TL;DR Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Fold 7 has a significantly thinner and more ergonomic design.
To achieve this slim profile, Samsung has removed the digitizer layer from the inner display, consequently dropping S Pen support.
Samsung has just launched the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which finally features a noticeably thinner design that is easier to hold. While everyone gushes over how good it feels in the hand, this thinner design comes at a cost: the Fold 7 no longer supports the S Pen.
Samsung hasn’t mentioned S Pen support as part of the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s launch. We asked Samsung about S Pen support on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and the company confirmed to us that the new flagship does not support the S Pen. Samsung had to get rid of the digitizer layer within the display assembly in its quest for a thinner foldable.
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
The situation is similar to that on the Galaxy Z Fold SE, which also got rid of the digitizer layer and dropped S Pen support in lieu of a thinner profile. The digitizer layer is needed to detect and transmit the stylus’s position to the device.
Samsung brought S Pen support to the Galaxy Z Fold lineup with the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Users could buy and use the S Pen Pro or the S Pen Fold Edition, both of which came with a retractable nib so you don’t put too much pressure on the Fold’s inner display and damage it.
Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority Galaxy Z Fold 4
Unlike the Galaxy S Ultra lineup, the Z Fold lineup never had a built-in S Pen slot, nor was the S Pen included in the box. However, you could buy first-party cases that let you store the S Pen alongside the phone.
Alex Walker-Todd / Android Authority
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