This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and the S Pen. | Image by PhoneArena
The availability of the S Pen is one of the many things that sets the Ultra variant apart from other models in the Galaxy S series. It was recently reported that Samsung is working on a new stylus, but it may not come with the Galaxy S27.
Interestingly, it seems most Galaxy users don't care about the new S Pen design. Instead, they want Samsung to reintroduce a functionality that was removed from the stylus a while ago.
The poll currently has 333 votes, with more than 50% of voters believing that the tech giant should reintroduce the Bluetooth functionalities instead of coming up with a new S Pen design. As someone who relies heavily on the Bluetooth features on my S24 Ultra, I highly agree with you guys.
What features does the Bluetooth-powered S Pen offer?
S Pen port in the Galaxy S26 Ultra. | Image by PhoneArena
The Bluetooth-enabled S Pen offers plenty of incredible features. For instance, it can act as a controller for your smartphone's camera. You can use it to take photos and videos remotely or even switch between the front and rear cameras.
It allows you to control media playback by letting you play, pause, and skip tracks using the embedded buttons. It can also be used to control presentations from a distance. While all these features are great, I regularly use the Air Actions gestures on my phone.
It lets you wave the stylus in the air to perform certain actions. For instance, while viewing photos in the gallery, you can swipe the stylus right or left in the air to switch between them. Furthermore, you can perform a circular motion in the air to zoom in and out in the camera app.
Why did Samsung decide to remove the Bluetooth support from the S Pen?
The South Korean giant dropped Bluetooth from the S Pen on the S25 Ultra and stuck with that decision for the recently released S26 Ultra. You might wonder why Samsung removed the Bluetooth from its stylus when it used to offer such incredible features. The short answer: low user engagement.
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Talking about this change, the company reportedly stated, "S Pen usage for Bluetooth-enabled features was very low." It was further mentioned that some of the BLE-powered capabilities, such as remote camera control, are now available on the Galaxy Watch and the Galaxy Ring. So, basically, Samsung wants you to purchase their other products if you want to use features that are available for free on the S24 Ultra and previous models.
Do you think a new S Pen design is actually necessary?
There's definitely a huge demand
In January last year, Samsung claimed that fewer than 1% of users who have access to the S Pen use its Bluetooth features. Among them, most only use the remote camera shutter function. Given this, you might think Samsung took the right step by removing Bluetooth capability from the S Pen.
Interestingly, online reports paint a completely different picture. Online community forums are filled with Galaxy users requesting that Samsung bring back the Bluetooth capabilities. With more than 50% of votes going to the relevant option, our poll also makes it clear that there's huge demand.
In fact, tech enthusiast Jeff Springer started a petition last year calling on Samsung to reverse this change in the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Although more than 9,000 users have signed it, the number apparently wasn't enough to change Samsung's mind, as the latest Ultra model doesn't come with a Bluetooth S Pen.
It's not that there are no benefits to getting rid of the Bluetooth functionality. The S Pen in the latest Samsung phones lacks an internal battery, making it lighter and simpler to use. This also helps reduce the overall weight of the Ultra variant.
In essence, I think the benefits the Ultra model gains from removing Bluetooth support for the S Pen aren't big enough for Samsung to ignore calls for its reintroduction. I really hope the tech giant gives it some thought, in addition to working on an entirely new S Pen design.
Aman Kumar is a tech news writer with a long-standing passion for smartphones. Aman specializes in everything smartphones, from AI features like Pixel’s Camera Coach to understanding ideal hardware combinations. He loves breaking down complex features in a simple, clear way and hopes manufacturers bring back bold designs like the Nokia N-Gage. When he’s not writing, he’s either gaming on PUBG or talking fitness as a dedicated gym enthusiast.
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