Galaxy S26 Ultra may lose something big – and gain something magnetic
Samsung's next flagship model, the Galaxy S26 Ultra, is now starting to show up more and more in leaks and rumors. Now, a new rumor from tipster @PandaFlashPro on X indicates Samsung may have a different S Pen tech for the Galaxy S26 Ultra . Apparently, if this rumor is correct, Samsung may remove the S Pen digitizer in order to start offering phones with Qi2 magnetic backs. Galaxy S Ultra phones have used an S Pen digitizer for years. Theoretically, if Samsung removes it, this would mean there's more space in the device for other modules. One of the reasons for this alleged removal could be the Qi2 compatibility. Right now, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is Qi2 Ready, which means it has the ability to use magnetic cases, but it doesn't have magnets in its body, unlike phones like the iPhone 15.
If Samsung adopts the complete standard, this would make the Galaxy S26 Ultra feature magnets in its rear panel, just like MagSafe on Apple iPhones.
PandaFlashPro's post on X. | Screenshot Credit – PhoneArena
Another potential reason for the removal of the digitizer could be similar to what is rumored for Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 7. Yep, thinness. If the company removes the S Pen digitizer, it can make the Galaxy S26 Ultra a thin phone. However, that would require much more than removing the digitizer.
However, it's worth noting that removing the digitizer doesn't mean there won't be an S Pen. It's possible that the new S Pen for the Galaxy S26 Ultra could be similar to the new one rumored for the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The foldable phone is expected to be announced in just a couple of weeks, on July 9, and maybe we'll learn more about the new S Pen (if these rumors are correct) then.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is Samsung's flagship for next year, expected sometime in early 2026. The phone may be accompanied by a Galaxy S26 Edge and may feature more RAM. It will battle the yet-unannounced iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max for the title of the best flagship phone.
Meanwhile, there are rumors indicating Samsung may be making moves to get rid of the S Pen on the Ultra models entirely in the future. Although these are all still rumors and nothing is set in stone, I can't help but think it may not be a great idea, as most Samsung fans seem to like the S Pen and would want it to stay. Secure your connection now at a bargain price!
We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GSM Arena
an hour ago
- GSM Arena
Weekly poll results: Huawei Pura 80 Ultra is a hit, no Google services is still a concern
Lack of Google Play Services is still a concern for many, but last week's poll shows that Huawei has not lost its mojo – the new Pura 80 Ultra in particular is a highly desirable phone. That said, it may be out of reach for many, literally or figuratively. The Huawei Pura 80 Ultra received a very warm welcome. If Huawei was still using Google-connected Android, this could have been one of the best selling premium phones of the year. It's not just Google Play access, though. When Huawei was embargoed by the US, it had to shrink its global distribution network and it still hasn't recovered. There was a debate over the overcomplicated telephoto camera – many felt that Huawei could have been clearer about that in its marketing. The camera offers a choice of 3.7x and 9.4x zoom, but it can't do full resolution shots at the longer focal length. The large 1/1.28' 50MP sensor is usable in full at 3.7x, but does a 2x crop when in 9.4x mode, which limits the resolution to 12.5MP. The Huawei Pura 80 Pro and Pro+ differ mainly in the more advanced satellite messaging support for the latter. And yet the Pura 80 Pro+ was the clear favorite between the two – it goes to show that satellite messaging will be an increasingly more important feature going forward. Anyway, neither Pro model was as popular as the Ultra, but they did alright. Finally, the vanilla Huawei Pura 80 got a surprising number of votes – we're used to seeing the vanilla model get the cold shoulder (it does have the advantage of not splitting the votes, unlike the Pro and Pro+). The usual considerations apply for the whole Pura 80 family. Some mentioned that apps like GBox can act as a replacement for Google Play Services and will allow you to run Google apps (and other apps that rely on Google APIs). Still, if any issues occur, you'd be on your own. That applies to warranty too – if you import a Pura 80, repairs and servicing will be difficult. And last but not least, 5G band support is an issue in some regions. Even with all that said, there is a good reason why Huawei was the biggest smartphone maker in the world for a bit. And phones like the Pura 80 family are a good reminder of that. If you are not deterred by the lack of Google services, mark July 10 on your calendar - that is the date of the global launch of the Huawei Mate 80 series. We are not sure whether all four models will be available (the Pro+ is a long shot). Also, we haven't seen any ads in the EU - but fans in South America, Africa and Asia can look forward to the new camera flagships.
