S Pen May Return to Samsung Foldables This Year

Samsung could be gearing up to bring the S Pen back to its foldable lineup this year. Early reports suggest the upcoming Galaxy Z Wide Fold may support stylus input, marking a notable shift after last year’s omission. However, it remains unclear whether the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will follow suit. Both devices are rumored to debut at a Galaxy Unpacked event in London on July 22, alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 8.

Galaxy Z Wide Fold tipped to support S Pen input

Samsung introduced stylus support to foldables with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 in 2021. The company gradually positioned the feature as a productivity add-on for power users. However, the experience was never fully seamless. The S Pen only worked on the inner display, required a special edition stylus, and lacked a built-in slot. These limitations kept it from going fully mainstream.

Samsung then removed S Pen support entirely from the Galaxy Z Fold 7 last year, prioritizing a thinner and lighter design. Achieving that slim profile required ditching the digitizer layer, the component responsible for detecting stylus input. This came after the company dropped Bluetooth features from the S Pen on its Galaxy S Ultra smartphones.

These moves suggested that Samsung doesn’t plan to keep the S Pen around much longer. However, momentum appears to be shifting again. A recent leak says the upcoming Galaxy Z Wide Fold will feature S Pen support. While the Galaxy Z Fold 8 may still miss out on stylus input, the S Pen may have a future ahead.

In fact, Samsung is reportedly exploring new stylus technologies that may not require a traditional digitizer layer. This could allow the company to bring back S Pen support while maintaining ultra-thin designs. It remains to be seen if the Wide Fold gets the traditional S Pen or if Samsung introduces a new version.