Recent rumors have suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra will support the S Pen, but without the slot found in Samsung’s Note series of phones where it is usually located. Thanks to a new leak, we know where it can be stored: in an external folio case mounted around the S21 Ultra.
Remembering the S Pen in the case is not the most elegant solution, but it keeps the pen practical without having to drastically redesign the S21 Ultra. The cases, shown in photos acquired by technology site WinFuture and tweeted by Roland Quandt, look like ordinary telephone folio cases, although it appears that the S-pen squeezes into the left side of the S21 Ultra, with the folio around:
Samsung Galaxy S21
Ultra gets an optional S-pen, which makes the Galaxy Note series quite outdated. Here’s your first official look at the new stylus and how Samsung lets you include it in the official Clear View and Silicone Covers: https://t.co/HtAuyoVrfiJanuary 4, 2021
It’s a bit tough to see, and we trust WinFuture’s interpretation of the images and similar insights. The S-Pen actually looks more like the pen that came with the Galaxy Tab S7, without missing a click on the top button on the pen on the Samsung Note 20 series, although you will reportedly still be able to press the back end as a button, say, to pause or play media. And yes, gesture checks are supposed to come back.
The leak suggests that the S Pen will be sold separately at a cost (allegedly below € 40) in line with the Note 20 pen ($ 39 / £ 34 / around AU $ 50) or included in the case, which can be called the S View Flip Cover.
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S21 Ultra: the case of an S-pen
Early rumors suggested that the S21 would support the S Pen, but reproductions and photos did not show a trace in the device to house the pen (as in note 20), and doubted the possibility that the new phones would support accessories. . Further leaks suggested that only the S21 Ultra would be compatible with the S Pen, but again there did not appear to be any design changes from last year’s Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra to accommodate a pen.
The new leaked images of the cases constitute S Pen absence: as with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 and Tab S7 tablet, the pen can only be pushed into the cover for easy transport. Not as sleek as the Note series, but a usable solution, especially for the kind of power users who can afford an S21 Ultra probably very high price.
Still, it’s not entirely clear why the S21 and S21 Plus may not also be compatible with the S Pen, although there was apparently enough of a hardware difference that the Note 20’s 26ms stylus delay is not as advanced as the Note 20 Ultra’s 9ms. Maybe it was not economical to fold the screen and internal technology for stylus connection in the S21 phones at lower levels … although there is also quite a feather in the cap of the S21 Ultra to justify the certainly higher price.
Via GSM Arena