Alert, Galaxy A54 and Galaxy S23 series deals available! | Follow SamMobile on Google News now!

SamMobile has affiliate and sponsored partnerships. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

I don’t care about your S Pen, Samsung

Opinion
By 

Last updated: January 17th, 2023 at 12:07 UTC+01:00

Ever since the Galaxy Note line was killed off, the S Pen has become less of an exclusive feature for Samsung phones and more of a standard feature that you get if buy either of its costliest two phones (a Galaxy S Ultra or a Galaxy Z Fold) every year.

The Galaxy S22 Ultra came with a built-in slot for the S Pen stylus last year, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra will follow that trend, as the leaks and rumors have told us. And, well, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I have just one thing to say to Samsung: I don’t care about the S Pen, and it’s unfortunate that it is being forced on everyone who wants the top Galaxy S model at the moment.

The reason is quite simple: the inclusion of the S Pen on the Galaxy S Ultra smartphones has messed up the awesome and crazy ideal design and form that the company managed to achieve with the Galaxy S21 Ultra. The S21 Ultra has S Pen support just like the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the upcoming Galaxy S23 Ultra, but it doesn’t have a dedicated S Pen slot, and it’s all the better for it.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra had pretty much the most comfortable and ergonomic designs Samsung ever came up with for its large-screen flagships. Its corners were rounded just right, and it was also narrower so customers could more easily use it with one hand. The S Pen was optional because it didn’t come in the box or sit inside the phone itself, and that was a much better solution in my opinion.

The S Pen should have remained an optional accessory

The Galaxy S22 Ultra, on the other hand, carries the traditional Note design. That means it’s too wide and a pain to use at times, with rather sharp corners that dig into your palm. If you put a case on, things get even more uncomfortable. The same will no doubt be the case with the upcoming Galaxy S23 Ultra, and the reason for all that is the S Pen.

Look, the S Pen is a great tool, and Samsung offers the best stylus experience on both smartphones and tablets. But it simply isn’t a tool that’s used or desired by most people, including myself and at least two of my colleagues. Most of us would prefer a bigger battery or a bigger camera sensor, and, again, the near-ideal design of the Galaxy S21 Ultra, as mentioned above.

Note fans will probably shake their heads at the suggestion, but when you look at it objectively, a built-in S Pen slot is more of a hindrance than something that improves the day-to-day experience. I won’t say Samsung needs to bring back the Galaxy Note lineup, as the Korean giant is hoping to make foldables more popular and killing the Note brand was a necessary step, but I do wish it would make the S Pen optional again.

Sadly, it is highly improbable Samsung will actually remove the S Pen slot from the Galaxy S Ultra smartphones, considering how the company wants to sell the top Galaxy S model as the phone that has everything one could ask for and not lose its Galaxy Note fanbase, at least until foldable phones become a viable option for everyone.

But one can dream, right?

Opinion Galaxy S23 UltraS Pen
Load 66 comments

You might also like

Samsung hacks photo booth to demonstrate the power of 200MP

Samsung hacks photo booth to demonstrate the power of 200MP

Samsung created a new clever marketing campaign to promote the Galaxy S23 flagship series, wherein the company used its powerful ISOCELL HP2 200MP sensor for a candid camera moment. The company hacked a photo booth with its 200MP image sensor and prepared a huge surprise — quite literally — for the people who stepped inside […]

  • By Mihai Matei
  • 4 hours ago
Tests show the Galaxy S23 is a better 5G phone than Galaxy S22

Tests show the Galaxy S23 is a better 5G phone than Galaxy S22

One of the ways in which the Galaxy S23 series is technically superior to the Galaxy S22 lineup is through a new Qualcomm modem. The 2023 flagships sport the Snapdragon X70, which should be an upgrade over the S22’s Snapdragon X65 chip. At least on paper, according to the manufacturer. But what about performance in […]

  • By Mihai Matei
  • 6 hours ago
Galaxy S23 drop test shows sustainability doesn’t have to compromise durability

Galaxy S23 drop test shows sustainability doesn’t have to compromise durability

One more Galaxy S23 drop test has emerged, testing the durability of the sustainable designs of the three phones in the lineup. Allstate Protection Plans (formerly SquareTrade) has published a video that shows how the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra held up after dropping them on their back and face from a […]

  • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
  • 11 hours ago
Daily deal: Get a $180 discount on the Galaxy S23 Ultra

Daily deal: Get a $180 discount on the Galaxy S23 Ultra

What if you could buy the best Samsung phone on the market right now at a great discount? No need to wonder about that anymore, as today you have the perfect opportunity to do so. The Galaxy S23 Ultra can be yours today for a great price! The Galaxy S23 Ultra is Samsung’s latest flagship […]

  • By Adnan Farooqui
  • 23 hours ago
One UI 6.0 better not ruin Galaxy S23 series’ amazing user experience

One UI 6.0 better not ruin Galaxy S23 series’ amazing user experience

The Galaxy S23 series is making waves everywhere, partly because how all three phones perform so well and last so long on a single charge, thanks to the work Qualcomm and Samsung did together to make the latter’s newest flagships the best they can be. Two of the three Galaxy S23 models give you two-day […]

  • By Abhijeet Mishra
  • 6 days ago
How many engineers does it take to prove Samsung’s moon photos are real?

How many engineers does it take to prove Samsung’s moon photos are real?

Concerning the titular question, the answer is: One. Samsung already explained how its moon shots captured by the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s telephoto camera work, but one engineer took it upon himself to explain things in even greater detail. The short story is that the company doesn’t just overlay existing moon photos on top of yours […]

  • By Mihai Matei
  • 6 days ago