S Pen
| Company type | Product |
|---|---|
| Industry | Consumer electronics |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Samsung Electronics |
| Products | Digital pen stylus |
| Parent | Samsung Electronics |
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S Pen (Template:Ko-hhrm) is a wireless digital pen stylus developed and engineered by Samsung Electronics, incorporating digital pen technology licensed from Wacom. It is designed primarily for use with compatible Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets, and is also offered with certain Samsung Notebook, Samsung Galaxy Book, and Chromebook laptop models. The S Pen debuted alongside the original Galaxy Note in 2011 and has since become an integral component of the Note series.[1] Among its features are text translation via pen hovering and the ability to create animated handwritten messages.[2]
History and models
The S Pen was launched with the introduction of the Samsung Galaxy Note series, recognized as the first "phablet," back in 2011. It utilizes an active digitizer developed by Wacom, with the initial version supporting 128 pressure sensitivity levels.[3][4] The pen includes a side button that enables specific pen-related functions and gesture controls within the device’s software.[3]
The second iteration of the S Pen, featured on the Samsung Galaxy Note II, is marginally thicker compared to its predecessor. It introduced Air View, a feature allowing users to preview content by hovering the stylus over items—similar to mouse hover effects on desktop computers—such as gallery thumbnails, video player seek bar previews, web browser zooming (via Samsung Internet), and scrolling functionality.[5][6][7]
With the release of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, the operating system incorporated several new utilities tailored for the S Pen, such as translation capabilities, a screen magnifier, and a GIF creation tool. Additionally, multiple note-taking applications were unified into one consolidated Samsung Notes app.[8][9][10]
The S Pen featured on the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 introduced enhanced software functions such as "Live Message," which allows users to combine handwritten notes with emojis to generate short animated GIFs. Additionally, it supports "Screen Off Memo," enabling immediate note-taking on the display without unlocking the device due to always-on screen technology.[11]
From the introduction of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 through to the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Bluetooth functionality was incorporated into the S Pen, allowing users to perform actions remotely by pressing its button.[12]
On the Samsung Galaxy Note 10, the stylus was redesigned as a single plastic unit rather than two separate parts like its predecessor. It supports more sophisticated Air Actions that enable remote control over device functions such as camera settings adjustments and exporting handwritten notes directly to Microsoft Word.[13]
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20’s S Pen boasts improved latency for faster responsiveness compared to earlier versions along with longer battery endurance.[14]
The integration of an embedded S Pen within a flagship device extended beyond the Note series when it appeared in the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, marking the first time an S series phone included this feature. This model reduced latency significantly to approximately 2.8ms from prior models’ higher delay times.[15]
Notably, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra’s version of the S Pen does not feature Bluetooth connectivity.[16]
Third-party styluses
Galaxy devices that support the S Pen utilize Wacom EMR technology, which allows third-party styluses designed for this technology to function alongside the S Pen. Examples of compatible third-party pens include the Hi-Uni Digital Mitsubishi Pencil, the Staedtler Noris Digital, the LAMY AL-star black EMR,[17] as well as the Wacom One Pen.[18]
Supported devices
- Galaxy Note series
- Galaxy Tab series[19]
- Tab S: every model from S3 onward, excluding the S5e[20]
- Tab A: limited to Tab A 8.0 (2015/2019), Tab A 9.7, and Tab A 10.1 (2016)
- Tab Active: all versions
- Galaxy S series: all "Ultra" editions starting with the S21 Ultra (included with Ultra models from the S22 Ultra onward)
- Galaxy Z series:
- Galaxy Book: models such as Book, Book2, Flex, Flex α, and all "Pro 360" editions
- Samsung Notebook: includes 9 Pen, 9 Pro (other pen-capable devices like 7 Spin utilize the Active Pen[21])
- Samsung Chromebook: Plus, Pro, and Galaxy Chromebook (the Galaxy Chromebook 2 employs USI)[22]
- Samsung Ativ: includes Tab 3, Tab 5, and Tab 7
Specifications comparison
| Stylus tip size | Devices included with | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxy smartphones | Galaxy tablets | Other devices | |
| 1.6 mm | Note 3/4/5, Note 10.1, Note Pro 12.2 | Tab A 8.0, Tab A 9.7, Tab A 10.1 (2016) | |
| 0.7 mm | Note 7/8/9 series | Tab S3, Tab S4, Tab A (2019), Tab Active2 | Notebook 9 Pen S |
| 0.7 mm (updated) | Note 10/20 series, S21 Ultra, S22 Ultra, S23 Ultra, S24 Ultra | Tab S6, Tab S6 Lite, Tab S7 series, Tab S8 series, Tab S9 series, Tab Active 3 | |
| 1.5 mm | Z Fold 3/4/5/6, S25 Ultra | ||
See also
References
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).Template:Fix/category[permanent dead link]
- ↑ Video: Samsung Galaxy Note 2 – Air View by FoneArena (October 10th, 2012)
- ↑ Video: Samsung Galaxy Note 2 – Air View (November 19th, 2012)
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Samsung unveils new S Pen Pro, announces support for third-party styluses
- ↑ Wacom's Pen Technology Powers Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra with S Pen for the First Time in the History of the Galaxy S series
- ↑ Here's The Devices That Are Compatible With Samsung's New S-Pen Pro Stylus
- ↑ Best Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e Stylus | Mobile Fun Blog
- ↑ Samsung Notebook 9 Pen, Notebook 9 (2018) and Notebook 7 Spin (2018) Available Starting February 18
- ↑ Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 review: Still premium, but at a nicer price
