What you need to know
- Rumors claim Samsung could drop Bluetooth connectivity from the S Pen of the new Galaxy S25 Ultra.
- If true, a tipster on X claims that the stylus would lose “gestures” and “remote control” functions, such as those for the phone’s camera.
- Samsung’s previous Ultra models could pair with multiple S Pens and styluses, granting users alternate options.
- The Galaxy S25 Ultra is preparing to debut on January 22.
A recent rumor suggests Samsung’s next S Pen might be a disappointing facet with its upcoming Ultra model.
The information was posted by X tipster Ishan Agarwal, who claims the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s S Pen could drop its (typically expected) Bluetooth connectivity (via 9to5Google). The user states they discovered this supposed loss of connectivity via “retail sources,” but fails to cite those sources.
However, this possible loss of Bluetooth could indicate that the next Ultra model’s S Pen will lose some of its features. Agarwal claims the stylus would force users to lose “gestures and remote control” on the next Ultra.
The folks at 9to5 speculate that the removal of Bluetooth could be a “cost-cutting” measure by Samsung. Moreover, the removal of such connectivity would negate the necessity of charging it within the S25 Ultra. This was a sentiment the tipster discussed in their X thread; however, if this is true, it seems more like a “take it or leave it” scenario.
The tipster claims the removal of Bluetooth may only provide a measly “15 to 20-minute” addition of battery life to the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Exclusive: S Pen on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will no longer feature Bluetooth according to retail sources!Which means you will lose certain features like gestures & remote control.How do you feel about this downgrade? #GalaxyS25Ultra pic.twitter.com/ASDKB06nsxJanuary 10, 2025
The S Pen has continued to be a useful tool for Galaxy Ultra users who want to write by hand, especially if it’s for note-taking. Typically, like on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, the S Pen can turn your handwritten words into digital text for messages, text extraction from photos, coloring, and more. Interestingly, one “remote control” feature the S25 Ultra may lose is the ability for the S Pen to control its camera shutter.
Additionally, the Galaxy Ultra and the S Pen typically featured a pairing function. Users could pair multiple styluses to the device, in case they wanted to swap to another that could do more or things differently. What the current rumors propose could see that go away with the next iteration.
With the recent S Pen rumors, perhaps the Korean OEM will deliver additional features for the stylus via One UI 7. The OS skin entered its second beta before Christmas, which fixed a host of malfunctions and errors across the S24 series.
Elsewhere, Qualcomm seemingly confirmed that the Galaxy S25 series will rock its Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset ahead of its January 22 launch. Samsung will host its usual Unpacked event where we should see the next flagship trio and, maybe, even more surprises.