Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra: Samsung will reportedly make some serious changes to the design of its next flagship phone, the Galaxy S27 Ultra. The company is contemplating dropping the S Pen that comes built-in with the device. If so, this will be a far cry from the existing Galaxy S Ultra series, where S Pen has been a signature part for many years.
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S Pen removal planned for Galaxy S27 Ultra
A popular tipster, PandaFlashPro, shared on X (formerly Twitter) recently that even though the Galaxy S26 Ultra will keep the S Pen, the Galaxy S27 Ultra and subsequent models could do without the inbuilt slot. Instead, the S Pen might return to being an optional accessory, like when it was released with the Galaxy S21 Ultra in 2021.
S Pen might be sold separately again
This possible shift isn’t entirely unexpected. Samsung has already begun to constrain S Pen functionality. The S Pen on the Galaxy S25 Ultra is said to be missing Bluetooth-based features such as Air Actions and camera control from afar. Meanwhile, the new Galaxy Z Fold SE won’t be supporting the S Pen at all, suggesting that Samsung is phasing out stylus integration on its high-end devices gradually.
Samsung cutting back on S Pen features
One of the major reasons for taking away the integrated S Pen could be to save space internally. By eliminating the slot, Samsung could provide more ample batteries, improve thermal cooling setups, or even introduce new hardware upgrades. That being said, this modification can be disappointing for fans who are accustomed to always having the S Pen integrated within their device.
Why Samsung may be taking away the S Pen
Last March, Annika Bizon, VP of Product and Marketing at Samsung UK, stated in an interview, “I don’t see a space where the S Pen is not a key part of our portfolio.” Sure, that’s comforting to hear, but it probably means Samsung will keep providing S Pen support, just maybe not necessarily incorporating it into every phone.
Samsung is still committed to S Pen support
Samsung debuted the in-built S Pen with the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which was broadly regarded as the spiritual heir of the Galaxy Note series. Every Galaxy S Ultra model has had the stylus since then. The potential deletion of the pen may mean going back to the times when consumers needed to carry it separately.
A return to the Galaxy Note-style accessory?
To date, Samsung hasn’t publicly announced any of these changes. Plans are subject to change before the Galaxy S27 Ultra’s projected release in 2027. But if the leak is true, Samsung might be rewriting the future of its Ultra series, and enthusiasts might have to decide if they still want to tote the S Pen around.