Power of the S Pen
April 5, 2022Colour: Dark Red
Dimension: 5.8 x 109.5 x 4.3mm
Weight: 3g
Pen Tip: 0.7mm
Samsung’s S22 Ultra comes with a built-in stylus called the S-Pen. It’s very similar to that of the Note 20 Ultra. As such, it supports the same features that made the original Samsung stylus a mighty tool for the business folk. Admittedly, this isn’t the first S-Series phone to support the S Pen, that honor goes to the S21 Ultra.
However, said stylus wasn’t integrated into the body but served as an accessory, which could be purchased separately. This was basically an afterthought meant to fill the void left in the wake of the Note 20 Ultra. It was to help tide Note Fans over in 2021 due to the absence of a successor. That said, today’s S22 Ultra has a full-fledged, Bluetooth enabled S Pen that lives up to its name.
Firstly, its tip is 0.7mm in diameter, which is fairly similar to that of a regular ballpoint pen. The feeling is somewhat familiar, the narrow tip allows for a decent amount of control when trying to sketch or jot down notes. This is an active S Pen, hence the need for Bluetooth support. As a result, it serves various functions, most notable among them being an air mouse.
By clicking the button on the side, it can be used as a remote control for your apps, camera shutter button, switch between cameras, pause your music and several other features. When you pull out the pen from its slot, the air command menu pops up. It’s a list of apps or features that are tied into the S Pen’s functionality. Alternatively, you can click the side button to bring up this menu.
It consists of Create Note, Smart Select, Screen Write, Translate and Ar doodle. You can add various others to the list as well by clicking on the Add function. To get started, hover the pen over the screen. A digital pointer will show up on the screen to indicate where you’re pointing the S Pen. Once you have it over an app that you’d like to open, click the button to launch it.
The S Pen also be used to edit text of voice notes or calendar entries, then share the content or add them to your list of activities. Through AR Doodle, you can create live messages with the use of videos or photos for a more personalized experience.
PENUP, which is a popular feature on Samsung tablets, is usable on the S22 Ultra because of the S Pen. It allows users to draw or create their own artwork as well as edit content and capture important information.
But you don’t have to rely on the side button, Samsung’s UI also supports air gestures. This means, depending on what you’ve enabled, the interface responds to the motion of the S Pen for various commands. It can be used for scrolling, selecting items or various other tasks. It’s also a handy tool for actions that require precision and accuracy, something that’s difficult to do with the index finger.
Though Steve Jobs’ disdain for the stylus birthed the iPhone, I still believe in the need for it. The S Pen has helped me many a time to approve design mockups, highlight errors to my team and generally help articulate what I want to convey to others, clearly.
I’ll be working on releasing more content on this stylus and the S22 Ultra in the coming days, so stay tuned.
