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Samsung patent reveals camera-wielding S-Pen fit for James Bond
August 12, 2025
Samsung’sGalaxy Note 9delivered a significantly upgraded S-Pen, usingBluetoothto enable avariety of features. But the Korean company could have bigger plans for the stylus, judging by a newly granted patent.
Thepatent, spotted byPatently Mobile(viaAndroid Police), reveals an S-Pen with a camera in the top section. Furthermore, this camera is equipped with an optical zoom system, which should provide better quality shots in theory than digital zoom. Samsung’s patent also moots a key on the S-Pen to control the camera’s zoom.
The patent suggests the new S-Pen would have a battery, treading similar ground as the Note 9’s stylus. Samsung’s last S-Pen used a supercapacitor to quickly charge the device via the stylus slot. But an S-Pen with camera hardware would likely be pretty expensive compared to previous versions, so you definitely don’t want to lose it.
It’s unclear how this S-Pen camera would be used, but one possibility is that Samsung could ditch theselfie cameraon smartphones. By doing this, the company opens the door for a proper full-screen display without a notch or punch-hole design. However, I would imagine that video calls would be mildly annoying via the S-Pen camera, as you’d need to hold the stylus up for the duration of the call.
Another possibility is that the stylus camera could be used for productivity tasks, such as optical text recognition. This could be ideal when taking notes during a meeting or lecture, allowing users to snap a photo of a presentation slide via the S-Pen to convert it to text, much likeGoogle Lensand Microsoft’sOffice Lens.
A third potential use-case is general photography, allowing users to take a few photos in a more seamless manner. This way, you can quickly take shots while the phone is still in your pocket or bag.
It’s unclear if/when we can expect this tech in a new smartphone (although the patent mentions support for notebooks and monitors too). But given the fact that this was only approved yesterday, don’t hold your breath for an imminent release.
NEXT:Samsung Galaxy S10 — All the rumors in one place
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