The S Pen is the first stylus experience on Android, and it’s as small as this market may be. Samsung practically pioneered the “smart” stylus with the Galaxy Note series, and there hasn’t been a good competitor for Android since then. (The Apple Pencil might come close, but this one only works with some Apple iPads.)
At the moment, there are two current phone options that support the S Pen, the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 3. The former is essentially the Galaxy Note in everything but the name, while the latter is Samsung’s foldable flagship. The S22 Ultra happens to feature an S Pen built right into the phone, while the Fold 3 is an entirely separate accessory.
Since I have both devices and their S Pens with me, I wanted to take a look at how the two experiences compare. In the case of the Galaxy Z Fold 3, the stylus requires storage and is also a separate purchase from the phone (another $50 plus the $1,799 you’ll pay for the foldable device).
Let’s take a look at how the Galaxy S22 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 3 S Pen experiences stack up across different categories.
S Pen interface: convenience and features
Starting with the simplest standards, the comfort of the S Pen is paramount. The Galaxy S22 Ultra wins this section because its S Pen is located in a silo built into the phone.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 stylus is loose and easy to lose unless you buy a storage case for it. This increases the size of the already large 3 fold considerably.
Venturing into subjective territory, I think the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s smaller footprint is also more convenient, provided you don’t lose it. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 stylus is much larger in size and length. As such, the button is larger and therefore easier to press. I should also note that you can’t use the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s S Pen on the outer cover display – it only works on the Z Fold’s 7.6-inch foldable display.
Both phones share the same set of basic features — notes, screenwriting, smart identification, direct messaging, AR graphics, subtitles, and technical drawing to name a few — but the Galaxy S22 Ultra supports aerial actions out of the box. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 only has this feature with the more expensive S Pen Pro. Air Actions are useful shortcuts, including navigation and quick actions in apps like Camera, Gallery, Office, and more.
With all that in mind, I think the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s S Pen is more apt with its richer feature set.
winner: Galaxy S22 Ultra
Encountering the S Pen: Activation
This is probably the shortest section. Galaxy S22 Ultra goes from sleep state to making a quick note when you remove the S Pen from its silo – that note closes when you replace the S Pen and you get the normal lock screen.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 does not have this means of activation, which requires you to hold the button on the stylus and tap on the inner screen to open the Notes app.
This is related to convenience, but I think this difference calls for a section of its own. Simply put, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is ready to take notes, price tags and draw much faster than the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
winner: Galaxy S22 Ultra
S Pen interface: take notes
We’ve come to the gist of the S Pen comparison. How is the note taking experience on these two phones? Part of my review relates to the work environment. I think the Galaxy S22 Ultra wins here because I feel more secure taking notes on it versus feeling nervous doing it on the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
I can hold the Galaxy S22 Ultra firmly in my hand while I use the S Pen on my dominant device. I have to balance the Galaxy Z Fold 3 on my palm, or use my pinky as a stabilizer (which grows very quickly tired).
As for note-taking, I’ve had some learning hiccups as I tend to have light handwriting. I don’t press the type tools too much, which resulted in a lot of input being lost on both phones. However, I have noticed fewer errors with the Galaxy S22 Ultra. My quick notes made more sense on the phone than they did on the foldable device.
But the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has more screen real estate, which means you can write larger or longer notes. I don’t think this is enough to counteract the ergonomics problem with folding, but I like that I have more space for my hand to write.
winner: Galaxy S22 Ultra
S Pen Interface: Diagram
Needless to say I’m not an artist so I’ve been missing out on the drawing capabilities of these two phones a bit. However, I think the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is the most interesting technical device. Not just because of the larger tablet-sized internal displays, but because of the larger S Pen.
I found the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s S Pen a bit too small for my hands to draw and paint as accurately as possible with the Galaxy Z Fold 3. I had no insertion issues with the S Pen in this area, with no errors in my attempts to The art is related to the user.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 has had an advantage here right from the start, and thanks to the larger S Pen Fold version, I think the foldable device has an edge in technical endeavours.
winner: Galaxy Z Fold 3
Confrontation with the S Pen: the response
I need to qualify this section with the caveat that response is probably the most subjective due to the fact that I have no way of measuring response time for any of the S Pen. However, I find one stylus a little responsive over the other.
Overall, the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s S Pen appears to be much smoother to write and draw. I’m not saying the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s stylus is by any means sluggish, but for me, the S22 Ultra followed my handwriting with my hairline faster than the Fold 3. In fact, it’s a close comparison I might have imagined he-she.
So I won’t be crowned a winner in this section just because I can’t say which one is more responsive. However, from the hours I spent on this project, I thought the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s S Pen stylus had an advantage over the Z Fold. Mileage may vary though.
winner: fee
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs. Galaxy Z Fold 3 Pen: Outlook
While I think the two S Pen experiences are great and welcome additions to their respective phones, the Galaxy S22 Ultra advances with its own set of convenience and features. Storing the stylus in the phone is beyond small, even if you have large hands.
Then again, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has more screen real estate, which is perfect for more artistic endeavors and for encoding documents and large spreadsheets. But if you’ve been thinking the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is your phone, or if you already have one, you know it.
While I didn’t sell the entire pen device, I certainly enjoyed using the Galaxy S22 Ultra more for this purpose than the Galaxy Z Fold 3, even if I preferred the larger S Pen Fold version. However, it’s not ideal that the Fold 3’s S Pen is an extra purchase on top of an already expensive phone, and you need to pay more for the Pro Pen to get access to Air Actions.
I think the Galaxy S22 Ultra is the best of both worlds, giving you a beautiful and powerful phone with a built in stylus. It’s generally easier to handle (not to mention more durable overall), so I think if you’re looking for the best S Pen experience, go with the Galaxy S22 Ultra over the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
[ad_2]
