Samsung's Galaxy S22 Ultra is the first Galaxy S series smartphone to arrive with a built-in S Pen, but the bundled stylus is not the only one buyers can use with the device. Last year, for the first time in its history, Samsung added S Pen support to Galaxy S and Galaxy Z series phones, with the Galaxy S21 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 3, respectively. As none of these phones actually came with a built-in stylus, users had to buy a compatible S Pen to use with either phone.
The S Pen has come a long way since it first debuted on the Galaxy Note in 2012. That first stylus supported just 256 levels of pressure and didn't support Bluetooth. Ten years later, the S Pen can do much more than ever before and boasts features such as 4096 levels of pressure, Bluetooth connectivity, and a lower latency level than the Apple Pencil.
The Pro was one of the S Pens Samsung announced last year for use with the Galaxy S21 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 3. According to Samsung, the S Pen Pro will work with most of its devices that support an S Pen including tablets and computers. This also means that the S Pen Pro is compatible with the Galaxy S22 Ultra as well. The confirmation can be found on an official support page as well as an accessories page that lists the S Pen Pro among the accessories that can be purchased for the new flagship.
Is The S Pen Pro Worth Buying?
The S Pen Pro is the biggest S Pen available, even in comparison to the one that ships with the Galaxy Tab S series. For some users, its size, which is closer to that of a regular pen, may be more comfortable than the smaller one that's bundled with the Galaxy S22 Ultra. The S Pen Pro connects via Bluetooth, can be paired to more than one device, and supports switching between devices. This means owners can use the S Pen Pro on their phone, tablet, and PC simultaneously. It also allows for copying text and images across devices tied to the same Samsung account. In contrast, the one that's included with the phone is tied to a single device.
Another advantage of the S Pen Pro is the retractable tip that prevents the pen from damaging the display when too much force is applied. This is in addition to location tracking using the company's SmartThings Find feature. Samsung advertises the S Pen bundled with the Galaxy S22 Ultra as having a 2.8ms low latency, and the S Pen Pro offers the same low latency level when used with the S22 Ultra. Just like the stylus that ships with the phone, the S Pen Pro also supports air commands.
The S Pen Pro does come with some disadvantages. For example, the size does mean that it will need to be stored separately from the phone. It also doesn't support wireless charging. While it does boast an impressive 16-day battery life, a user may not be able to recharge the stylus if they don't have a cable and power source available at the time. In contrast, the S Pen that comes with the Galaxy S22 Ultra fully charges in under one minute when inserted into its silo. Another disadvantage is the price, as Samsung's S Pen Pro costs $100 on its own.