Samsung ditched S Pen support on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 to make the foldable device thinner than its predecessor (which did support the stylus), and it’s managed a commendable feat no less. The Fold 7 is one of the lightest and thinnest foldable devices in the world.
However, it looks like Samsung will bring back the S Pen on one of its upcoming foldable devices to compete with Apple’s first book-style foldable device, rumored to be the iPhone Fold. According to a post on Korean blog Naver, Samsung is experimenting with the S Pen on Galaxy Z Fold 8 variants (unpublished).
Adding S Pen support could increase the thickness of the Samsung foldable device
Samsung reportedly removed S Pen support on the Fold 7 by removing the digitization layer required to recognize pen input, which helped reduce the thickness of the display assembly and directly contributed to the Fold 7’s slim profile.
However, to reintroduce support for the S Pen, Samsung would need to add a reinforced digitizer or a new pressure-tolerant layer under the top layer of the screen. The additional layer, even though it could be a few millimeters thick at most, would contribute to a thicker Galaxy Z Fold variant in the future.
According to the translated blog page, Samsung is also actively testing new display materials that could support the S Pen without making the body thicker, as after years of research and development the company was able to produce a thin foldable device that impressed not only critics but also everyday users.
Since foldable devices are ideal candidates for stylus support (thanks to the extra screen real estate), it makes sense for the company to bring back the popular S Pen. However, the timing of the leak suggests that Samsung is preparing to take on Apple’s first foldable iPhone by using the S Pen as its unique selling point.
I’ve been writing comparisons between Samsung and Apple for a long time, and the Galaxy S Ultra variants’ built-in S Pen always outperforms the Pro Max models, simply because Apple’s iPhones don’t include one. Not only is it convenient to include a stylus with a large screen phone, but it also attracts customers as an added benefit when purchasing a Samsung smartphone.
Most recently, there were rumors that Samsung was working on a new book-style foldable device with a wider form factor to take on Apple’s iPhone Fold. Samsung could add S Pen support to this foldable device instead of the Galaxy Z Fold 8.
This way, the wider foldable device could compete directly with the iPhone Fold, while the latter could retain its position as the thinner, higher quality and larger Galaxy Z foldable.
