I forgot the Galaxy Ultra’s S Pen existed. Maybe it’s time it went away?

I’ve recently returned to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra during a gap in Android phone review models. At one point, when I took it out of my pocket, I felt something poking out of the end.

It was the S Pen stylus, a feature I’d entirely forgotten about.

The realization I’d used the S24 Ultra for a week and hadn’t pulled the stylus out once made me a little sad and also very concerned about its future.

Why didn’t I care?

Perhaps it’s not for me

You’re probably thinking I don’t care about the S Pen stylus, but this isn’t the case at all. It’s not that I don’t care, it’s that I never have cause to use it.

I am not a note-taking fiend. I read and hear about my peers taking copious notes, and I wonder if there’s something wrong with me when the closest I get to this is making a few lists now and then.

Even if I did take notes, I don’t know if I’d use the S Pen to do it. It wouldn’t be something I’d look forward to, so getting the notes down on the screen as quickly as possible would likely be my goal. The keyboard would probably do the job.

I’m also not an artist. I don’t need to draw anything, and sketching doesn’t hold the creative release that writing does. What about writing then? I do that, and the S Pen is basically a digital pen, right?

Yes, but I’m also a typist. I “write” everything using a keyboard, whether that’s in front of my computer, out with my laptop, or even with a mobile keyboard and my phone.

It’d take me far longer to write with the S Pen than it would to use any keyboard.

Is there anything I actually use?

Yes, but also no

When the S Pen popped out of the S24 Ultra in a desperate attempt to remind me it existed, I looked through the menu of available tools. It brought back memories of the ones I’ve always used in the past to review Ultra phones.

The Magnify tool, which functions as you’d expect, is a great accessibility feature, and I’ve used the Translation tool several times in the past as well.

Both very effectively demonstrate how well the S Pen works even when you’re not even touching the screen with it. It’s so precise and accurate.

Finally, I’ve spent some time playing with the Penup tool, which has images for you to color in using the S Pen.

Like I already mentioned, I’m no artist, so my coloring in jobs are middle-school level at best, but it’s still quite fun and relaxing. More experienced digital artists will likely create far more impressive works with it.

These features are good, but they aren’t ones I use all that often. Plus, if I don’t use them regularly, I don’t really miss them.

There are plenty of ways to translate text, for example, and if I really wanted to color things in, other apps and actual books are available.

Put the space to better use

Compelling alternative uses

When I reviewed the Galaxy S25 Ultra, I was disappointed to find Samsung had removed Bluetooth from the S Pen, and therefore its ability to work as a remote shutter release for the camera and the Air Gestures feature too.

Again, I didn’t use them all the time, but liked them when I did.

I’ve been left with a stylus that spends at least 95% of its time inside the phone, and if I do get it out, it’s when it prods me to do so.

I wonder how many other Ultra owners don’t use the S Pen very often these days? Has it become an anachronism, kept going purely because it appeases those who miss the Galaxy Note series?

This has to be part of it, because there’s no way Samsung hasn’t thought hard about what it could do with all that extra space inside the Ultra if the S Pen wasn’t there.

More space for a larger capacity battery is the most obvious, but it could also potentially slim down the chunky body and shave a few grams from the overall weight.

I’d certainly get more value from all these advancements than I do from the S Pen. But part of me hates the idea of it becoming an optional accessory, like it is for older Z Fold models, with the only option being to use a special case to keep it attached to the phone.

How was the S24 Ultra?

Still the best recent Ultra

I hadn’t used my Galaxy S24 Ultra since I reviewed the S25 Ultra, and it was great to revisit the phone.

I much prefer the shape of the S24 Ultra, with its gently curved sides making it much more comfortable to hold, and the screen still looks fantastic too.

The camera is still a high point for the Galaxy Ultra line, and I prefer it over the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which suffers from stabilization and sharpness problems.

Although controversial at the time, the switch from 10x optical zoom to a 10x optical quality zoom actually improved performance, and I love the S24 Ultra’s photographic versatility.

With One UI 8 installed on it, the S24 Ultra is still every bit a modern flagship phone and a worthy purchase today despite being replaced in Samsung’s range.

If you already own one and haven’t been tempted into an upgrade, I think you’ve done the right thing, and I’m not the only one.

What about the S Pen and the S26 Ultra?

Looks like it’ll be back

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is peak Ultra for me, and the S Pen is an integral part of the Ultra’s appeal now that the Note is no more. Yes, I say that even though I don’t really use it. I like that it still exists, and I would be sad if it went away.

There are a lot of good reasons why it should go away, though.

Samsung removed Bluetooth functionality because few used it, and if usage of the S Pen drops too low, it may scrap it altogether. More battery capacity and lower weight for a future Ultra would likely be popular.

However, recent rumors related to the Galaxy S26 Ultra seem to suggest it’s going to stick around, possibly with a new design. However, it’s not the design that’s bad. It’s the lack of compelling reasons for people like me to use it regularly.

I don’t know how Samsung will change that, but I do know I’d rather the S Pen sat idle than not be there at all, at least for another generation of Ultra.