For quite some time now, we’ve been hearing rumors about Samsung potentially bringing S Pen support to high-end phones with a large display outside of the Galaxy Note lineup. With the reveal of the Galaxy S21 line purportedly coming up in just a few weeks, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is expected to get such support. Now, new regulatory information is suggesting that the phone will indeed pick up S Pen support when it’s revealed (and subsequently launched) in January.
As spotted by Android Authority, the Galaxy S21 Ultra can now be found in the FCC’s database, and its listing with the regulatory agency reveals that the phone will not only support the S-Pen, but also Hover functionality for that S Pen. Galaxy Note owners will be well-acquainted with Hover functionality, as it allows them to hold the S Pen above the display without touching it to do things like scroll or summon an on-screen pointer.
In any case, the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s S-Pen functionality is referenced in the passage you see captured and embedded above. The Galaxy S21 Ultra in this case is referred to as the EUT, which stands for “Equipment under test.” The passage quoted says that the “EUT can also be used with a stylus device (S-PEN)” and that it “operates with the S-PEN in two different inductive coupling modes of S-PEN motion detecting (Hover and Click) operating in the range of 0.53 – 0.6MHz.”
So, that more or less settles the debate over whether or not the Galaxy S21 Ultra will support the S Pen, but as Android Authority points out, we probably shouldn’t expect the peripheral to ship in the Galaxy S21 Ultra box. Those who buy the phone will likely need to purchase an S Pen separately, and it’s probably a good idea to plan on buying a special case as well, as the Galaxy S21 Ultra probably won’t have a built-in slot for the S Pen like what we see on the Note.
Still, it looks like the Galaxy S21 Ultra will indeed be getting that long-rumored S Pen support, which might mean that we can expect such support on other high-end devices from Samsung next year. Does this mean that Samsung will look to phase out the Note? While it could do that in the future, Note fans can breathe a sigh of relief for now, because a Samsung executive has indicated that the company is still planning to release new phones in the Note line in 2021.