Samsung’s Galaxy Note smartphone could be a casualty of the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, with Reuters reporting the company plotted to discontinue the series due to falling demand for premium devices.

Sources told the news agency Samsung does not currently have plans to develop a new version of the Galaxy Note in 2021, instead planning to accommodate the smartphone’s stylus feature in its other devices.

The Galaxy Note originally launched in 2011. It sits alongside the Galaxy S series and foldable models in Samsung’s premium range, renowned for its stylus feature and large screen.

One source said the next versions of both the foldable and S series due to launch in 2021 could adopt the stylus feature.

Another indicated Samsung will abandon the Note range and instead allocate development resources to its foldables.

South Korean publication The Elec reported last month sales of the latest Galaxy Note 20 series, which launched in August, were lower than expected.

The company only produced around 70 per cent of what it planned to for the month of October, amounting to 600,000 units instead of 900,000.

Counterpoint Research estimates sales of the Note series are expected to fall by a fifth in total, to 8 million by the end of 2020.