It’s formally the top of an period.
As SamMobile studies, the Samsung Galaxy Word 20 and Word 20 Extremely will not obtain software program updates, that means all current customers ought to swap to a brand new cellphone.
Launched in August 2020, these are the final handsets to bear the Word branding, that means that the road is, to all intents and functions, useless. It’s a day all of us knew was coming, however it doesn’t make it any simpler.
After all, the built-in stylus lives on through the Galaxy S25 Extremely, however it’s not the identical. The Galaxy Word line had its personal distinct character 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 Word 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 tens of millions of individuals all over the world.
The system that made me fall in love with smartphones
When smartphones had 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, once I vividly bear in mind being so excited to play a racing recreation on my uncle’s iPhone 3GS once I visited him. That very same yr, my Christmas reward of an iPod Nano correctly launched me to the world of handheld touchscreen units, and I used to be amazed by what it might do.
The unique iPhone handed me by
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An iPad adopted quickly after (particularly, the basic iPad 2), however it was one other few years earlier than smartphones performed a major position in my life. Following a sequence of hand-me-downs from my different uncle, I purchased my first correct smartphone in time to attend sixth-form school, aged 16.
Nevertheless, whereas the 2015 Motorola Moto G was nice for staying in contact with household and working 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 cellphone served me properly for a full three years, throughout which era I handed my A-levels and began college. However in the summertime of 2017, my dad and mom purchased me a shiny new flagship cellphone, which you would possibly’ve heard of: the Samsung Galaxy Word 8.
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Earlier than you say it, sure, this was the one after the one which exploded. Samsung’s smartphone status was in tatters, however it was arguably one of the best time to purchase a brand new Galaxy flagship. There was no method the corporate would let that occur once more.
And so it proved. The Galaxy Word 8 was a wonderful cellphone by anybody’s requirements, providing among the most superior, premium {hardware} you can get. Its timeless design nonetheless stands up properly right now.
And let me let you know, 19-year-old me was hooked. The Word 8 was a particularly useful gizmo for getting uni work executed, particularly with the note-taking skills of the built-in S Pen. It had one of the best digicam I’d ever owned on the time, and was highly effective sufficient to run principally any app.
In my free time, I relied on it for staying in contact with household and pals, looking the online and kicking again with a YouTube video or 10.
I imagine that accessing the Galaxy Word 8 had a profound long-term impact on me. It supercharged my love for client know-how, which went from a gentle curiosity to considered one of my favorite issues to observe and examine.
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In consequence, once I was on the lookout for internships in the direction of the top of my uni diploma, know-how journalism emerged as a practical choice. I finally secured a four-week internship at Tech Advisor, and the remainder, as they are saying, is historical past.
Would I be Cellular Editor proper now if it weren’t for the Galaxy Word 8? I can’t say for positive, however it undoubtedly supercharged my curiosity in telephones and made tech journalism a practical profession path.
In the long run, I solely spent a few years utilizing the Word 8 as my essential smartphone. As soon as I began at Tech Advisor, I quickly moved my SIM card and all my knowledge to a overview system, one thing which has continued for six years.
I’m unhappy that I by no means received the prospect to overview a Galaxy Word cellphone, but grateful for the position that the Word 8 performed in getting me the place I’m right now.
The termination of software program assist for five-year-old handsets won’t seem to be a giant deal, however it’s the official finish of an period for a line that meant lots to me. Relaxation in peace, Samsung Galaxy Word. You’ll be missed.