a miss this year as semiconductor supplies run dry
- Reference: 1616008741
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/03/17/samsung_galaxy_note_on_hold/
- Source link:
Speaking at a shareholder meeting, co-CEO Koh Dong-jin bemoaned a "serious imbalance" in the supply chain which has yet to be resolved.
[1]
"There's a serious imbalance in supply and demand of chips in the IT sector globally," Koh said. "Despite the difficult environment, our business leaders are meeting partners overseas to solve these problems. It's hard to say the shortage issue has been solved 100 per cent."
Regarding the Galaxy Note, Koh told investors: "[The] Note series is positioned as a high-end model in our business portfolio. It could be a burden to unveil two flagship models in a year so it might be difficult to release Note model in [the second half]. The timing of Note model launch can be changed but we seek to release a Note model next year."
[2]
Although Koh didn't suggest the Note would be permanently discontinued, [3]as previous speculation had suggested , it's certainly true the device doesn't quite fit as neatly into Samsung's line-up as it once did. The selling points that previously set it apart from stablemates (such as support for the S-Pen and ultra-wide band communications) are now [4]found on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra . Functionality wise, the [5]only real difference is a marginally bigger screen (6.9 inches versus 6.8 inches).
Given this overlap, Samsung could be forgiven for choosing to discontinue it in favour of a more streamlined output, even if it appears it's not something being publicly considered right now.
Driving supply chains up the wall
Hardware vendors have experienced serious production backlogs in past months, with [6]producers of PCs most severely affected . Next-generation games consoles and [7]graphics cards have been in short supply, as have web cams, displays and other tech that helped people to work, learn and play at home.
Samsung updates chart-topping A-series Galaxy smartphones with a few more bells and whistles - even topping the S20 FE [8]READ MORE
Auto makers have [9]not been immume to this chip shortage , with manufacturers expecting an industry-wide $61bn loss of revenue. This dilemma was created by the sector's reliance on just-in-time manufacturing processes, with carmakers keeping parts inventory levels to a bare minimum.
Exacerbating the problem, many carmakers cut semiconductor orders at the start of the pandemic, when consumer confidence was at its lowest. Semiconductor manufacturing is a lengthy process, and it will take time for the supply of automotive components to satisfy demand, especially given the competition for fab time from consumer and industrial electronics manufacturers.
Analysts have expressed concerns that the semiconductor shortage will continue to dog makers of tech hardware, with these woes exacerbated by the [10]temporary shutdown of production at Samsung’s Texas fab plant in February .
[11]
Earlier this month, analyst Trendforce said the halt in operations would lead to [12]a shortage of Qualcomm's RFIC chip during Q1 2021, with production of 5G phones tumbling 30 per cent as a result. The analyst also noted that 5G smartphone penetration could fall to 36.5 per cent, from the previously forecast 38 per cent. ®
Get our [13]Tech Resources
[1] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YFKKChqSMam9nVY53lIK@AAAAII&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YFKKChqSMam9nVY53lIK@AAAAII&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2020/12/01/samsung_galaxy_note_report/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2021/01/14/samsung_galaxy_21_series/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2020/08/05/samsung_note20_launch/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2020/08/28/hp_q3_2020/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2021/02/25/gpus_for_gaming_and_aipowered/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2021/03/17/samsung_galaxy_a32_a52_a72/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2021/02/10/honda_nissan_report_semiconductor_shortages/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2021/02/17/texas_blackouts_semiconductor_fabs/
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YFKKChqSMam9nVY53lIK@AAAAII&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://www.trendforce.com/presscenter/news/20210312-10711.html
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
But also, what would they do?
The S21 seems to just add Note 20 features tot he S lineup, what would they really add to the Note 20? The camera's already ridiculously over-spec'd and the chips's fast enough to do anything you want, we're already at the too much ram and storage options.
I got my Note 20 last year to update on my Note 8 and that was mostly due to the battery starting to give on the old one. I think we're long past needed a device refresh on an annual basis due to technology improvements. When I first got a phone I was upgrading every six months as there was a definite improvement and real innovations all round, that slowly dropped to a year, two, and now it's not really improvements we're looking for; I honestly can't tell the difference when my phone is on 5g or 4g for the types of data use you have on a phone, side by side photo's look the same, they're just more annoying on the Note 20 as when you try to use them programs and platforms either don't understand the codec (even though the heif is turned off for compatibility) or the filesize is above their cut-off (which is most annoying on my car-share app, Car Next Door, that you have to upload condition photos pre and post hire and they will not accept the pictures).
It almost feels like these increase in specs for the sake of looking new is a step backwards. So maybe a year or two out of the release cycle would be a good thing as device refreshes can be focused on actual improvements with usage to the user. Don't most contracts come as two years these days anyway?
As a long time Note user (first being the 4) I would be sad to see it go as I don't think there's much else on the market that's close and would be much happier with a more sporadic release than being discontinued entirely, even if that affects the cost (given it's one of the more pricey phones to start with).
2021: introducing the Samsung Galaxy Not
(Coming soon: the Not Lite, with a 50Ah battery)