GoKawiilRobert Triggs / Android Authority
I love the S Pen. While I’m more than happy with my Pixel 10 Pro, one of the things I miss most from Samsung’s flagship phones is the stylus. The S Pen has been with us since 2011, and it hasn’t changed much during that time. The S Pen has gotten better, but the core technology that makes the stylus work is the same on the Galaxy S26 Ultra as it is on the original Galaxy Note.
That’s impressive, but it’s also leading to a major problem for Samsung. If the S Pen doesn’t evolve soon, it may be time for Samsung to make it a tablet-only accessory for good.
Would you sacrifice the S Pen for Qi2? 26 votes Yes 27 % No 73 %
Magnets — how do they work?
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
Ever since Apple added MagSafe to the iPhone, I’ve wanted something similar on Android. I was thrilled when Google added Qi2 support to the Pixel 10 series. I was hoping Samsung would do the same for the Galaxy S26 series, but much to our disappointment, that didn’t happen. You might be wondering what any of this has to do with the S Pen. Well, I think the fate of the S Pen and the chances of getting magnets in any Samsung phone, not just the ultra models, are more intertwined than you’d think.
The S Pen works because the phone generates an electromagnetic field that the S Pen alters when it is near the display. That’s how the phone can show a cursor when the S Pen is only hovering above the screen. The magnetic part of electromagnetic is the issue here. The magnets inside Qi2 cases and accessories stop the S Pen from working correctly. In fact, the first time you use an accessory like this with your S Pen-equipped Samsung phone, you’ll get a warning.
Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority
That’s why we don’t have Qi2 magnets built into the Galaxy S26 Ultra. If the magnet inside a case can stop the S Pen from working, then it’s reasonable to conclude that having the magnet built into the device would have the same effect. If that’s why the S26 Ultra lacks Qi2 support, what’s stopping Samsung from adding it to other phones, like the Galaxy S26 Plus?
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