It was around this time in 2020 that we first heard rumors that there would be no Samsung Galaxy Note 21. Ten months later, the first Samsung Galaxy Note 22 rumor we heard was a bit more positive, suggesting that the flagship with the S Pen could return in 2022.

The rumor comes from Samsung leaker Ice Universe, which cites supply chain sources and says it has seen "evidence of the next-generation Galaxy Note."

This is extremely vague, even by leaker's cryptic standards, and "evidence" could mean almost anything. However, given Ice Universe's pedigree in getting this right, it remains a pretty strong indication that Samsung may be planning to revive the Note next year.

Indeed, one would not expect overwhelming evidence of a Galaxy Note 22 at this stage; the Galaxy Note 20 was released on August 21, 2020, so one would imagine that if this line were to return to Samsung's lineup, it would still be a year away. Thus, said evidence is guaranteed to be quite limited.

The idea that Samsung's Galaxy Note line is dead rather than merely sleeping has always felt a bit overblown. When Samsung finally confirmed that the Galaxy Note would not be released this year, it only said that it would not be released "this time."

And there is no doubt that there is demand. Many people are upset that there was no Samsung Galaxy Note 21 this year, and as of this writing, just under 39,000 people have signed a rather desperate petition aimed at getting Samsung to alternate between the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note in the future.

But while the Ice Universe tweet is certainly an encouraging sign for those hoping to return to phablet life in 2022, it may still be a decision ultimately out of Samsung's hands: the Note 21 was abandoned because Samsung didn't want to make it. It was not abandoned because of a global chip shortage, and there is no guarantee that the situation will have improved enough to support the Galaxy S22, Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Flip 4, and Galaxy Note 22 in 2022.

The emergence of evidence for the Note 22 is encouraging, but does not guarantee its appearance. Remember that the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE was first leaked in April but was reportedly almost abandoned in June thanks to a chip shortage. It is now said to be back on track (albeit with no confirmed release date yet), but the fact that it was apparently on the verge of being canceled indicates that Samsung may have to make tough priority decisions if supply issues are not resolved.

And if that is the case, one would not want to bet against a new Note being released in 2022.