Samsung Ditches S Pen: How Motorola, Oppo & Others Are Bringing Stylus Back to Foldables in 2026 (2026)

Imagine ditching your favorite pen, only to watch everyone else snatch it up! That's essentially what happened with Samsung and the S Pen on their Galaxy Z Fold series. Samsung killed stylus support in the Z Fold 7, prioritizing a slimmer design, but now it seems like every other foldable maker is scrambling to offer it. Is Samsung regretting that decision?

The S Pen has become an iconic part of the Galaxy experience. It felt natural when Samsung brought that functionality to its book-style foldable line with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 in 2021. For a few generations, the S Pen was a welcome addition, allowing users to handwrite notes, sketch, and navigate their devices with pinpoint accuracy on that expansive folding screen. But then, in 2025, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 arrived, and the stylus support vanished.

Samsung openly called this decision a "trade-off." (https://9to5google.com/2025/07/15/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-7-s-pen-trade-off/) According to the company (https://9to5google.com/2025/07/09/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-7-s-pen-support-removed/), two main factors led to this move. First, achieving the desired thinness of the Z Fold 7 required removing the internal hardware necessary to support the S Pen. Think of it like removing a vital organ to make a body thinner – a pretty drastic measure! Second, and perhaps less intuitively, ditching the S Pen allowed Samsung to beef up the ultra-thin glass (UTG) covering the foldable display, making it more durable. This addresses a common concern with foldable devices: screen fragility.

There's chatter suggesting that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 might bring back stylus support in some form (https://9to5google.com/2025/10/28/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-8-battery-display-s-pen-report/). But here's where it gets controversial... even if Samsung does reintroduce the S Pen, the competition isn't waiting around. They're actively seizing the opportunity to attract users who miss that stylus functionality.

The most prominent example? Motorola. Their upcoming Razr Fold (https://9to5google.com/2026/01/06/motorola-razr-fold-stylus-teaser/), previewed at CES 2026, is making stylus support a central selling point. And this is the part most people miss... In the US market, no other book-style foldable currently offers a stylus. Google, for instance, hasn't shown any inclination to add stylus support to their Pixel Fold series. This gives Motorola a significant advantage.

Check out the early look at the promising Motorola Razr Fold Gallery

But Motorola isn't alone. Oppo is also reportedly working on "AI stylus support" for their upcoming Find N6 foldable, according to the often reliable leaker Digital Chat Station (https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5254583208642265).

Now, hear me out, stylus integration isn’t completely new territory for Oppo’s foldable devices. They’ve included limited support in every Find N device since the Find N2. However, there's a catch: the pen itself has been limited to specific regions, and the Oppo Find N5 barely made a global splash (https://9to5google.com/2025/02/22/oppo-find-n5-europe-global-launch/). The OnePlus Open technically worked with (https://www.androidcentral.com/accessories/using-oppo-pen-with-oneplus-open) Oppo's stylus tech, but OnePlus never actually sold a compatible stylus. So, while the capability existed, the availability was severely restricted. Could the Find N6 be the foldable that finally brings Oppo's stylus to the global stage?

Honor also offers a stylus for their foldables (https://www.honor.com/global/accessories/honor-magic-pen/), but they don't exactly shout it from the rooftops. It's more of a quiet, understated feature.

While Samsung might have (temporarily?) backed away from the stylus on their foldables, other companies are clearly ready and willing to fill the void. By 2026, it looks like we'll have a wide array of book-style foldables to choose from, complete with stylus support. But here's a thought-provoking question: Is the thinner design of the Z Fold 7 worth sacrificing the functionality of the S Pen? Is a more durable (but pen-less) screen the right trade-off? It's a debate with no easy answer.

So, what do you think? Are you excited about the prospect of more foldable devices with stylus support? Or do you believe Samsung made the right decision by prioritizing thinness and durability? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!