Samsung has decided to release the next Galaxy Note in the U.K and skip the Edge Plus model this year, an undisclosed source said to be from one of the U.K’s major networks told Techradar. If it’s released in the U.K., there’s also a high chance of seeing it across other European countries.
Last year, Samsung decided to leave Europe with only the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus. A single phablet to choose from didn’t excite the community. Fans were rampant about the lack of a European Galaxy Note 5 release and a petition was made to change Samsung’s mind. The company argued that the Edge Plus was a better fit for their European demographic — something which seems to have been a mistake according to the source. Should the source’s claim prove true, it would likely mean a much appreciated turn of events for fans of Samsung’s original phablet Note brand. Fittingly, it appears that the decision was based on feedback from the community.
The company is expected to launch new devices ahead of MWC 2016 on February 21. It was rumored that Samsung would launch four different Galaxy S7 models at this year’s MWC: the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S7 Edge Plus, and the Galaxy S7 Plus. While the article doesn’t discuss the name of its next Note-ish phablet, it’s referred to as a Galaxy Note 6 by the source. Previous rumors also suggested that the four models would be released around the same time, but the source mentions a possible August release date. “I got the impression that it had been a bit of a disappointment sales-wise and that the decision to keep the Note 5 out of Europe is now considered a mistake. So our information is that the Note 6 will launch in the UK in August and that there will be no S7 Edge Plus,” the source said. If Samsung decides to go ahead with this, we might see an announcement schedule similar to previous years, as opposed to the all-at-once approach that has been previously rumored.
I know I’m not the only one whose jaw fall to the floor when Samsung told the public the Galaxy Note 5 wouldn’t hit European store shelves last year. The features included with the S-pen have often been praised with each iteration of the phablet, whereas with the Edge Plus Samsung is still figuring out how to best make use of it. Whether Samsung releases the phone this spring or in the third quarter this year, it’ll be interesting to see what hardware Samsung has prioritized for Europe this time around. The leaked information also makes us wonder whether Samsung no longer looks at Europe as a viable candidate for two high-end phablet models.
