Samsung May Ditch Built-In S Pen to Boost Battery Life

The Galaxy S25 Ultra continues to ship with a 5,000mAh battery—a capacity Samsung has used for several generations. This lack of improvement has sparked criticism from both consumers and reviewers, especially given the high cost of flagship smartphones. There was widespread speculation that the hardware would get a modest battery renewal, but a lack of space within the phone’s design has limited Samsung’s options for substantial upgrades.

Samsung May Separate S Pen From Future Phones to Add Bigger Batteries, But Galaxy S26 Ultra Keeps It

Accordingly, a new rumor has emerged that suggests Samsung is considering copious models in which the S Pen is omitted in order to make room for a larger battery internally. Samsung is reportedly evaluating these S Pen-less variants, per tipster @PandaFlashPro on X (formerly Twitter), with next to no details available on them yet. These tests seem to be the first few steps, which means more prototyping could eventually happen down the line. For users who still value the S Pen, there’s good news—leaks indicate that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will continue to include it.

But Samsung is looking for other ways to boost battery capacity without sacrificing the stylus. One possibility is to mimic Apple’s approach with the iPad Pro, which magnetically attaches the Apple Pencil to the side of the device. It could adopt a similar design because of the flat edges of the Galaxy S Ultra series. Alternatively, there might be some downgrading in terms of rear camera sensors. With the new variable aperture tech, potentially fewer sensors would be needed, which could free up more space in the device for a larger battery.

Beyond design changes, Samsung is also looking into next-gen battery tech. Both Samsung and Apple are reportedly testing silicon-carbon battery technology, which could allow for significantly higher capacity in the same space. One rumor even suggests the Galaxy S26 Ultra could feature a 7,000mAh battery using this new tech. If successful, this shift would let Samsung offer larger batteries without sacrificing the S Pen or other premium features, giving users the long-awaited power boost they’ve been asking for.

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