Samsung killed my favorite S Pen feature and hoped no one would notice

At the latest Galaxy Unpacked, the screens were all about Galaxy AI, and the executives kept going on about how efficient the new Snapdragon chip is.

The whole thing came across as a very refined display of hardware tuning done right. That said, it’s hard to ignore the disappointment.

One of my favorite bits of hardware looks like it’s been removed for good. Samsung removed Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connectivity from the S Pen with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra continues that decision.

This is what we lost when the S Pen lost Bluetooth

If you trace the S Pen’s evolution, it started with the original Galaxy Note in 2011. But its peak came in 2018 with the Galaxy Note 9.

Samsung managed to pack a BLE module and a supercapacitor into a stylus.

I used it to take photos from across the room, capturing everyone without the usual timer headaches.

I used it to run my presentation while my phone projected to a display via Samsung DeX. I could control Spotify without touching or yelling at my phone.

With the S25 Ultra, this incredible tool was reduced to a basic capacitive stylus.

Writing and drawing still work, but the moment you leave the phone, it’s useless. And the S26 Ultra makes it clear that this change isn’t going anywhere.

Samsung’s 1% argument misses the point

When pressed on why they removed it, Samsung confirmed to Michael Fisher that fewer than 1% of users made use of the Bluetooth features. Therefore, the hardware had to go.

Some users are actually happy with the change. But this is a terrible way to judge the value of a niche hardware feature. I don’t use my fire extinguisher every day. I don’t even use it once a month.

If a builder tracked its use, my telemetry would show zero usage. Does that mean they should stop putting fire extinguishers in houses?

Same thing here. I might use the S Pen Bluetooth only twice a month. Yet in those moments, it’s completely irreplaceable.

If you optimize a smartphone purely for the median user, you destroy the power-user DNA of the Ultra line.

The Galaxy Note series earned its reputation as the go-to device for power users, packed with every hardware feature imaginable, no matter how often they were used.

Samsung keeps shaving features in the name of design

It’s a growing trend to remove hardware features to save a few cents or make a device slightly thinner.

Samsung did it with the headphone jack. It did it with the microSD card slot. And now, it has come for the S Pen.

The reasoning is always the same. People want thinner, lighter devices. But do we?

I challenge anyone to hold both the S25 and S26 Ultra with their eyes closed and claim that 0.7 mm makes a real difference.

I can, however, tell you exactly how much losing the remote shutter button affects me.

We’re dropping $1,300 or more on phones made of heavy, fragile glass. I’ve argued that we would be much better off with high-quality polycarbonate.

Polycarbonate is lighter, it doesn’t shatter, and it can be molded into more ergonomic shapes.

Rather than choosing materials that make the phone sturdy and practical, Samsung picks ones that look expensive and shiny in a display case.

Then it removes internal components, like the S Pen’s BLE, to avoid extra weight. Isn’t this ironic?

Removing features doesn’t remove the need for them

Removing a built-in convenience doesn’t erase the need for it. It only adds friction. So where do we go from here?

You could jump on Amazon and buy a $15 Bluetooth clicker. It works, but it’s just one more thing to charge, pair, remember to bring, and eventually lose in your bag.

Or perhaps Samsung’s grand vision is that you drop another $300 or more on a Galaxy Watch just to use the wrist-based Camera Controller app.

Maybe the solution is to move overseas, where Chinese OEMs are embracing the power-user market and are packed with features that Samsung wrote off years ago.

They are packing massive 6,000mAh batteries, integrating incredibly complex camera systems, and even keeping the IR blaster alive and well.

It’s unfortunate that to find a phone with the uncompromising, feature-packed DNA of the classic Galaxy Note, you now have to look anywhere but Samsung.

I’m going to miss my favorite wand

After a feature is devalued, you’re getting people ready for its eventual removal. If the S Pen loses all features, Samsung will find it easy to say, “Nobody uses this, so we’ll remove the slot and give you a bit more battery.”

That’s why I’m starting to respect the Galaxy S24 Ultra in a way I didn’t before. It might be the final uncompromising power-user phone from Samsung.