Phone Arena
2 hours ago
- Phone Arena
Metro rep sells a customer on the "Great" Revvl 7 5G. You can probably guess what happened next
If you're at a store looking to buy a new phone, always try to do some instant research. By that, I mean you should ask to see a working model of the phone the rep wants to sell you. How does it feel in your hand? How's the build? You want to see if the phone is zippy or if it lags. They might throw out the name of the processor under the hood and you might think it sounds impressive when in reality it is a slower and older application processor. What you are trying to avoid is the experience that some unfortunate consumer recently had at a Metro store. This guy already had a phone for work and wanted one for personal calls and texts. He did the right thing by articulating to the rep what he wanted. He told the rep that he was looking for something "decent" and while he didn't need a top-of-the-line phone, he didn't mind spending a little bit of money. He did tell the salesman that he spends a lot of time on his phone and didn't want something cheap. The rep told the customer that every model he wanted to hold in his hand was out of stock. That included several mid-range Samsung phones that the customer apparently had an interest in. Not having any of those models in stock was a definite red flag that foreshadowed what happened next. The customer told the rep that he would check out another Metro store even though he really didn't want to because the closest one was 30 minutes away. Not wanting to let this fish off the hook, the rep all of a sudden let the customer know about a great phone he had in the back, the T-Mobile Revvl 7 5G. The rep said it was a great phone and the customer was going to love it. As many of you know, the Revvl 7 is the latest iteration of T-Mobile 's in-house smartphone line and is equipped with only 128GB of storage, 6GB of RAM (on the very low end these days), 2TB of expandable storage, and a triple camera setup (50 MP primary, 2 MP Depth, 2 MP Macro). There is an 8 MP front-facing camera for selfies and video chats. A 5000 mAh battery keeps the lights on. The display weighs in at 6.58 inches with an FHD+ resolution of 1080 x 2048. So you can see by the specs that this could be considered a "cheap" phone and not what the customer wanted. However, not knowing anything about the Revvl 7, the customer was sold on the device by the rep who even threw in a "free" tablet. Knowing that he'd have to pay for activation and the monthly fee, he declined the "free" tablet on the spot. The customer explains what happened next. "I get home and the phone is trash. Super slow. Terrible quality and horrible camera. Again, I should have done my research but still, it pissed me off. I mean come on, the Revvl 7? I should have known better. This phone might as well have been a piece of toilet paper." Most PhoneArena readers would have known that the Revvl 7 5G was not the "great" phone the rep characterized it as being. When the customer went back to the store four days later, boy did the Metro rep try to gaslight him. They first told the customer he couldn't return it because they had a 24 hour return policy. That was a dumb lie considering that the receipt showed the 14-day return policy and customer service confirmed that. The customer ended up getting a phone he wanted, the Samsung Galaxy A36 which was back in stock after four days. Not that the rep cared. Such is the nature of the phone sales business these days that reps can pile one outrageous lie on top of another and not only don't they care, neither does the company that pays him to pull fast ones on innocent victims. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
Phone Arena
10 hours ago
- Phone Arena
EU country asks Apple and Google to remove AI app from their app storefronts
Back in January, the AI world was buzzing about China's DeepSeek AI. The Large Language Model (LLM) was trained for a comparatively low cost of $5.6 million using approximately 2,000 Nvidia H800 GPUs. That is a small percentage of the amount of money spent by OpenAI and Google to develop their LLM models like ChatGPT and Gemini, respectively. For a brief period of time, DeepSeek became the number one free app in the U.S. App Store surpassing the previous leader, AI LLM app ChatGPT. However, it soon become known that answers were regulated by the Chinese government especially if the response to a query could make China and its government look bad. Additionally, DeepSeek's own privacy policy revealed that DeepSeek keeps user's personal data, including user prompts and uploaded files, on servers in China. The country's intelligence laws allow the government to access these files. Today, Germany's top data protection regulator demanded that Apple and Google remove the DeepSeek app from the App Store and Google Play Store respectively. Meike Kamp, Germany's data protection commissioner, said that she made the request to Apple and Google because DeepSeek transfers users' personal data to China illegally. -Meike Kamp, Germany's data protection commissioner Italy and South Korea have already had the DeepSeek app removed from local app stores and in the Netherlands the app has been removed from government devices. But what happens next in Germany? Apple and Google will review the request from Kamp's team and decide whether they should remove the app from the German App Store or Play Store. Kamp's office did not give Apple or Google a specific deadline as to when the two tech firms have to reach a decision about the DeepSeek app. The DeepSeek app for iOS. | Image credit-PhoneArena Also concerning to U.S. and European lawmakers is an exclusive report from Reuters that says China's military and intelligence operations are being aided by DeepSeek. Commissioner Kamp first gave DeepSeek the opportunity in May to meet the requirements for non-EU data transfers or voluntarily withdraw its app. DeepSeek did not comply with the request. In the U.S., lawmakers plan to introduce a bill that would prevent U.S. executive agencies from using any AI models developed in China. These AI models would include DeepSeek. Right now, those in the U.S. can still install DeepSeek from the App Store for iOS or the Play Store for Android." Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
