The Galaxy S25 Ultra may get an unfortunate S Pen downgrade

By Patrick Hearn Published January 10, 2025

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in Titanium Gray with S Pen on back. — Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

Earlier today, a massive leak revealed all of the technical specifications for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S25 series. That news is wild enough on its own, but another leak suggests the beloved S Pen might also receive a particularly unwelcome downgrade: the loss of Bluetooth. If that’s true, it means users won’t be able to use gesture control with the pen.

The news comes from Ishan Agarwal on X. The tipster says he doubts it will improve the battery life by more than a few minutes and implies it’s most likely a cost-cutting measure. The full impact of removing Bluetooth from the stylus isn’t clear, but unless Samsung has built an alternative into the device, any features that rely on Bluetooth will be unavailable.

Recommended Videos

We should still see features like pressure sensitivity available on the S25 Ultra, but things like remote camera activation could be lost. The feature came to the S Pen in 2018 when Samsung first introduced Bluetooth.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

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/ASDKB06nsx

— Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) January 10, 2025

The S Pen is a popular feature among a more niche set of users, but the majority of Samsung customers don’t use most of its functionality. It’s a great tool for signing a PDF or taking a few notes (or for giving kids something to doodle on when no paper is available), but it already comes only with the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Removing potentially useful features to cut a few dollars from the price of a flagship feels unnecessary.

While the S25 Ultra is going to have a tremendous amount of non-stylus functions, the added benefits aren’t something to scoff at. Being able to quickly navigate between functions makes the phone more convenient to use.

Again, this is a leak. None of these rumors have been confirmed by Samsung, so maintain at least some level of skepticism with regard to accuracy.

Topics

Mobile Writer

Patrick Hearn writes about smart home technology like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, smart light bulbs, and more. If it's a…

Mobile

Samsung is bringing a popular phone back from the dead

Samsung Galaxy S25 edge

Samsung hosted its Galaxy Unpacked 2025 event in San Jose, California, where it announced its latest Galaxy S25 series. Not to be outdone, the Korean smartphone maker left attendees and at home streamers stunned with the teaser of the decade, hinting that it has a device called the Galaxy S25 Edge on the way.

The brand gave little to no hints about what the device might entail, except flashing some deconstructed smartphone parts on the theater’s demo screens. This is enough to leave enthusiasts salivating for more information on the upcoming smartphone. The last time there was an Edge-branded product from Samsung on the market was in 2016, with the Galaxy S7 Edge. That device was a slate smartphone with two curved sides. By that time the form factor was such a staple on the market that Samsung would scrap the name the following year on the Galaxy S8 series. However, it was clear that the company had been testing its prowess for its foldable smartphones. The original Galaxy Fold would launch in 2019.

Mobile

Google completely stole Samsung’s thunder at Unpacked

Using Gemini Live to interact with an image

At its first Unpacked event of the year, Samsung talked extensively about the Gemini-driven AI capabilities on their phones. And for a moment, I was excited, until I came across a Google press release.

Of the two major features discussed on stage, one of them is already coming to Pixels, and the other one will be available on iPhones, Androids, and the desktop web.

Mobile

Don’t buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. 4 reasons to wait for the Galaxy S26 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S25 series closeup

Samsung’s latest Unpacked event has wrapped up, and with it, we’ve been introduced to the Galaxy S25 series. As expected, the lineup includes the standard Galaxy S25, the middle-tier S25 Plus, and the flagship Galaxy S25 Ultra. Packed with impressive hardware like the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, AI-driven features, and camera enhancements, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is undoubtedly a powerful device.
But is it worth upgrading to right now? Depending on your current phone, you might find these updates more incremental than groundbreaking. There are compelling reasons to consider holding off until next year’s Galaxy S26 Ultra. Let’s break down why waiting might be the smarter move.

A massive 200MP periscope telephoto camera

nproxy.org