Here's how the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra's S Pen Pro stands out from a standard stylus

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

(Image credit: Samsung)

Bigger isn't always better, but for the

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

that's because when Samsung revealed that its new super phone is compatible with the company's S Pen stylus, it also unveiled the new S Pen Pro.

You'll normally get an S Pen with a phone from the brand's Note line, like the

Samsung Galaxy Note 20

, or with a tablet like the

Galaxy Tab S7

.They let you mark up documents, handwrite notes, control your device with in-air gestures, and more.

If you buy a new Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, you'll be able to use either the S Pen or that mysterious new S Pen Pro, which we've never seen before. So what's the use of the new pro-grade stylus? .

Check out our

Samsung Galaxy S20 review

The price is written

One of the main differences between the S Pen and the S Pen Pro is the price – while the former costs $39.99 / £34 (around AU$50), we can almost guarantee the latter will cost more. you've seen a previous version of this article, you'll notice the UK price is a bit higher than before, and you're right - several hours after listing the Galaxy S21 Ultra's S Pen on its website, Samsung has raised the price a bit.

Samsung has yet to reveal a price for the S Pen Pro (or when it will go on sale, for that matter), but we can almost guarantee it will cost more than the 'standard' S Pen.

If you have an older S Pen from a Galaxy Note or Galaxy Tab device, it's worth pointing out that they will actually work on the Galaxy S21 Ultra - all of them, even the older ones.

Bigger is better

(Image credit: Samsung)

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra's S Pen Pro is a little bigger than your old "standard" S Pen stylus, as shown in the image at the top of this article.

This should make it easier to pick up and hold, as you can really only grip the current S Pen between your thumb and index finger, which doesn't make writing as easy as the longer, easy-to-grip stem. of the Apple Pencil.

Overall, the S Pen Pro looks much more Apple-Pencil-esque, with the more tapered nub resembling an actual pencil. This should make drawing and writing feel more natural than the current S Pen design. pen.

It's worth pointing out that the Galaxy S21 doesn't have a slot to insert the S Pen or S Pen Pro, unlike Note devices, so you'll probably want to buy a case that has a slot for them. in different sizes for the smaller S Pen or the larger S Pen Pro, something to pay attention to.

Some stylus features

So what does the S Pen Pro actually do that the S Pen doesn't to transform your

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

live? The details are a bit vague, but we do know a few things about how they differ.

The standard S Pen doesn't offer the same functionality with the S21 Ultra as the

Note 20 Ultra

The stylus was capable of things like accessing easy camera shortcuts (you can use the stylus as a remote shutter) and touchless “air note” gestures.

To quote our first review of the S21 Ultra, "The S21 Ultra lacks Bluetooth shortcuts for the camera and off-screen notes like the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra."

It seems that the S Pen Pro has these features, however, to bring all Note functionality to the Galaxy S series. Perhaps there are more benefits that the S Pen Pro brings, which will be revealed as the product is out but we don't know yet Samsung just told us that the higher end stylus exists but we'll have to wait for them to release more information to explain how it differs from the Standard S Pen we know and love.

Air gestures will not be available immediately, as they will be available later via a software update. Additionally, only the S Pen Pro has Bluetooth connectivity.

Check out these Samsung Galaxy S21 pre-order deals

Tom Bedford

Personal Writer, Phones

Tom's role on the TechRadar team is as a writer specializing in phones and tablets, but he also covers other technologies such as electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness trackers, and more.

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