Galaxy S27 Ultra Could Stick With Traditional S Pen Technology

It is no secret that Samsung has been working on a digitizer-free S Pen technology for quite some time. However, it looks like the technology is either not ready yet or the company has scaled back its ultra-slim phone ambitions. The Korean firm has reportedly decided to stick with its current approach for the next-generation Galaxy S27 Ultra.

Samsung drops plan to remove S Pen digitizer in Galaxy S27 Ultra

Samsung recently confirmed that it will not scrap S Pen support on its Galaxy Ultra phones. In fact, the company aims to introduce an advanced version of the S Pen that works with a new display structure. It reportedly planned to remove the digitizer on the Galaxy S27 Ultra, but that is no longer the case, according to a report from ETNews.

For the uninitiated, a digitizer creates an electromagnetic field on the display to activate pen input. This method is called Electromagnetic Resonance (EMR). Since the required sensors are part of the display, it adds a bit of thickness to the smartphone.

An alternative method is the Active Electrostatic (AES) method, which does not need a digitizer. Instead, it uses a pen with a battery and an electricity-generating component. However, this makes the pen thicker, prompting Samsung to develop a new solution without a digitizer or a battery.

While such a solution could help reduce the phone’s thickness (the digitizer is around 0.3mm thick), Samsung does not appear to be rushing to debut with Galaxy S27 Ultra. The likely reason is that last year’s Galaxy S25 Edge did not perform well in terms of sales despite its ultra-slim design. Meanwhile, Apple’s slim model, the iPhone 17 Air, also saw a similar setback.

That said, Samsung may still be working on a digitizer-free solution for another key reason: support for built-in Qi2 magnets. The latest flagship Galaxy S26 series still depends on magnetic cases for Qi2 charging. We’ll let you know if any new developments in the company’s S Pen technology surface online.