For a long time, if you want a phone with a legitimate pen – and I’m not referring to one of the weak ones –the sauce sticks with a square tip on top – your only real choice was a Galaxy Note. However, after adding stylus support to a number of tablets and laptops, this year Samsung decided to release the stylus on its phones, also, by creating an S-Pen for Galaxy S21 Ultra. And while the additional accessory of the S21 Ultra is 40 USD does not create the same cohesive package that you get with a note, it is useful for fans of less hardcore pens.
One of the best things about the S21 Ultra S-Pen is that there is virtually no configuration. Just take it out of the box, hold it next to the phone screen and you’re ready to go – all the software you need is already ripe. And Since the S21 Ultra S-Pen is also a passive pen, there is no need to worry about keeping it charged.
As with a Note, moving the S21 Ultra pen over the right edge of the display causes a floating button to appear, giving you access to almost all of Samsung’s standard S-Pen functions. including the traditional note-making, Smart selection (for cropping video photos), Screen writing, Live messages, Doodle AR and Translation. There’s also a shortcut for settings, which allows you to customize S-Pen features, such as activating Screen Off Memo (which allows you to take notes without unlocking) phone), display an indicator while you plan, and more.
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However, because the stylus does not have an active Bluetooth connection, as you get with the Galaxy Note S-Pen, you cannot use the S21 Ultra stylus as a remote shutter to take pictures or wave it to use it Samsung air actions.
That being said, the S21 Ultra S-Pen has several advantages of its own. Not only does it come with two extra stylus feathers that you can change for a slightly different feel, but the stylus is also also slightly longer and thicker than a standard Galaxy Note pen. It may not seem like much, but even for someone like me who doesn’t have big hands, it’s much more comfortable to hold, while providing a handy button for things like wiping. TThe super slim size of a Note’s S-Pen often made him feel as if I had broken it, while the S21 Ultra pen feels more like a normal writing tool.
The disadvantage of this S-Pen version because it’s an accessory, there’s no place to keep it when you’re not using it, unless you opt for the $ 70 Samsung package, which includes an S-Pen and a silicone case for the S21 Ultra. On its own, the Samsung silicone case is perfectly functional and does everything you need for a case: IIt covers all corners, protects the rear camera and has an S-Pen slot.
Unfortunately, for me and the other 90% of the people in the world who are right-handed, the S-Pen slot is on the left, which means you have to make a slightly awkward mix or get around to get the right hand into the pen. for drawing or notationtaking. I admit, it’s not a huge deal, but it’s kind of weird and compared to a Galaxy Note, it’s just not as sleek. But this is the compromise you have to make do what for an optional accessory.
However, even as someone who does not consider himself a fan of the pen, he is completementioning the S21 Ultra with an S-Pen transforms the experience. Thanks to live messages, I definitely found myself sending more text messages, even if it’s just to doodle memes from friends. I use Smart Select to create GIFs of thicc seals when I see them, just because it’s so easy. And while I don’t take a ton of traditional notes, I think I’m able to annotate PDFs. So, even if you don’t use it all the time, it’s good to have the option to use a stylus when the situation arises.
I really apreciate that Samsung no longer limits the pen to the Galaxy Note line. Styluses on phones aren’t for everyone, but they shouldn’t be strictly limited to $ 1,000 flagships and that one Moto phone.. And while the S21 Ultra is certainly not cheap, we hope that Samsung will continue to extend the stylus support to the rest of the Galaxy S line even more in the future.