Samsung is betting on its flagship foldable phone series, and it's easy to see why. The Galaxy Z Fold 2, introduced this fall, was impressive, especially considering the rocky launch of the previous model. And with rumors heating up about the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Samsung's upcoming foldable could take on an even bigger role in the company's phone lineup.

How big is it? According to Korean publication Aju News, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will take center stage by mid-2021.

The discontinuation of the Galaxy Note would be a big move for Samsung. The phablet line has been Samsung's centerpiece for less than a decade. Samsung has not commented on the growing number of rumors about the Note's fate, which began in earnest more than a week ago when prominent leaker Ice Universe tweeted that there was no indication that Samsung was developing a new version of the Note.

Such is not the case with the Galaxy Z Fold 3, which has been the focus of many rumors and leaks - the largest of which suggests that it will feature a stylus similar to the Note's S Pen. This is an exclusive feature of the Note, suggesting that the era of the phablet is coming to an end and that a foldable phone with a larger screen is on the horizon.

Furthermore, the Galaxy Note 20 series saw sales slump shortly after its launch. According to analyst firm Counterpoint Research, the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra were only fourth and eighth in the top 10 smartphone sales in the first week of September alone, behind the iPhone 11 line. With numbers like these, it is clear that Samsung would be wise to rethink its smartphone lineup.

According to Aju News, Samsung was able to find an in-screen digitizer that allows the use of the S Pen on the Galaxy Z Fold 2's foldable screen, which has a much thinner glass layer than traditional smartphones. Other rumors suggest that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will feature Samsung's first under-screen camera technology, which will eliminate the cutout for the camera on the phone's screen.

According to Aju News, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 could arrive as early as June, which is earlier than the Galaxy Note's usual August-September rollout. Before that, however, the Galaxy S21 will be released in early 2021, which could be a sign of the Note's shortened lifespan. If that new phone lineup adopts more Galaxy Note features like stylus support, the Galaxy Note's days may truly be numbered.