Skip to main content Tom's Guide Tom's Guide Search Tom's Guide View Profile Newsletters Best Picks Entertainment Prime Day Deals Switch 2 Restock Galaxy Z Fold 7 Wordle Today Best Mattress Best laptops Recommended reading Samsung Phones New rumor doubles down on smaller battery for the Galaxy S26 Ultra — here’s what we know Samsung Phones RIP Galaxy S26 Plus — the Galaxy S25 Edge may have sealed your fate Samsung Phones Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 — leaker just revealed 11 changes that add up to a major upgrade Samsung Phones Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 thickness could mean reduced battery life — what we know Samsung Phones Samsung keeps hyping the Galaxy Z Fold 7 — here's why that could backfire Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra leak claims a massive upgrade is coming to all three cameras Samsung Phones Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 tipped to 'fully adopt' Exynos chip — and that could have a huge impact on Galaxy S26 Android Phones Samsung Phones Galaxy S27 Ultra may get this disappointing downgrade — what we know Tom Pritchard 23 June 2025 The internal S Pen may be going away When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Tom's Guide) At this point, we haven't heard a lot about what Samsung has planned beyond the release of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 later this summer. Despite that, and the fact the 2026 flagship is still a mystery, we just heard a pretty significant rumor about the Galaxy S27 Ultra — and it sounds controversial. According to claims made by leaker Setsuna Digital, Samsung could be considering scrapping the built-in S-Pen on the Galaxy S27 Ultra. The leaker claims that this would see Samsung go back to the external S Pen, like we've seen with Z Fold devices and the Galaxy S21 Ultra. It's unclear why Samsung might abandon the built-in S Pen, especially since external options have been less than impressive. Setsuna Digital remarks that the S21 Ultra's S Pen case wasn't aesthetically pleasing, but a newer version could be a good option if done correctly. You may like New rumor doubles down on smaller battery for the Galaxy S26 Ultra — here’s what we know RIP Galaxy S26 Plus — the Galaxy S25 Edge may have sealed your fate Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 — leaker just revealed 11 changes that add up to a major upgrade More so if Samsung gives Ultra users an S Pen case, rather than making them purchase it separately. Why remove it? (Image credit: Tom's Guide) There are two main reasons why Samsung might decide to remove the built-in S Pen. The first is, of course, cost. Galaxy S Ultra phones are already very expensive, and they're not getting any cheaper. Stripping out the S Pen and selling it as a standalone accessory gives Samsung the opportunity to cut some costs and keep the price static without making additional losses, which no business is happy about doing. Removing the stylus also frees up internal space within the phone — even if the standalone S Pen is included with the phone. While the stylus isn't particularly big, space inside the device is already at a premium. Sign up to get the BEST of Tom's Guide direct to your inbox. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Without the S Pen taking up space, it gives Samsung more freedom to reconfigure the S27 Ultra's internals. This could allow Samsung to add bigger batteries, newer hardware or simply to try and make the phone a little big thicker. Will this actually happen? (Image credit: Tom's Guide) The Galaxy S27 Ultra is still going to be in the early stages of development, so there's no guarantee that the built-in S Pen will be getting removed. Setsuna Digital says that it's something Samsung is considering, and seeing as how the hardware won't be locked in for a while, things can and will change over the next several months. However the Galaxy Z Fold 7 may not be so lucky, with the leaker claiming the S Pen has been canceled for the foldable — for reasons unknown. According to a separate leak from PandaFlashX, Samsung has canceled an "unknown S Pen" that was designed to work without a digitizer in the display. They're unsure which phone this applies to, but the Z Fold 7 may make the most sense. The phone is allegedly based on the Galaxy Z Fold SE that was released last year, and that phone lacked the digitizer layer that enabled S Pen functionality in foldable screens. All in the name of reducing thickness, apparently. Then again the Z Fold 7 is rumored to have a titanium hinge plate, for the specific reason that the metal isn't supposed to interfere with the digitizer layer. So it's not clear which rumors are accurate right now. We won't find out for sure until Galaxy Unpacked, which is rumored to be happening on July 9. As for the Galaxy S27 Ultra, we're going to have to wait even longer before we even get a hint of what might be happening. More from Tom's Guide I've never been tempted to get a foldable phone — here's how Samsung could change that with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 looks stunningly slim in new leaked photo vs. Fold 6 Samsung Galaxy S25 FE renders just leaked — here's your first look Today's best Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra deals $1,049.99View $1,150View $1,299.99Preorder We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices See more Phones News Tom Pritchard Social Links Navigation UK Phones Editor Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. 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