It’s formally the tip of an period.
As SamMobile stories, the Samsung Galaxy Notice 20 and Notice 20 Extremely will now not obtain software program updates, that means all present customers ought to swap to a brand new telephone.
Launched in August 2020, these are the final handsets to bear the Notice branding, that means that the road is, to all intents and functions, lifeless. It’s a day all of us knew was coming, nevertheless it doesn’t make it any simpler.
In fact, the built-in stylus lives on through the Galaxy S25 Extremely, nevertheless it’s not the identical. The Galaxy Notice line had its personal distinct persona and core base of fanatic followers, which Samsung’s present lineup can’t match.
The introduction of Galaxy Z foldables in 2020 meant that the Notice had in all probability run its course, however I’m nonetheless unhappy to see it go. Right here’s a reminder of why it was so essential to me and thousands and thousands of individuals around the globe.
The machine that made me fall in love with smartphones
When smartphones have been first launched, I used to be too younger to be among the many early adopters. On the time of the primary iPhone launch in 2007, I didn’t have a cell phone of any description, and nine-year-old me merely didn’t care what was occurring on the earth of client tech.
The primary shift occurred a few years later, after I vividly bear in mind being so excited to play a racing sport on my uncle’s iPhone 3GS after I visited him. That very same 12 months, my Christmas present of an iPod Nano correctly launched me to the world of handheld touchscreen gadgets, and I used to be amazed by what it may do.
The unique iPhone handed me by
Foundry
An iPad adopted quickly after (particularly, the basic iPad 2), nevertheless it was one other few years earlier than smartphones performed a big function in my life. Following a collection of hand-me-downs from my different uncle, I purchased my first correct smartphone in time to attend sixth-form school, aged 16.
Nonetheless, whereas the 2015 Motorola Moto G was nice for staying in contact with household and operating common apps, its restricted efficiency made it irritating to make use of for something extra complicated. So, it principally stayed switched off in my backpack.
That telephone served me properly for a full three years, throughout which period I handed my A-levels and began college. However in the summertime of 2017, my dad and mom purchased me a shiny new flagship telephone, which you would possibly’ve heard of: the Samsung Galaxy Notice 8.
Foundry
Earlier than you say it, sure, this was the one after the one which exploded. Samsung’s smartphone repute was in tatters, nevertheless it was arguably the perfect time to purchase a brand new Galaxy flagship. There was no approach the corporate would let that occur once more.
And so it proved. The Galaxy Notice 8 was a wonderful telephone by anybody’s requirements, providing among the most superior, premium {hardware} you possibly can get. Its timeless design nonetheless stands up properly right this moment.
And let me inform you, 19-year-old me was hooked. The Notice 8 was a particularly useful gizmo for getting uni work accomplished, particularly with the note-taking skills of the built-in S Pen. It had the perfect digicam I’d ever owned on the time, and was highly effective sufficient to run mainly any app.
In my free time, I relied on it for staying in contact with household and buddies, looking the net and kicking again with a YouTube video or 10.
I imagine that accessing the Galaxy Notice 8 had a profound long-term impact on me. It supercharged my love for client expertise, which went from a light curiosity to considered one of my favorite issues to observe and examine.
Foundry
In consequence, after I was on the lookout for internships in direction of the tip of my uni diploma, expertise journalism emerged as a sensible choice. I finally secured a four-week internship at Tech Advisor, and the remaining, as they are saying, is historical past.
Would I be Cell Editor proper now if it weren’t for the Galaxy Notice 8? I can’t say for positive, nevertheless it undoubtedly supercharged my curiosity in telephones and made tech journalism a sensible profession path.
Ultimately, I solely spent a few years utilizing the Notice 8 as my essential smartphone. As soon as I began at Tech Advisor, I quickly moved my SIM card and all my information to a evaluate machine, one thing which has continued for six years.
I’m unhappy that I by no means bought the prospect to evaluate a Galaxy Notice telephone, but grateful for the function that the Notice 8 performed in getting me the place I’m right this moment.
The termination of software program assist for five-year-old handsets may not seem to be a giant deal, nevertheless it’s the official finish of an period for a line that meant rather a lot to me. Relaxation in peace, Samsung Galaxy Notice. You’ll be missed.
