Samsung Galaxy Note History: Models, S Pen and the Ultra Connection

Samsung Galaxy model archive · 2026

The Galaxy Note family made a large screen and a stored pen a recognisable smartphone idea. This overview follows the main phone generations and explains how that working style connects with selected later Galaxy S Ultra and Fold models.

Official Samsung product image. Image source: Samsung.

Family overview updated 6 November 2026. This guide follows the Note family and its S Pen legacy.

Generation at a glance

Original Galaxy Note and S Pen introduced in 2011
Note20 and Note20 Ultra announced in August 2020
Note10 Lite is a separate 2020 release
Later S Pen compatibility depends on the exact model

The lasting idea is immediate access to a pen

The useful part of the Note concept is simple: a writing tool is available when an idea arrives. That can help with a quick sketch, marking a document or taking a note during a conversation. It does not mean everyone needs a stylus, or that every later Galaxy implements the same features. Screen size, pen storage, pressure input and remote-control functions are separate questions. Decide which activity matters to you before choosing a model from the name alone.

Which version is which?

The main family grew from the original Note through Note2, Note3, Note4 and Note5, then Note7, Note8, Note9, Note10 and Note20 generations. Note10+ and Note20 Ultra are distinct higher-tier versions. Note10 Lite followed a separate timetable. The table below is a route through the main phone line, rather than an exhaustive list of every carrier or regional edition.

Main Note generations at a glance

Period	Main phone family	Place in the story
2011	Galaxy Note	Original large-screen phone with stored S Pen
2012–2015	Note2, Note3, Note4, Note5	Refinements to handwriting, shortcuts and productivity
2016	Note7	Recalled model; see the safety note below
2017–2018	Note8 and Note9	Later main-series Note generations
2019	Note10 and Note10+	Two main sizes within the Note family
2020	Note10 Lite; Note20 and Note20 Ultra	Separate Lite release and the Note20 generation

Note7 is a recalled device. Samsung instructed owners of original and replacement Note7 phones to stop using them and switch them off. It should not be treated as an ordinary used-phone recommendation. Read Samsung’s official Note7 safety advice.

Where the S Pen idea went next

S21 Ultra added support for a separate compatible pen; S22 Ultra brought a stored S Pen into the S line. Selected Fold generations also offer compatible pen input, with their own requirements. Check the particular generation instead of assuming every Ultra, Fold or S Pen behaves alike. Our Galaxy S and foldable guides explain the model families separately.

Looking at one today

Inspect the screen, pen tip, pen slot and writing response across the display. Check cameras, charging and the exact regional model. Older Note phones should be assessed for present software support rather than their historical business reputation. A compatible pen is not a guarantee of every remote feature, and a later Ultra or Fold should be checked individually before assuming it reproduces a particular Note workflow.

Before choosing an older phone, check the exact model on Samsung’s current security-update list and confirm local network compatibility.