Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: A Bold Move with No S Pen

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 marks a bold shift in the foldable phone market. Yesterday, Samsung unveiled its latest flagship foldable, and the rumors proved true: it’s thinner, sleeker, and feels more “normal” than ever when folded. The device is nearly as thin as the Galaxy S25 Ultra, with an external screen wide enough to type comfortably with two hands. For many, these changes address the long-standing complaints about earlier models.

But, lurking in the shadows of this new device is a surprising omission: the S Pen support.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 doesn’t include S Pen functionality, a decision that raises some eyebrows, especially for users accustomed to the versatility the stylus brought to earlier models. The question is: why? The answer is tied to the survival of the foldable phone. Over the last six years since the first Galaxy Fold, many competitors-Vivo, Oppo, Honor, OnePlus, and even Google-have entered the foldable market, each addressing flaws Samsung had left uncorrected. While Samsung was once a trendsetter, it now faces fierce competition pushing the limits of what foldable phones can do.

Foldable devices have always had their compromises-expensive prices, bulky designs, and disappointing displays. But these are issues that competitors are quickly fixing. Honor’s pursuit of thinner devices, Vivo and Huawei’s focus on improving camera quality, and others’ improvements in usability are pushing the boundaries of what users expect from a foldable phone. Meanwhile, Samsung continued to cling to its old design choices, especially when it came to the narrow cover screen that was never easy to use with one hand.

Then came the Z Fold 7’s predecessor, the Z Fold 6 Special Edition. Released in late 2024, this limited-edition phone hinted at the future of the foldable line-thinner body, bigger screens, and no S Pen. It sold out multiple times, suggesting Samsung may have been testing whether removing the S Pen would alienate customers. However, the sales were strong enough to signal that customers valued other features more than the inclusion of the stylus.

The S Pen, however, never truly had a permanent place in the Galaxy Z Fold series. Despite its usefulness on the large display, the issue of where to store it remained unsolved. Samsung tried offering S Pen cases, but they added bulk and inconveniences, leading many to abandon the idea. It was a compromise-and nobody wants to pay $1,800 for a phone with compromises.

There are rumors that Samsung is working on alternative technologies for an active S Pen that doesn’t require the internal digitizer. But for now, it’s clear that the company has opted to focus on refining the foldable phone experience instead. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a step toward making foldable phones feel like true smartphones-without the baggage of unnecessary features. The price tag is $200 higher, but the future of foldables looks brighter without the burden of the S Pen.