Where does the S Pen stylus go?
Eric Zeman / Android Authority
Eric Zeman
We have now seen leaks from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3. This week, serial leaker Evan Blass presented pictures from both phones, which are expected to arrive later this year. It is noteworthy that the photos of the Z Fold 3 include an S Pen pen. What could not be seen in the photos? Where the Galaxy Z Fold 3 S pen stylus lives.
Oliver Cragg / Android Authority
The nice thing about the Samsung Galaxy Note series is that the S Pen stylus is included. Not only is it included in the price of the phone, the S Pen is also housed directly in the case. This ensures that the S Pen is always available when you need it.
Over the years, Samsung has gone over the top with adding the S pen stylus to the Note series. It’s more than a passive piece of hardware. Thanks to its bluetooth connection and camera shutter and other similar functions, it has become an active part of the Note experience. When you remove the pen, the phone hums, launches dedicated pen software, and otherwise assumes the pen is part of the phone itself.
This is clutch stuff that is part of the Note series appeal.
A pen apart
Next to it is the S-Pen shown with the Galaxy Z Fold 3. It’s a big pen and significantly thicker than the Z Fold 3 chassis can hold.
If the Z Fold 3 cannot accommodate the stylus directly, that makes the S Pen a separate accessory. Does it stick magnetically to the back like the S Pen does on Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S7 tablets? Does it fit in a case we haven’t seen yet? These are questions that need to be answered.
Since there is no direct home, people can find their own solutions. Backpack? Briefcase? Wallet? I guess so.
Economy of the S Pen
The click part doesn’t do anything but help you remove the stylus from the phone.
We don’t know where the S Pen stylus will live in the Galaxy Z Fold 3. We also don’t know if it’s included with the phone or if it’s an optional accessory. Given how Samsung has treated the S Pen in relation to the Galaxy S21 Ultra, we will most likely see it as an accessory for the Z Fold 3 that can be purchased at an additional cost. Keep in mind that Samsung sold the S Pen earlier this year as a $ 40 accessory for the high-end S21. We doubt Samsung would include a free S Pen with the Z Fold 3 if the phone didn’t have a slot for it.
So who would buy the S Pen? Probably most of the people who can afford a Galaxy Z Fold 3. Remember, the price of the outbound Z Fold 2 is a whopping $ 2,000. When you can afford this much on a phone, you can spend a little more on an essential accessory like the pen.
The good news is that more people may be able to afford the Z Fold 3. A recent report suggests that the third generation device can be up to 20% cheaper than the second generation. That would bring the price down to around $ 1,600. Still a very expensive phone, but more affordable to the masses than before.
Regardless of whether the S Pen came with the phone or whether the pen has a place to make a call on or in the phone, we expect the Z Fold 3 to become a popular device.
