Galaxy S25 Ultra buyers will sorely miss this handy S Pen feature

Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S series devices for this year are finally here, with several noteworthy improvements. Of the three new Samsung phones, the top-end Galaxy S25 Ultra features the most significant hardware upgrades, including a new 50MP ultrawide camera with enhanced macro capabilities, LOG video support in Pro video mode, a refined design, a larger vapor chamber for better heat dissipation, and more. However, Samsung has also made a change some S Pen aficionados may consider a downgrade.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra’s S Pen lacks Bluetooth functionality and, as such, does not support a few handy features we’ve seen on the Galaxy S24 Ultra and older models. For instance, you can no longer use the S Pen as a remote to take pictures, control a PowerPoint presentation, or browse the Gallery app.

In addition, Galaxy S25 Ultra buyers won’t have access to Air Actions, a gesture control feature Samsung debuted with the Galaxy Note 10 series. This feature lets users control their phones or perform various app actions using customizable S Pen gestures. Samsung says it removed these features as they barely got any use, but we’re sure some Galaxy S25 Ultra buyers will sorely miss the S Pen’s remote control functionality.

It’s not all bad news for the S Pen, though. The stylus retains support for the Air Command feature, which gives users access to handy shortcuts when it’s hovered over the screen, has a pressure-sensitive tip with 4,096 pressure levels, and works with a couple of cool new Galaxy AI features. Samsung has also updated its design, so it now sits flush with the phone’s frame.