Like the Galaxy S21 Ultra released earlier this year, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is expected to add support for the S Pen. And also like that earlier flagship, it seems that Samsung’s new foldable won’t include a built-in slot for storing the stylus.
According to a report from South Korean blog Naver, Samsung has been trying to work out a way to include a way to store the S Pen as part of the Galaxy Z Fold 3's design. Unfortunately, it looks like that isn’t going to happen, thanks to the technical challenges of fitting a slot for the stylus into the foldable phone’s design.
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The culprit here isn’t necessarily the foldable screen that’s at the heart of the Galaxy Z Fold lineup. Rather, it’s because Samsung wants to make the upcoming device more resistant to water and dust. Pulling that off while also including a slot for the S Pen in the phone would be a step too far.
As Galaxy Note fans know, you’re able to dock the S Pen safely inside that phablet. The Galaxy S21 Ultra, while offering S Pen support for the first time outside of a Note device, does not have such a slot. Instead, you’ve got to buy a separate Galaxy S21 Ultra case.
The Naver report suggests that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will go a similar route, with the foldable supporting some sort of stylus but not one that can dock inside the phone itself. Such a move would be significant as many expect the Galaxy Z Fold 3 to replace the Galaxy Note as Samsung’s major flagship release in the second half of the year.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is rumored to be arriving in July. It could feature a larger 7.6-inch interior display, with the exterior panel shrinking somewhat from last year’s version.
In addition, the Naver report claims the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will be one of two Samsung foldables coming out in the second half of the year — presumably the Galaxy Z Flip 2 will be the other. A Galaxy S21 FE model which offers many features of the S21 lineup but at a lower price could also join those phones.
