The Galaxy Note series is officially dead, Samsung introduced a complete Note-like experience, including the S-Pen in the box and a dedicated slot to house it.
At MWC 2022, Roh Tae-Moon, head of Samsung Electronics' Mobile Experience business now used to unveil its foldable lineup consisting of the Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Flip phones.
Galaxy S Ultra Replaces The Note
The Galaxy S22 Ultra is the top-end model in the lineup and brings in several features targeted at power s. The phone features a rectangular back with sharp edges that are reminiscent of the angular Note design. A dedicated slot in the bottom left corner houses the S-Pen, which has 70 percent lower latency than the S-Pen that shipped with the Galaxy Note 20 series. Samsung has also made the S22 Ultra's display three times more responsive to S-Pen input. All the standard Note features like Air Command, AR Doodle, Samsung Notes, and Smart Select are also available on the device.
When Samsung first introduced the Galaxy Note lineup, the intent was to offer s a large-screen smartphone experience. However, smartphone displays have been getting bigger over the years, with even cheap phones now offering plenty of real estate. In Samsung's case, it left very little to differentiate between its Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series flagships, since both offered big screens and powerful hardware. It was only natural for the brand to consolidate the two lineups. Fortunately for Samsung, that bargain has paid off, with the Galaxy S22 series clocking record-breaking pre-orders, and the Galaxy S22 Ultra driving most of those sales.
What's The Future Of The S Pen?
While the Galaxy Note series was still around, Samsung made the S Pen exclusive to its big-screen smartphone. This trend has changed since 2021, since both the Galaxy S Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold flagships are compatible with the S Pen. The recently launched Galaxy Z Fold 4 also has S Pen , although it looks like Samsung has no plans to include an inbuilt slot for the stylus. That Note-esque feature seems reserved for the Galaxy S22 Ultra (and future S Ultra phones) for the time being.
S Pen isn't only limited to Samsung's smartphones – it's also included with its flagship tablet lineup. The Galaxy Tab S8 series, which includes the Tab S8, Tab S8+, and Tab S8 Ultra, are all compatible with the S Pen. That's not all, as all three tablets also include the S Pen in the box. The large-screen tablets are perfectly suited to the stylus, and Samsung is even one-upping Apple here, given that the Apple Pencil isn't included for free even with the most expensive iPads. While the Galaxy Note lineup may be officially dead, it looks like the S Pen will live on in Samsung's other products.
Samsung currently offers a few different versions of the S Pen, giving s the options to choose the best fit for their needs. The S Pen Pro is Samsung’s most expensive offering in the stylus department, coming in at $100. The price tag comes with greater versatility, though, and the S Pen Pro can be used with any of Samsung’s stylus-compatible devices, including Galaxy smartphones and tablets. On the other hand, Galaxy Fold 4 owners who just want to use it with their smartphone can buy the S Pen Fold Edition for just $50. It’s smaller, making it easier to carry around, and some cases include a slot for it. There's also a tablet-specific variant that costs $60.