Quick answer: No, the S Pen Creator Edition isn’t compatible with any of Samsung’s foldables, including the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
The S Pen has been a hallmark of Samsung’s product range for nearly 13 years, and it’s improved a lot in that time. The latency has been reduced to almost imperceptible levels, the Note 2 added hover capabilities, and recent generations utilize Bluetooth to make the stylus double as a remote. When Samsung added S Pen support to the Galaxy Z Fold 3, foldable phone fans rejoiced at the S Pen’s compatibility with the pocketable tablet. When the S Pen Creator Edition was released alongside the Galaxy Tab S9, many foldable users were excited to try it out, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Does the Samsung Galaxy S Pen Creator Edition work with the Z Fold 5?
No, the S Pen Creator Edition isn’t compatible with the Galaxy Z Fold 5 or any preceding S Pen-enabled foldables. Samsung’s website stipulates that the Creator Edition will work with Galaxy S, Note, and Tab S devices that are S Pen compatible and any stylus-enabled Galaxy Laptops.
Why are foldables left out?
The Z Fold 3, 4, and 5 may have added support for Samsung’s stylus, but it isn’t as simple as it may seem. Foldable displays are pretty fragile, and stabbing at them with a pointy pen is a bad idea. So, the Z Fold family needs S Pens that are modified to work with them, such as the S Pen Fold Edition and S Pen Pro. These styli have a spring mechanism that absorbs the impact when the tip touches the screen, preventing display damage. I’ve been using these S Pens with the Fold 3 and Fold 4 for two years, and this mechanism works well.
The S Pen Creator Edition lacks this mechanism, so using it with a foldable would likely damage it with only a few tabs. That answers the question of why it doesn’t work, but it does leave us wondering why Samsung made this choice. The S Pen Pro has a switch that can lock the spring mechanism in place. That means it can feel like a regular S Pen on an S23 Ultra or Tab S9 Ultra, but flick the switch, and it’ll work with a foldable without doing any harm.
The S Pen Pro launched at the same price as the S Pen Creator Edition, but now it’s frequently discounted, has foldable support, and even includes Bluetooth. We don’t know why Samsung has neglected to make these additions with the new, more expensive S Pen Creator Edition, but if you want a stylus for your Z Fold 5, the S Pen Pro is still available.
Samsung Galaxy S Pen Creator Edition
The S Pen Creator Edition utilizes a larger design and seamless tip to make writing and drawing more comfortable than ever. Sadly, it isn’t compatible with the Z Fold series, so foldable users will want to look elsewhere.
The S Pen Pro launched at the same $100 price tag as the Creator Edition, but the inclusion of Bluetooth and foldable support makes it the better buy, as do the frequent discounts available on Amazon.
Samsung S Pen Pro
$68 $100 Save $32
The S Pen Pro might be a few years old, but it’s still the ultimate S Pen. It’ll work with any S Pen-enabled Samsung device, foldables included. And so long as you remember to charge it via USB-C, it has Bluetooth as well.
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