We’ve seen plenty of compelling leaks and reports around the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. But questions remain about a feature Samsung has already confirmed for its next foldable device — S Pen compatibility.
A tweet spotted by SamMobile that claims to have specs about the S Pen Pro could clear up the confusion, and give us a better idea of the stylus Samsung has in the works.
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Leaker chunvn8888 — who has shared other Samsung tips in the past — took to Twitter with a list of purported specifications and details about the previously-announced Samsung S Pen Pro. That stylus will have additional capabilities that this year’s Galaxy S21 Ultra S Pen lacked.
We can't say for certain if this information is accurate until a new S Pen appears on stage alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 3 at Samsung's August 11 Galaxy Unpacked event. Still, the information lines up with previous official details as well as other leaks from trusted sources.
As we’ve previously heard directly from Samsung, the larger and more robust new S Pen Pro will feature Bluetooth LE connectivity, unlike the S Pen that started shipping at the same time as the Galaxy S21 Ultra. Like the earlier Galaxy Note 20 S Pen, Bluetooth would open up additional features outside of tapping and drawing on the screen, such as using the stylus to control media, snap photos, and more.
The leaker suggests that S Pen Pro could be specifically designed to work with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 without damaging that foldable phone's flexible screen, and will feature a 0.7mm tip and 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity. We’ve also heard about a supposed “S Pen Fold Edition” stylus, but it’s currently unknown what the key differences will be between stylus models.
Like other phones outside of the Galaxy Note lineup previous Galaxy Z Fold models did not work with any S Pen, in part due to the fragility of the foldable display. But the tech giant has spent this year expanding S Pen support to other handsets, starting with the aforementioned Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Many leaked images claiming to show off the Galaxy Z Fold 3 have emerged from reliable sources in recent weeks, and they depict a device that—much like the Galaxy S21 Ultra—lacks a Note-like slot for holding and charging a stylus.
Chunvn8888 wrote that the S Pen will magnetically attach to the back of certain Galaxy Z Fold 3 cases. A recent leak from 91mobiles showed a leatherette Galaxy Z Fold 3 case with a slot for an S Pen along the spine of the phone, which is similar to what chunvn8888 is suggesting here, although the slot could be for a different S Pen model.
The S Pen Pro will also reportedly charge via USB-C connection, since leaks suggest that there is no slot to charge it within on the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Again, these are not official details, but they do match up with previous claims about the new stylus.
Lastly, the leaker suggests that the Samsung S Pen Pro could cost about £70 in the UK. If true, that translates to a little less than $100 in the United States, but there is often a less severe disparity in UK-to-U.S. pricing than the exchange rate suggests. For example, the simpler S21 Ultra S Pen sells for £34 in the UK and $40 in the U.S.
Still, we’ll have to see how much Samsung plans to charge for its foldable-ready S Pen Pro stylus once the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is officially launched or if it includes that accessory alongside the foldable phone. We should hear more about the S Pen during Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked 3 event on August 11 alongside the new Galaxy Z Flip 3, both of which are teased by the event’s invitation and have been heavily leaked over the past few months.
