Quick answer:
Yes, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra comes with an S Pen included in the box.
The S Pen has been a staple of Samsung’s products since it was introduced with the original Galaxy Note in 2011. The S Pen stands out because it can operate without power, so there will never be a time when you can’t write or draw because the battery is dead.
The S Pen has spread throughout Samsung’s portfolio in the last thirteen years and can be found in everything from phones and tablets to foldables. Samsung doesn’t include it with every model, though. So, does the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, its latest flagship tablet, include the stylus?
Does the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra come with a stylus?
Yes, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra comes with an S Pen. The first tablet to include an S Pen, the Galaxy Note 10.1 in 2012, was the very tablet that got me through three years of college. Since then, most of Samsung’s tablets have included the stylus, except for the budget models. The Tab S10 Ultra is no exception. The S Pen is included in the box and is secured to the back of the tablet with magnets.
What’s so special about the S Pen?
Aside from foldables, which require an S Pen optimized for their more fragile screens, S Pens are interchangeable among the Samsung devices that support them. I can still take the S Pen from my old Galaxy Note 10.1 and use it on my S24 Ultra or the Tab S10 Ultra. That doesn’t mean the S Pen has stayed the same, though. Samsung has been improving it since the first version.
The S Pen places a hovering cursor on the screen to write and draw. Devices with S Pen compatibility emit an electromagnetic field through the display. The S Pen has a copper coil that alters that magnetic field, which the device can measure and determine what the stylus is doing and where it is.
Most S Pens nowadays have a power source on board. That’s because Samsung added Bluetooth to the stylus, which allows it to send commands to your phone or tablet from a distance. For example, you can control the camera, so you don’t need to mess around with timers when taking group photos.
Battery life on an S Pen is harder to measure than on something like an Apple Pencil. It doesn’t have a battery; instead, it uses a capacitor to store energy. That takes up less space inside and allows it to charge faster than most styli, but it also loses charge, even when it’s not being used. That’s why it’s best to keep the S Pen on the back of your Tab S10 Ultra when you aren’t using it — the S Pen will wirelessly charge while it’s there.
Charging location is the only downside of using the S Pen with the Tab S10 Ultra. Samsung’s phones and many of its older tablets have a silo that stores the S Pen inside the body, making it easier to carry and harder to lose. We assume Samsung ditched this approach because users wanted a thicker S Pen that’s more comfortable to hold over an extended period. The larger design won’t fit inside the tablet anymore, but even so, it’s a shame.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra
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The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra includes the mighty S Pen in the box and is the perfect device. Drawing and note-taking feel natural on display this size, without zooming or panning around your document as much. But it’s a shame you can’t store the S Pen inside the device.
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