Does the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 support the S Pen?

Navigation and input on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 does not include S Pen

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the brand’s latest entry into the foldable phone space. It boasts several improvements over the previous generation Galaxy Z Fold 6, but it does not retain S Pen support. This, however, is for good reason.

The foldable phone includes a 6.5-inch outer screen and a larger 8-inch inner screen once unfolded. You can navigate, input, and communicate with it in numerous ways, including swipes, taps, and of course, voice.

The main reason was to ensure the phone’s screen could remain ultra-thin, which means not including an active layer to support S Pen input. Instead, the screen is thinner, stronger, and has a less noticeable crease.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 measures 8.99mm when folded, about 4.2mm unfolded, which is a marvel in its own right. When it’s folded up, it’s only slightly thicker than a traditional bar-shaped phone. When unfolded, it’s super slim and sleek. Adding S Pen support would have required adjusting the design in a significant way that may not have been a worthwhile trade-off.

It goes without saying that building the phone to integrate an S Pen would be off the table as well. This design includes a slot where the stylus can slide in and out for seamless use. To accommodate that, the phone itself would have to be made thicker. Samsung didn’t include an S Pen or an S Pen slot with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 either. However, that phone is indeed compatible with one thanks to the addition of an active layer on the screen.

A Samsung executive confirmed to CNET that Samsung didn’t want to compromise on battery life, performance, or the slim design to be able to add an S Pen to the equation.

Consider that while the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a fantastic phone for productivity, you are more likely to connect it to a larger desktop through Samsung DeX for such tasks anyway. It’s with entertainment features that this phone excels, including watching videos, surfing the web, multitasking, and capturing content.

With that said, according to ETNews, Samsung may be working on how to develop a thinner S Pen that would better integrate with future versions of foldables. So, it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility to see one in a next-gen device.

For now, when it comes to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, which is on track to replace the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 among the best foldable phones, you’ll have to use your finger or leverage all the cool voice control capabilities through Google Gemini for navigation, sketching, and control. It’s an unfortunate trade-off, but given the either-or scenario, most users would probably take the thinner design, better performance, improved battery, and larger unobstructed screen experience over having an S Pen.