Galaxy S21 Ultra works with Samsung S Pen, Pro stylus: price, features and limitations

This story is part of CES, where our editors will bring you the latest news and the most popular articles from the all-virtual CES 2021.

Samsung finally did it. The smartphone maker only announced the Galaxy S21 series, and with it the fact that the Galaxy S21 Ultra supports a feature that was once exclusive to the Galaxy Note ($ 780 by Amazon) family of phones: S Pen support.

This means that S21 Ultra owners will soon be able to use the small digital pen to take notes, take better screenshots, sign documents or subscribe to their favorite programs. There are a number of things that the S Pen can do on the Note, but that it can not do on the Galaxy S21, and the stylus does not come with the S21 Ultra – you have to buy it separately.

We guide you through the basics of the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s stylus support, including S Pen compatibility, features and where you can store the stylus when not in use. (And here’s how to use the new Samsung Galaxy SmartTag.)

Does the S21 Ultra come with an S Pen stylus?

It does not. You can buy one directly from Samsung for $ 40 designed specifically for the S21 Ultra. There are also two different Samsung cases you can buy, both of which contain an S Pen. They cost $ 70 each.

Alternatively, you can buy and use any Samsung S Pen stylus, with prices ranging from $ 25 to $ 40.

Can I use the S Pen of a Galaxy Note or Galaxy Tab?

Yes. Samsung has said that the Galaxy S21 Ultra will work with an existing S Pen from a Galaxy Note phone or Galaxy Tab tablet. However, it cannot use every function (more below).

Does the S21 Ultra have room to store the S Pen like the Galaxy Note?

No. Instead, you should buy or get an S21 Ultra Cough designed to hold the S Pen for you really good to keep an eye on the little stylus.

What can I do with the S Pen on the S21 Ultra?

You can use it to type and navigate through different menus, write down your thoughts or take notes in the Samsung Notes app, or sketch a new idea in your favorite drawing program.

What can the S Pen not do on the S21 Ultra on Note phones?

The S Pen integration with the Galaxy S21 Ultra has no Bluetooth support, which means you will not get the same gesture feature that allows you to do things like control slideshows or skip songs by swiping the stylus like a magic wand – see below for the S Pen Pro.

Another disadvantage of the lack of Bluetooth support is that you will not receive any alerts if you leave the S Pen behind. So if you walk away from the stylus, your phone will not buzz and notify you that the two are separated.

Do you want more functionality? Waiting for the S Pen Pro

Samsung spoke briefly about the S Pen Pro, a new style that the company wants to release later this year, which includes Bluetooth features similar to what the Galaxy Note line has. Samsung specifically mentioned the ability to use gestures with the S Pen Pro on the Galaxy S21 Ultra during the Unpacked presentation. However, we currently have no price or an exact release date. But if you want more than a basic stylus with your S21 Ultra, you can wait until the S Pen Pro is available.

We fully expect the new S Pen features of the Galaxy S21 Ultra to be further, but we’ll have to wait until we get our hands on the S21 Ultra and start digging before we can discover more features. In the meantime, take a look at our initial impressions. If you want to order a Galaxy S21 from you, we discuss everything you need to know to get one on launch day.