xda-developers: Do the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus support the S Pen?

Saturday, February 12, 2022

Do the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus support the S Pen?

For years, the S Pen was the key feature of Samsung’s Galaxy Note series of smartphones, and it was the whole reason behind the Note name. But in 2021, Samsung discontinued the Galaxy Note series, and instead, we got S Pen support in the Galaxy S21 Ultra, but it was half-baked. With the Galaxy S22 Ultra, Samsung is finally building the S Pen back into the phone, but does the Galaxy S22 series also support it?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. The standard Samsung Galaxy S22 and the Galaxy S22 Plus don’t include support for the S Pen. You’ll have to use your fingers or a third-party pen that doesn’t require a special digitizer. That digitizer is a central part of the S Pen functionality, so it’s not possible to make it work.

What is the S Pen?

If you’ve never owned a Samsung Galaxy Note before, you may be wondering what the S Pen even is. Essentially, it’s what’s called an active stylus, and while it can be used to just touch the screen, there are a lot of features packed into the S Pen. It first appeared on the original Galaxy Note back in 2011, and it’s been a staple of the Galaxy Note family ever since, getting new upgrades each year.

The S Pen on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (bronze) and on the Galaxy S22 Ultra (purple/black)

You can use the S Pen to select and touch objects on the screen, just as you would do using your finger, but thanks to the fine tip of the S Pen, it’s much more precise. Because of that, it’s also much more suitable for drawing doodling, and handwriting. In fact, two core features of the S Pen are off-screen memos (meaning you can write or doodle even while the screen is off) and handwriting recognition, which can automatically turn your handwriting into proper text.

Another big part of the S Pen feature set is hovering. Because it uses an active digitizer and specialized hardware, a compatible phone can actually detect when the pen is close to the screen, even when it’s not touching it. You can use this to access additional options in certain apps, and there’s even a quick launch wheel on the home screen that only appears with the S Pen.

S Pen being used on the Galaxy S22 Ultra

The latest iterations of the S Pen even have a Bluetooth connection, so you can do things like pressing a button on the S Pen to launch an app. A notable use for this is having the S Pen act as a shutter for the camera, so you can put your phone down and take a picture without touching it. You can also perform certain gestures in the air while pressing the button to access specific features.

Is the Galaxy S22 Ultra the only phone that supports the S Pen?

If you’re looking to buy a slab-style smartphone in 2022, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the only one that gives you S Pen support, as you can see in our Galaxy S22 Ultra hands-on. However, if you want a foldable, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 has a special edition of the S Pen that works specifically with it. There’s also the S Pen Pro, which works on all of Samsung’s pen-supported devices, including tablets and Chromebooks.

The S-Pen Pro with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the S21 Ultra

S Pen Pro between the Galaxy S21 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 3

S Pen support is dependent on the device as well as the pen, but phones that don’t support the S Pen won’t support any model, past or present. You can’t use an S Pen with the Galaxy S22 or S22 Plus, just as you couldn’t with the S21 or S21 Plus. You can check out our Galaxy S22 hands-on article to learn more about the features it does include.

If you want to buy the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, you can pre-order it below. The S Pen is included and built into the smartphone itself. Otherwise. check out the best deals on the Samsung Galaxy S22 family to find the best place to buy them.