Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra FCC Filing Seemingly Confirms S Pen Support
The million dollar question in the mobile space is whether or not Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S21 handset will offer S-Pen support, like the Galaxy Note series. And there is a bonus question—will Samsung continue to crank out new generation Galaxy Note models, or is the Galaxy Note line expendable if S-Pen support arrives on the Galaxy S series? Thanks to a filing with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), we can answer one of those questions (feel free to send us a million bucks).
Here it is—Samsung is definitely bringing S-Pen support to its next-generation Galaxy S21 family. Okay, almost definitely. Alright, alright, let's just say it is way more likely than not, based on (A) past leaks and rumors, and (B) the verbiage in the FCC filing, which is as close to a confirmation as we are going to get, short of an actual official statement from Samsung.
The filing lists the model number as SM-G998B, which is the Galaxy S21 Ultra. Under the Test Configuration heading, Samsung outlines an EUT (Equipment Under Test) device with S-Pen support.
"The EUT can also used with a stylus device (S-Pen). The EUT operates with the S-Pen in two different inductive coupling modes of S-Pen motion detection (Hover and Click) operating in the range of 0.53 – 0.6MHz. The EUT was set to continuously transmit to the S-Pen in each of the two modes," Samsung states in its FCC filing.
In addition to seemingly confirming S-Pen support, the filing also points to users being able to hover the stylus over the display to initiate certain features and functions, without actually touching the screen. It's not clear what specific functionality will be available by hovering the S-Pen over the phone's display, but it is a neat proposition.
So there it is folks. This also goes in line with Samsung's mobile chief Dr. TM Roh recently penning a blog post saying, "We've also been paying attention to people's favorite aspects of the Galaxy Note experience and are excited to add some of its most well-loved features to other devices in our lineup." The S-Pen certainly falls into that category.
As for the Galaxy Note series, it was reported that Samsung would kill it off. However, there is a conflicting report from a South Korean news agency that claims to have heard from an anonymous Samsung official that the company still plans to release a Galaxy Note line next year. So, we'll have to wait and see.
