
Beyond the alphabet
Beyond the Alphabet is a weekly column that focuses on the tech world inside and outside the confines of Mountain View.
Until Galaxy Unpacked, there were some rumors that Samsung might consider ditching the S Pen, possibly to save itself a few bucks. Thankfully, those rumors weren’t true, and the S Pen is still alive and well with the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
It’s not just that we have a stowable stylus that makes the S25 Ultra interesting even for those who don’t want a nearly 7-inch phone. The S Pen provided more functionality than just being able to doodle on the screen. However, with the S25 Ultra, Samsung decided to forgo Bluetooth Low Energy, opting for a more “dumb” S Pen.
Caught in the line of fire with this decision was Air Action. For the uninitiated, this will let you perform various actions by holding down the button on the side of the S Pen. You can even customize the gestures and what they do, or just stick to the confines of the air action menu that appears on screen.
For one, I’m still kind of in disbelief that the S Pen is still around. Companies are always looking for ways to cut costs, and I think this could be next on Samsung’s list. At the same time, the S Pen helps the Galaxy S25 Ultra stand out more than its large screen or plethora of cameras.
Virtually every other “big” phone out there forces you to use your digits as a stylus instead, but that doesn’t always provide the precise interactions you might be looking for. That’s where the S Pen comes in, as it’s one of those “nice to have” features, at least whenever you remember your phone has it.
While attending a briefing about the S25 series, Samsung was asked why it would remove a feature that had become such a staple. In response, company representatives said that this would improve stability, but that’s not all.
As it turns out, the number of Air Action users is surprisingly small. Like, less than 1%. Oh, and it gets better. Of that, even fewer people actually use Air Action, with the “vast majority” just using it and the S-Pen as a remote shutter.
Less than 1% of Galaxy S Ultra owners actually use Air Actions, with the majority simply using it as a remote camera shutter.
In situations where a person with an Ultra has either a Galaxy Watch or a Ring pair, those individuals rely on their wearable to double as a remote camera shutter. But what if the person doesn’t have any of these but needs remote shutter functionality? Samsung explained to us that the “palm gesture” is the most common method people rely on to take hands-free photos.
To try and put “less than 1%” into perspective, let’s look at last year’s Galaxy S24 Ultra. Earlier this month, It was reported That between January and November 2024, Samsung sold 15.8 million Galaxy S24 Ultra units. Based on these numbers, 1% is only 158,000.
Since Samsung didn’t provide a specific percentage, we’ll just say it was at 0.99% to avoid any speculation. So less than 158,000 people used Air Action, and even fewer used Air Action alone to take a hands-free photo. For Samsung, it’s like trying to find a grain of sand on a beach. So, the company found the grain of sand and extracted it.
However, if you look at the community’s reaction, you’d think it’s as bad as Samsung removing the headphone jack or microSD card slot. Even if Samsung’s numbers are somehow skewed, and more people used Air Actions than we were told, it wasn’t enough to make any sort of impact.
So, instead, Samsung is outraged by a vocal minority despite having the data to back it up. Now, you might argue why Samsung removed a feature that people forget even exists. I wish I had an answer, but in the end, Samsung didn’t see the point of having BLE in the S Pen, and now it’s gone.
Usually, I’m one of the first to grab a pitchfork when it comes to unnecessary feature removals or design changes. This time, I “who cares?” I’m in the camp I couldn’t really figure out why I didn’t care until it dawned on me — the S Penfold Edition doesn’t even have an air action.
Perhaps my opinion of the S25 Ultra’s S Pen changes would have been different if I had never used the Galaxy Z Fold before. So, for me, it will be “more of the same” once the S25 Ultra lands on my doorstep.
Another thing I want to point out is that air action and air command are not the same thing. There seems to be a bit of confusion around this, with some thinking that Samsung removed the latter when it hasn’t.
Air Commands is the menu that appears when you remove the S Pen and place a little bubble on your screen. Tapping said bubble opens a list of different actions, such as Smart/AI Select, Screenwrite, and more.
Air actions are gestures that can be performed while pressing and holding the side button on the S Pen. These include being able to act as a remote camera shutter or even interact with your phone with just a swipe.
Sure, I understand why someone might be worried if they rely on S Pen Air actions all the time. But it’s impossible for Samsung to cater to everyone who buys a Galaxy phone.
There is always The possibility that something will be changed or removed, and sometimes, it’s something that makes no sense. But other times, like now, there’s no point in being “angry” just for the sake of it.