Samsung dropped the S Pen support on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 to make the foldable thinner than its predecessor (which supported the stylus), and it achieved quite a commendable feat no less. The Fold 7 is among the lightest and thinnest foldables available globally.
However, it looks like Samsung is bringing back the S Pen on one of its upcoming foldables to compete with Apple’s first book-style foldable, reportedly called the iPhone Fold. According to a post on the Korean blog Naver, Samsung is experimenting with the S Pen on Galaxy Z Fold 8 variants (unreleased).
Adding S Pen support could add to the thickness of the Samsung foldable
Samsung reportedly removed S Pen support on the Fold 7 by removing the digitizer layer required to recognize stylus input, which helped reduce the thickness of the display assembly and contributed directly to the Fold 7’s slim profile.
However, to reintroduce support for the S Pen, Samsung would need to add a reinforced digitizer or a new pressure-tolerant layer beneath the top screen layer. The additional layer, even though it could be only a few millimeters thick at most, would contribute to a thicker Galaxy Z Fold variant in the future.
From what the translated blog page reads, Samsung is also actively testing new display materials that could support the S Pen while not adding to the thickness of the chassis, as it was after years of research and development that the company could manufacture a thin foldable that not only impressed critics, but day-to-day users as well.
Since foldables are ideal candidates for stylus support (thanks to the additional screen estate), it makes sense for the company to bring back the beloved S Pen. However, the timing of the leak suggests that Samsung is preparing to take on Apple’s first foldable iPhone by using the S Pen as a unique selling point.
I’ve been writing Samsung vs. Apple comparisons for a long time now, and the built-in S Pen on the Galaxy S Ultra variants always wins over the Pro Max models, simply because Apple’s iPhones don’t include one. It is not only practical to include a stylus with a big-screen phone, but it also attracts customers as an additional perk of getting a Samsung smartphone.
Most recently, Samsung was rumored to be working on a new book-style foldable with a wider form factor to take on Apple’s iPhone Fold. Samsung could include S Pen support on this foldable rather than the Galaxy Z Fold 8.
This way, the wider foldable could compete directly with the iPhone Fold while the latter could retain its position as the thinner, more premium, and bigger Galaxy Z foldable.