The Galaxy S24 Ultra is one of the best Android phones you can buy, featuring outstanding cameras, stellar battery life, and a slew of new AI features. But Samsung's latest flagship has one major flaw that users just can't ignore: The S Pen stylus smells rank.
Talk of the S Pen's aroma kicked off earlier this week after Reddit user LatifYil noted in a post that the S Pen on their Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra “absolutely reeks.” "Either I have a sensitive nose or this thing is being barbequed by the internals while it's unsheathed," they said.
The post has chalked up over 250 comments from users commiserating about the S Pen's unpleasant scent, either having noticed it already or upon taking an experimental whiff after reading the post. The top-rated comment reads: "Can confirm it's a stinky boi." Others described the smell as "burnt plastic," "like new tech with a hint of burning," or, my favorite: "smells like cybertruck."
"This isn’t anything to be concerned about. While the S Pen is in its holster, it is close to the internal components of the phone, which will generate heat while in use, and cause the plastic to heat up. This can smell like burning, but it is similar to the smell you might experience after leaving your car in the sun for a few hours. The seats and plastic fittings in the vehicle might smell hot, but this will diminish after it cools."
Granted, you aren't likely to notice the S Pen's smell unless you put it right up to your nose (as no doubt a lot of folks will do after reading this article). While it's not a room-clearing stench by any means, it is odd that it's stuck around on a device that at this point is more than two years old.
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