Galaxy S21 Ultra works with Samsung S Pen, Pro stylus: price, features and limitations

This story is part of THESE, where our editors will bring you the latest news and the hottest gadgets from fully virtual CES 2021.

Samsung finally did. The smartphone maker comes from announced the Galaxy S21 range, and with it, the fact that the Galaxy S21 Ultra supports a feature that was once exclusive to the Galaxy Note ($ 780 at Amazon) phone family: S Pen stylus support.

This means S21 Ultra owners will soon be able to use the tiny digital pen to take notes, take better screenshots, sign documents, or draw in their favorite apps. There will be a number of things the S Pen can do on the Note, however, that it won’t be able to do on the Galaxy S21, and the stylus won’t ship with the S21 Ultra – you’ll have to buy it. separately.

We’ll walk you through the basics of Galaxy S21 Ultra stylus support, including S Pen compatibility, features, and where the stylus is stored when not in use. (How to use Samsung Galaxy SmartTag.)

Does the S21 Ultra come with an S Pen?

It is not. You can buy one directly from Samsung for $ 40, specifically designed for the S21 Ultra. You can also buy two different styles of Samsung cases, both of which include an S Pen. They cost $ 70 each.

Alternatively, you can buy and use any Samsung S Pen stylus, with prices ranging from $ 25 to $ 40.

Can I use the S Pen from a Galaxy Note or Galaxy Tab?

Yes. Samsung said the Galaxy S21 Ultra will work with an existing S Pen from a Galaxy Note phone or Galaxy Tab tablet. However, he will not be able to use all the functions (more details below).

Does the S21 Ultra have a place to store the S Pen like the Galaxy Note?

No. Instead, you’ll either need to buy an S21 Ultra case that’s designed to hold the S Pen for you or get really good for keeping track of the little stylus.

What can I do with the S Pen on the S21 Ultra?

You can use it to tap and navigate various menus, jot down your thoughts or take notes in the Samsung Notes app, or sketch a new idea in your favorite drawing app.

What can’t the S Pen do on the S21 Ultra than it can on Note phones?

The S Pen’s integration with the Galaxy S21 Ultra doesn’t support Bluetooth, which means you won’t get the same gesture feature that lets you do things like control slideshows or skip songs by tapping the stylus like a magic wand – see below for the S Pen Pro.

Another downside to the lack of Bluetooth support is that you won’t get any alerts if you leave the S Pen behind. So if you step away from the stylus, your phone won’t ring and notify you that the two are apart.

Want more functionality? Wait for the S Pen Pro

Samsung spoke briefly about the S Pen Pro, a new stylus that the company plans to release later this year that will include Bluetooth features similar to the Galaxy Note line. During its Unpacked presentation, Samsung specifically called out the ability to use gestures with the S Pen Pro on the Galaxy S21 Ultra. However, we currently do not have an exact price or release date. But if you want more than a basic stylus with your S21 Ultra, you might want to wait until the S Pen Pro is available.

We expect the Galaxy S21 Ultra to have more new capabilities in the S Pen, but we’ll have to wait until we have the S21 Ultra in our hands and start digging around before we can discover more features. In the meantime, be sure to check out our first impressions, and if you’re looking to order your own Galaxy S21, we’ve covered everything you need to know to get one on launch day.