You want an S Pen? The Galaxy S25 Ultra remains your best bet, even with downgrades

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Reportedly, the high-end model's S Pen won't support Bluetooth, which means it loses features like remote control for actions at a distance and air gestures for device control. A bit of a bummer for many, I know. Still, if you're looking for a flagship phone with an S Pen, the Galaxy S25 Ultra remains your best bet.

What could an S Pen with and without Bluetooth really do?

From optional to essential

Samsung first brought the S Pen to the Galaxy S21 Ultra, marking its debut outside the Note family. However, it was an optional add-on and didn't come bundled with the phone – something the Korean tech giant changed with the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Since then, the S Pen has become one of the defining features of the Galaxy S Ultra models, setting them apart from other flagship phones. Thanks to Bluetooth connectivity, the S Pen offers extra features that non-Bluetooth styluses simply can't match. With Bluetooth, you can use the S Pen to:

• Flip through presentations
• Control music playback
• Snap photos
• Switch camera modes
• Zoom in and out

However, with the rumored lack of Bluetooth support in the Galaxy S25 Ultra, all of these features could disappear. I can understand why power users might be frustrated with the downgrade, but most people probably use their stylus for nothing more than jotting down notes and doodling – things a non-Bluetooth S Pen can handle just fine.

Speaking of which, if the S Pen on the Galaxy S25 Ultra does lose Bluetooth, it'll still offer plenty of other features, like:

• Handwriting to text with AI-powered auto formatting, summarizing, spellchecking, and translation options
• Taking screenshots with Smart Select
• Creating artwork with Screen off memo or Samsung Notes
• Using Circle to Search to find anything on your screen

Yet, if you're considering the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the S Pen is a major factor, this might feel like a letdown. But if you're set on having an S Pen, the Galaxy S25 Ultra could still be the best choice.

Limited choices for stylus smartphones

Stylus-equipped smartphones aren't exactly everywhere. Outside of the Galaxy S Ultra models, there are only a few options, like the foldable Galaxy Z Fold 6. But (and it's a big but), the Z Fold's S Pen is an optional add-on – it's not built into the phone – and, well, it's a foldable.

There's also the Moto G Stylus 5G (2024), but let's be real – it's hardly comparable to the Galaxy S24 Ultra or the upcoming S25 Ultra when it comes to specs, features, software support, camera setup, and battery life. The Ultra models are in a whole different league, which makes sense since they cost more than three times as much as the Moto G Stylus 5G.

So, if you're after a flagship experience with a stylus, your options are limited. And I'm pretty sure Samsung is well aware of this.

But what could be behind this downgrade?

The most optimistic scenario would be that Samsung ditched Bluetooth in favor of a more efficient connectivity standard for the S Pen. However, the leak doesn't hint at this possibility, and without confirmation from credible sources, it remains pure speculation.

Another plausible reason might be that Samsung decided to cut Bluetooth functionality due to low usage among Galaxy S Ultra users. Let's face it, Samsung likely has the data on how often these features are actually used, and it probably doesn't make such decisions lightly.

Now, venturing into the realm of wild speculation and wishful thinking, here's another idea – it's a long shot, but hey, anything's possible until Samsung reveals the Galaxy S25 series. What if the Bluetooth functions of the S Pen are no longer needed because Samsung has cooked up a new way to interact with the phone?

Think along the lines of Huawei's hand gesture feature for taking screenshots or file transfers, as showcased with the Mate 70 series. Maybe Samsung has something similar in mind, possibly leveraging Galaxy AI (after all, the company's New Year resolutions include becoming an undisputed leader in AI on phones) to recognize hand gestures.