What you need to know
- After being announced alongside the Galaxy Tab S9, the S Pen Creator Edition is finally available for purchase.
- The new S Pen is thicker and "more premium," while offering "enhanced tilt sensitivity."
- It's compatible with most Galaxy phones and tablets, with a few exceptions, and is priced at $99.
For whatever reason, Samsung has a tendency to announce new accessories but not release them until much later. No, we're not talking about the Bixby Speaker, but instead, the company has released its S Pen Creator Edition. This new S Pen was introduced alongside the Galaxy Tab S9 back in July but has not been available until now.
If it weren't coming from Samsung directly, we wouldn't blame you for thinking it was just another Apple Pencil clone. Perhaps that's kind of the point, as it's also quite a bit different than the S Pen that Samsung includes with the best Galaxy tablets.
There are a few things that set this apart from the included S Pen, such as a larger body "for a comfortable grip." There's also a silver button on the side, giving you quick access to various features within whatever note-taking or drawing app you are using.
The main selling point of the S Pen Creator Edition is its "enhanced tilt sensitivity," which Samsung claims helps make this its "most advanced S Pen yet." It's kind of a weird flex when you consider that the Creator Edition doesn't support Samsung's Air Commands.
On the bright side, this also means that you won't have to worry about leaving your S Pen behind and having the battery drain, as there's not actually a battery built into it. Even still, one side of this new S Pen is flat, so you'll still be able to magnetically attach it to your compatible Galaxy Tab.
Compatibility is also worth pointing out, as it will work with pretty much any S Pen-compatible device, starting with the Galaxy Note 10. There is a catch, however, as you won't be able to use the S Pen Creator Edition with any of Samsung's foldable phones, including the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Making matters even more frustrating for Fold owners is that 9to5Google pointed out that the S Pen Pro has been removed from Samsung's online storefront. Originally released after the Galaxy Z Fold 3, the S Pen Pro works with both foldable phones and slab devices thanks to the built-in switch. Hopefully, Samsung is just working on a successor, but it's still disappointing to see it removed completely.
Nevertheless, if you're interested in picking up the S Pen Creator Edition, it's available directly from Samsung for $99.
A niche accessory
Samsung's new S Pen Creator Edition sports a larger and more comfortable design, magnetically attaches to your tablet, and even has a built-in shortcut button. However, it's missing out on some key features, such as Air Commands and compatiiblity with the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
