There was a time when the S Pen stylus was exclusive to Samsung's Galaxy Note smartphones (in addition to some of its tablets), but that changed when Samsung decided to kill the Note brand and focus on its foldable devices. The S Pen is now supported on Galaxy S Ultra smartphones and on the Galaxy Z Fold lineup, meaning there are more options for S Pen fans now than there were a couple of years ago.
However, S Pen support works a little different on a Galaxy S Ultra and a Galaxy Z Fold. While the former has a slot for the S Pen built-in, the Galaxy Z Fold series doesn't. Furthermore, while you can use any S Pen on a Galaxy S Ultra, the Galaxy Z Fold requires a unique stylus — called the S Pen Fold Edition — that has a softer tip designed for use with the plastic foldable screen.
But I think where Galaxy Z Fold foldables really fall short is how they don't come with an S Pen out of the box. It's frustrating enough that the S Pen can't be tucked inside these devices, but the S Pen Fold Edition being a separate purchase is even worse.
The reason is simple: these devices are too costly for Samsung to be asking customers to spend extra money if they want to use one of the Galaxy Z Fold lineup's best features. It's one thing not including a charger or earphones in the box – people usually have one of those in their possession already. But a Galaxy Z Fold requires a unique S Pen, so virtually no one is going to have one lying around in their home unless they bought the S Pen Fold Edition earlier for the Z Fold 3 or Z Fold 4.
It also bears mentioning that Samsung bundles an S Pen with pretty much every other device that supports it, whether it's a tablet or a smartphone, which makes its omission from Samsung's foldables even more conspicuous. Here's hoping this is something Samsung will address in the future, preferably with the Galaxy Z Fold 5 instead of waiting until the Galaxy Z Fold 6 or Galaxy Z Fold 7.
