Galaxy Z Fold 3 & S Pen Will Play Nicely Together, FCC Confirms
Ever since the original Galaxy Fold debuted in 2019, Samsung fans have been clamoring for S Pen support to come to the series. Thanks to a recent filing from the FCC, it's all but confirmed that the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 3 will finally get the S Pen functionality so many people have been patiently waiting for.
Samsung first introduced the world to the S Pen back in 2011 with the original Galaxy Note. The included stylus offered users a way to draw, take notes, and more easily interact with the 'large' display compared to other phones of its time. As Samsung continued the Galaxy Note series year after year, the S Pen continued to get better. It gained more pressure sensitivity, an improved design, new note-taking features, and more. The S Pen has been a perfect pairing for the Galaxy Note over the years. For the first time ever this past January, Samsung added support for its iconic stylus on the Galaxy S21 Ultra — a first for the Galaxy S series.
In just a few short weeks, it looks like Samsung may extend that support to the Galaxy Z Fold family. Per an FCC filing spotted by The Verge, Samsung's documents for the S Pen Pro indicate that it supports the Galaxy Z Fold 3, S21 Ultra, Note 20 Ultra, Note 20, Note 10 Lite, the Tab S6, and the Tab S7 family. The S Pen Pro was announced in January alongside the S21 Ultra, but very little has been revealed about it in the months since then. It's larger than the regular S Pen with a meatier design, and from the sounds of this FCC filing, it should be available for purchase very soon.
There have been ample rumors about S Pen support for the Z Fold 3 over the past few months, and this latest finding all but confirms those rumors are legit. As for why that's a big deal, many people believe the Z Fold could be the best use yet for the S Pen. The Z Fold 3 is expected to have a 7.6-inch inner display when it's opened up. That, combined with its wider form factor compared to a traditional smartphone screen, should allow for tons of room to draw, sketch, etc.
The only question remaining is how the S Pen will work with the Z Fold 3's more fragile glass. The Ultra-Thin Glass used on the Z Fold 2 has proven to dent and scratch far more easily than a Galaxy S or Galaxy Note. If Samsung is confident enough in offering S Pen support on the Z Fold 3, one can only hope it found a way to improve the durability of the glass technology. Moving the hard tip of a pen along the display could result in far more damage than a finger, but again, this is something Samsung has likely spent a lot of time and money working on.
Thankfully, there's not too much longer to wait before the Z Fold 3 (and a bunch of other Samsung gadgets) is made official. The new folding phone is rumored to arrive on August 11 with a new design, improved specs, and even an under-display camera. Throw all of that together with S Pen support, and there's going to be a lot to like.