It is more likely than ever that the Samsung Galaxy Note will not appear in 2021.

It has long been rumored that the Galaxy Note series would be shelved due to Samsung's growing interest in foldable devices. However, according to Samsung Mobile chief Dong Jin Ko (via Bloomberg), the Note may not launch in 2021.

Koh admitted at the annual shareholder meeting that there is a "serious imbalance" between supply and demand for semiconductors. As a result, he said, Samsung may be forced to delay the launch of the next Galaxy Note and launch it next year instead of in late 2021 as usual.

At that point, Samsung may decide to skip the Galaxy Note 21 and move to the Galaxy Note 22 or another name.

"The Note series is positioned as a high-end model in our business portfolio, and it may be difficult to launch a Note model in the second half of the year, as launching two flagship models in one year is burdensome," Koh said. The timing of the Note model launch is subject to change, but the goal is to launch the Note model next year."

The global chip shortage is causing major problems in the high-tech industry, with chipmakers lacking the ability to meet demand and the supply chain being affected as a result. These days, everyone is affected, as everything from cell phones to gaming consoles to automobiles require chips.

The shortage is the result of several factors, including increased demand for electronics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Former President Trump's trade war with China has also been cited as a negative impact due to restrictions imposed on SMIC, China's largest chipmaker; SMIC has been prevented from purchasing more sophisticated chip manufacturing equipment and is therefore not operating at full capacity.

It is also reported that Qualcomm is struggling to meet demand for its Snapdragon chips. This is obviously a problem since the company supplies components for nearly every phone out there, including Samsung's Galaxy handsets.

Of course, it has long been assumed that the 2021 Note would be the last in this series. Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra is virtually indistinguishable from the Note thanks to its size and new support for S-Pen. Combined with Samsung's focus on the large-screen Galaxy Z Fold series, there is ample reason to doubt the Note's future.

The 2021 Note was expected to be a "last hurrah" of sorts, the last phone designed to exemplify the best that the Note has to offer. That may still be the case, but whether it will actually appear in 2021 is less certain than ever.