Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 will not feature a built-in S Pen: report

The much-awaited Galaxy Z Fold 4 successor, dubbed the Galaxy Z Fold 5, is expected to launch later this year. However, Samsung is sparing no effort to keep key details about its upcoming foldable phone under wraps. Still, some pieces of information regarding the next-gen foldable have been surfacing online lately.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is expected to bring many major upgrades over its outgoing predecessor. However, it will retain some notable features of the Galaxy Z Fold 4, including the S Pen. However, the foldable device will not have an internal S Pen storage slot.

In other words, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will not be the first Samsung foldable with a built-in S Pen. Notably, the Galaxy S series Ultra models feature dedicated internal slots for the S Pen. Last year's Galaxy S22 Ultra and the newly launched Galaxy S23 Ultra feature an S Pen slot.

However, the dreams of those hoping to see a built-in S Pen slot on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 might not come true. According to Korean media (via ET News), Samsung planned to have an internal slot for the S Pen on the Galaxy Z Fold 5, but it decided to scratch the idea.

The report attributes the decision to scrap these plans to the Korean smartphone giant's inability to create enough space inside the foldable phone. Apparently, Samsung will have to increase the thickness of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 to create a built-in S Pen slot. It will be interesting to see whether the company will resort to increasing its upcoming foldable phone's dimensions.

Alternatively, Samsung could provide a thinner S Pen with the Galaxy Z Fold 5. However, this will impact the "pen on paper" feel that the company is known for delivering with its stylus. Moreover, the word on the street is that developing an S Pen slot inside the foldable device will increase the manufacturing cost. So, Samsung will have to choose between reducing its margins or increasing the price of the next-gen foldable phone.

According to a source (via SamMobile), the Galaxy Z Fold 5 has an all-new hinge structure that has significantly changed the device's internal space structure. So, it is quite challenging for Samsung to make an S Pen slot. It is safe to assume that a future Galaxy Z Fold device might launch with an S Pen slot given that it is entirely possible for the Korean brand to make this happen.