Meet the new S Pen Pro, the bridge that gaps foldable and regular phones

Samsung won't release any new Galaxy Note models this year, but the company's making up for it with the S Pen Pro and the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Samsung teased the S Pen Pro earlier this year but held off from launching it until the August Galaxy Unpacked event. There's a good reason for this, and once you learn all about the S Pen Pro, you'll know why it wouldn't have made any sense for Samsung to bring it to the market before now.

The S Pen Pro is compatible with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 but isn't bound to the foldable device — unlike the S Pen Fold Edition. On the contrary. The S Pen Pro is meant to bridge the gap between the Galaxy Z Fold 3's unique digitizer and other Galaxy devices that support the S Pen.

What's the purpose of the S Pen Pro, and how does it work?

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 doesn't work with regular S Pens because the foldable screen required a unique digitizer — the layer that reads stylus inputs — so Samsung had to develop new S Pens for the device.

With that in mind, you can think of the S Pen Pro as an S Pen that has two different polarities — or modes — and a physical button to switch between them. The first mode works only with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and no other device. The second mode works with any other Galaxy smartphone and tablet that supports regular S Pens; However, it temporarily disables compatibility with the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

S Pen Pro users can switch from the Galaxy Z Fold 3 to another Galaxy smartphone or tablet on the fly by flicking the switch at the top, as long as both Galaxy devices are signed in to the same Samsung account.

It makes sense then that Samsung didn't release the S Pen Pro in the first half of 2021 — assuming it was even ready at that point. It's meant for Galaxy Z Fold 3 owners who want to use an additional S Pen-enabled tablet or smartphone along with the foldable device.

What's the S Pen Pro capable of, and what does it cost?

The S Pen Pro has an internal battery that recharges via a USB port at the top. It has Bluetooth LE, Air Commands and Air Actions support, and it can be located through SmartThings Find.

Samsung's latest stylus measures 173.64mm in length and 9.5mm in diameter, and weighs 13.8 grams, which means it's larger and heavier than a regular S Pen or the S Pen Fold Edition. It has a pairing button and an LED indicator, and it features a new “Pro Tip,” which is softer and retracts slightly under pressure to protect the foldable display.

The S Pen Pro will be available for purchase from Samsung for $99.99, and unless you buy it along with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 Thom Browne Edition, you won't find it in any other color besides black.

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