What's in store from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 in 2022? If it's going to follow the example of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 then it should come with support for Samsung's S Pen stylus, but a new rumor suggests that support will only go so far.
According to Naver (via @FrontTron), none of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 prototypes currently in development at Samsung have an integrated slot to hold the S Pen, which makes it unlikely that we'll see one in the final version of the foldable. The design is apparently going to be finalized in March.
No S Pen slot isn't a complete disaster – the Galaxy Z Fold 3 doesn't have one, and nor does the Galaxy S21 Ultra – but it's certainly a lot more convenient. It's a key feature from the Galaxy Note series that hasn't yet made its way over to any other handsets.
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The case continues
It's possible that you might be able to buy an official Samsung case for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 to hold the S Pen – otherwise you're going to be left relying on your pocket or a third-party case to store the stylus when it's not in use. Alternatively, you could always store it behind your ear until you need it again.
While the expansion of S Pen support to the Ultra models in the S series and the Z Fold series is welcome, it seems Samsung isn't fully committed to the switch – or perhaps it's not certain that everyone who buys these phones will want an S Pen.
We haven't heard many rumors around the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 yet, but there has been talk that some of the camera upgrades will be rather underwhelming, and that it could go on sale for a cheaper price than its predecessor. If Samsung sticks to its 2021 schedule in 2022, we should see the foldable phone around August next year.
Opinion: Samsung needs to properly replace the Galaxy Note
In the midst of a global pandemic and a chip shortage that has affected just about every electronics company in the world, it seems as though Samsung has decided to discontinue the Galaxy Note series: there's been no official announcement, but the Galaxy Note 20 from 2020 didn't get a successor in 2021.
With the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 on the way, it could be argued that the Note series isn't really needed – especially if these phones have S Pen support, as expected. Without an integrated S Pen slot though, that support only goes so far.
Being able to slot away the stylus in the actual phone itself is a lot more convenient than buying a separate case for the job – which is required for both the Galaxy S21 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 3. The integrated holder was a big part of the Galaxy Note's appeal.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is expected to be more Note-like than ever when it appears next year, and may even adopt the Note name. Without a proper place to store the S Pen stylus though, it doesn't really match up to everything that the Galaxy Note offered, and that's something we hope Samsung remedies in 2023 if not next year.
