Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could keep the S Pen after all — and here's what it might look like

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The S Pen could get some changes next year

Using the stylus on the Galaxy S25 Ultra
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Remember those rumors suggesting that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra may scrap the S Pen?

Well, that might not actually be happening if the latest leak from Ice Universe is to be believed. They posted an image of what looks to be the S26 Ultra's redesigned S Pen.

As you can see, the S Pen still seems to have a home inside the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and has a new, rounder design. Gone is the squareshaped button at the end of the stylus, replaced with something a little curvier — and more befitting the Galaxy S-series newfound love of round edges.

Ice Universe doesn't offer any additional details about the capabilities of the S Pen, so it's unclear what kind of stylus Samsung will be using. I'd wager that we won't see Bluetooth capabilities return after they were unceremoniously dumped from the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but what about the new S Pen technology?

Samsung is rumored to be working on a new kind of stylus, which isn't beholden to the digitizer layer inside the display. By having a stylus that doesn't need the digitizer, Samsung could then add the Qi2 magnetic ring that was missing on the Galaxy S25 series — allowing for magnetic accessories and charging to take place without a special case.

It could also help Samsung make the phone a little thinner, as we've already seen with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Galaxy Z Fold SE. Both phones lack the digitizer display layer, but they don't offer S Pen support as a result.

Then again, there's always the chance Samsung will keep the digitizer in place to maintain S Pen support on its largest non-folding phone. The fact that the phone may benefit from magnets or a slightly thinner design might not be worth it in Samsung's mind.

But we will have to wait and see what happens after the Galaxy S26 Ultra launches. Until then, be sure to check out our Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra hub for all the latest news and rumors. And be safe in the knowledge that, from the looks of things, the S Pen stylus isn't going anywhere.

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Tom Pritchard
Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.

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