Galaxy Z Fold 7 drops S Pen support in Samsung’s thinnest foldable yet
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 5G launched as the company’s flagship book-style folding phone at the Galaxy Unpacked event in the US on Wednesday. It is the “thinnest and lightest Galaxy Z Fold series to date.” To achieve this thin and light design, one of the decisions Samsung had to make was to drop S Pen (stylus) support. The stylus has been a staple productivity-focused accessory in Samsung’s Fold lineup since the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Beyond engineering constraints, Samsung said S Pen usage on previous Fold models was “extremely low.”
The S Pen is a signature feature of several big phones from Samsung. On the previous Galaxy Z Fold 6 (review), the stylus could be used for taking notes, sketching, converting handwriting to text, annotating PDFs, and interacting with the device. But the S Pen was always sold separately for the Fold phones, as they never came with a stylus in the box.
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Now, the Z Fold 7, at 8.9mm folded, is nearly 26 percent thinner than the Z Fold 6, which measured 12.1mm. And when unfolded, the newcomer is only 4.2mm thick, while the predecessor was 5.6mm thick. To achieve this slim design, Samsung removed the digitiser layer (needed for the S Pen to work) from the Z Fold 7’s screen, which is responsible for converting pen input into digital signals that the phone understands.
Additionally, Samsung has reportedly said in interviews after Galaxy Unpacked that the S Pen usage has been “extremely low” on previous Galaxy Z Folds. Instead, as per the company, its users value the size and weight of the device.
While productivity users may be disappointed by the removal of S Pen support on the Z Fold 7, the tradeoff is a thinner and lighter foldable. The S Pen has been sold separately since the Galaxy Z Fold 3, and using it meant relying on bulkier cases. It also wasn’t supported on the foldables’ cover screen, limiting its practicality. Samsung’s internal survey appears to support this view. It’s a calculated shift, one that subtly redefines what the Fold series stands for. Once seen as the spiritual successor to the Galaxy Note, the Fold now feels less like a tool for power users and more like a high-end lifestyle gadget.
Whether this tradeoff is worth it depends on what you expect from a foldable. If you’re chasing portability and polish, the Z Fold 7 delivers. But if your Fold was your portable notepad, sketchbook, or productivity hub, this year’s model might leave you wanting more. And for those who still want a Galaxy phone with S Pen support, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra fits the bill.
