Samsung says S Pen could return to foldables after Galaxy Z Fold 7 snub
TL;DR Samsung confirms it's working on new S Pen tech to possibly bring back support for its foldable phones.
The statement comes from the executive director of Samsung's mobile division.
The company says it may bring back S Pen support for foldable phones once its new technology is fully ready, and if there's enough consumer demand for the feature.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is Samsung's thinnest and lightest foldable phone ever. But that sleek design came at the cost of the S Pen. Samsung no longer supports the stylus on its latest foldable wonder and has removed the digitizer layer from the inner display to trim down the phone's profile. However, this doesn't mean Samsung is done experimenting with S Pen support for future foldable phones. While the Galaxy Z Fold 7 may not be the notebook replacement you were hoping it would be, future Samsung foldables may resurrect S Pen functionality.
According to comments made to ETNews by Kang Min-seok, executive director of Samsung's MX business division, the company is still looking into technology that could enable S Pen support on foldable phones without compromising on their slimness.
'The Fold 7 emphasized that consumers want a thin and light product. Please think of it (S Pen removal) as a trade-off where you lose one if you choose one. We are also researching and developing thinner and innovative technologies for the S Pen, so we will reconsider it when the level of perfection increases and there is consumer demand,' Kang explained.
Last year, it was reported that Samsung is working with South Korean fabless chip firm HiDeep to develop new stylus technology that won't require a separate digitizer and battery. This technology would probably be similar to the one iPads use to support the Apple Pencil. They don't require a digitizer; instead, they work with a combination of technologies to support the stylus' functions, including pressure sensitivity and tilt detection.
If Samsung brings back S Pen support on its next foldable phone — presumably the Galaxy Z Fold 8 — it's likely to make a lot of fans happy. One of them is my colleague Tushar Mehta, who recently voiced his disappointment over the removal of S Pen support on the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
Thinnest, lightest Z Fold to date • More durable design • 200MP primary camera • Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
MSRP: $1,999.99
Thin, light, high-powered, and it folds!
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 offers an 8-inch OLED screen, a 200MP camera, the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, and a 4,400mAh battery. The Galaxy AI experience is baked in, offering tools across the camera, Circle to Search, and much more. Best of all, Samsung continues to evolve their fold folding hinge assembly, promising reduced visibility of the crease.
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