The S Pen has long served as a prominent selling feature for Samsung’s range of products. Now, the company introduces the “Creator Edition” of its renowned stylus, specifically designed for Galaxy devices, offering several notable advantages.
Samsung’s new S Pen “Creator Edition” is primarily tailored for drawing and writing on Galaxy smartphones and tablets. The stylus boasts an enhanced design, featuring a thicker body for improved comfort and a stylus nib that seamlessly integrates with the pen. Available exclusively in white, the “Creator Edition” incorporates a single button for software interaction.
Initially announced alongside the Galaxy Tab S9 series in July, the “Creator Edition” is now available for purchase in the United States at a price of $99.
Samsung provides a brief description:
Introducing the S Pen Creator Edition – an unparalleled extension of your creative potential. With each stroke of the pen, inspiration will ignite, allowing you to bring your ideas to life using this incredibly sensitive S Pen.
To address the obvious comparison, it is worth noting that the S Pen’s appearance bears a striking resemblance to Apple’s Pencil. However, this should not be viewed as a negative aspect. Apple successfully achieved an ideal size for their second-generation Pencil, making it ergonomically pleasing and natural to use. On the other hand, Samsung has yet to produce a stylus that matches those standards. Although many of Samsung’s tablets include an S Pen in the package, they are generally smaller in size compared to Apple’s offering, which can compromise user comfort.
This $99 “Creator Edition” aims to bridge that gap, although it presents some puzzling decisions.
While Samsung claims that this is their most advanced S Pen to date, replete with enhanced tilt sensitivity, it lacks many of the smart features the company has progressively added to its stylus over the years. Notably, Air Commands are not supported, as the product does not require a battery. However, it retains the necessary hardware to attach itself to the back of a Galaxy Tab for storage convenience.
Additionally, it is peculiar that Samsung has excluded support for Galaxy Z Fold devices, specifying that this “Creator Edition” S Pen only works with Galaxy smartphones, tablets, and laptops that support the S Pen. This decision comes in conjunction with the removal of the S Pen Pro, originally designed for both phones/tablets and foldable devices, from sale on Samsung.com, although alternative sources such as Amazon still offer it for purchase.
The pricing of the “Creator Edition” is also worth noting. The battery-powered S Pen accompanying the Tab S9 series costs a mere $60 for replacement, while an S Pen for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is priced at $55. This suggests that the emphasis here lies in superior hardware design rather than features. While we have yet to test the stylus personally, the sole review on Samsung’s website mentioned some latency issues and a perceived “low quality” hardware feel. A Reddit user compared the hardware to the Apple Pencil, declaring that Samsung’s “Creator Edition” remains smaller in size than its Apple counterpart.
For those interested, the S Pen “Creator Edition” can be purchased directly from Samsung.com, Best Buy, and various other retailers, priced at $99.99, with immediate shipping availability. Surprisingly, the new pen does not come bundled with the Galaxy Tab S9 or Galaxy Tab S9 FE.