Samsung hasn't given up on bringing S Pen back to Galaxy Z Fold phones

Samsung introduced S Pen support to its book-style foldable smartphone lineup with the Galaxy Z Fold 3, which made the large screen even more useful. Unfortunately, the brand dropped the feature with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 to make the device thinner.

The company's latest phones in the series, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 8, also lack S Pen support, a glaring omission that would have made these improved screens even more useful. However, that doesn't necessarily mean the feature is gone for good.

Ahead of the Galaxy Unpacked event on July 22, 2026, Samsung's Vice President of Mobile R&D Hardware, HS Moon, was asked about S Pen support for Galaxy Z Fold devices in an interview. Responding to the question, he said, “We continue to explore and consider various more innovative technologies that incorporate (a) digitizer and S Pen in an even slimmer form factor” (via Toms Guide).

In other words, Samsung says that it skipped the S Pen support on its latest foldable phones to keep them as slim as possible. However, the company hasn't ruled out bringing the feature back in the future. The tech giant's comments suggest that if it can integrate a digitizer into a Galaxy Z Fold device without compromising the device's slim profile, it will reintroduce S Pen support.

Will that happen with Samsung's next book-style foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 9 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 9? There's no guarantee. However, one thing the smartphone industry has consistently shown is that manufacturers eventually find solutions to engineering challenges that once seemed impossible. Samsung itself is a good example.

Over the years, it has made Galaxy Z Fold devices significantly thinner, reduced the display crease to the point where it is barely noticeable, and increased battery capacity. Given that track record, we're optimistic that the brand will eventually find a way to integrate a digitizer into future Galaxy Z Fold devices without compromising their slim design, bringing S Pen support back to the lineup.