The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra's S Pen could lose some key features

Summary

• Galaxy S25 Ultra might have a downgraded S Pen without Bluetooth connectivity.
• Without Bluetooth connectivity, the S Pen would lose out on gesture controls.
• Samsung may adopt a new connectivity technology for S Pen, but current leaks don't suggest this.

With the Samsung Galaxy S25's launch fast approaching, more and more leaks surrounding the phone keep popping up on the internet. While there's little we don't already know about the phone, recent leaks have focused on all the little improvements Samsung plans to introduce. Given that the S Pen is a big part of Samsung's flagship smartphone experience, you'd expect to see some upgrades on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. While that should be the case, the Galaxy S25 Ultra's S Pen will seemingly also come with one big hardware downgrade.

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On the Galaxy S24 Ultra and previous Ultra Samsung flagships, the S Pen communicates over Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy. It is also an active stylus, unlike many aftermarket offerings, enabling support for features like Air gesture controls and the ability to act as a remote shutter for the camera.

A new leak based on retail sources indicates that the Galaxy S25 Ultra's S Pen will ditch Bluetooth connectivity. This purportedly means you'll lose access to all the fancy S Pen features, including gesture controls.

Will Samsung adopt a newer connectivity technology for the Galaxy S25 Ultra's S Pen?

It is unclear why Samsung is taking this approach with the Galaxy S25 Ultra's stylus. It could adopt a newer connectivity standard for the S25 Ultra's S Pen — one that is more efficient. However, the current leak does not suggest this, and unless more credible sources provide more information, this might not happen. The company may have decided to remove the S Pen's Bluetooth functionality due to limited usage among current Galaxy owners.

While the source of this leak has a reliable track record, I suggest taking this S Pen rumor with a pinch of salt. After all, this is the first time we have heard of Samsung removing Bluetooth functionality from the Galaxy S25 Ultra's S Pen.

The S Pen became integral to Samsung's Note lineup before transitioning to the Galaxy S Ultra series with the S21 Ultra in 2021. Over the years, Samsung has only improved the stylus by adding more features. The Galaxy S25 Ultra's launch could be the first time it downgrades the stylus.