Update: New leaked information has put another nail in the coffin of the Samsung Galaxy Note.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus was one of the best phones I've ever used. It was loaded with features, killer blocky, yet slim design, gorgeous display, great camera, and the really useful S Pen was just amazing. And the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra neatly follows that formula.

However, we know that the Samsung Galaxy Note 21 will not appear this year, and that role seems to be taken by the Galaxy S21 Ultra and its S Pen support. Also, the Note line will likely go down in technology history, as Samsung has reportedly not renewed the trademark for the Note line.

Reliable tech tipster Ice Universe posted a tweet showing a list of trademark names that Samsung is considering updating. To me, it looks like game over for Samsung's famous phablets.

In many ways, it makes sense to draw a line under the note. Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3 aims to be a do-everything foldable phone with productivity in mind, and it appears to have driven the notebook out of that arena. However, there is no place to store the S Pen unless you buy a case.

And I haven't seen many people using Galaxy Note devices. If there is no demand, then I wouldn't be surprised if Samsung starts focusing on folding phones and the Note line is basically shut down.

Still, I'm still a little sad. I've waxed lyrical about how great the Google Pixel 6 is as a relatively compact Android phone, but I love large-screen smartphones, and my current favorite is the Oppo Find X3 Pro, a full-fledged Android flagship.

While there is no shortage of smartphones with spacious displays, I felt the past two generations of Note Plus/Ultra phones nailed the format. The large rectangular display was slightly curved along the edges. This made me feel like I was getting the equivalent of a Samsung TV. Not only was the color and HDR support great, but also because of the blocky design and lack of steep curves.

The overall design of the Note 10 Plus and Note 20 Ultra meant that despite their size, they were easy to handle. I remember a passerby commenting on the slimness of the Note 10 Plus. I'm not a big stylus user, but the ease of access and storage made me reach for the S Pen more than I expected.

I used the Note 10 Plus from late 2019 through summer 2020 and found it to be a productive phone as well. The large display, more precise operation with the S Pen, and ample power and storage made it a very capable workhorse. No other phone works as well for me. [I am currently testing the Galaxy Z Fold 3, which is a full-fledged high-tech product loaded with features. But while an interesting device, it is still bulky. The cover display is small, at the cost of offering a compact tablet display. For me, I would much rather have one large phone display in a slim body than a device that (so far) offers neither a large phone nor a compact tablet experience.

Then again, this is the price of innovation and progress. In another generation or two, Samsung will have nailed the foldable phone format, and nostalgia for the Galaxy Note line will have faded. But for the time being, I vote for the Note and hope that Samsung will take some of its design cues and incorporate them into the rumored Samsung Galaxy S22.