Samsung upgrades the S-Pen to function as a remote for the Galaxy Note9 by using Bluetooth low energy and adds new colors
Jonathan Shieber / TechCrunch :
Context & Ripple Effects
The S-Pen has been Samsung's most iterated accessory: after the Galaxy Note 5 internals rework fixed a mechanical flaw, the Note9 turns it into an electronic one, adding Bluetooth low energy so the stylus works as a wireless remote rather than just an input device.
The move lands alongside Samsung's same-day DeX update replacing the dock with a USB-C to HDMI adapter, framing the Note9 as a do-everything productivity device — and setting up the lineage that later produced air-gesture support on the Note10 and, eventually, a stripped-down $99 S Pen Creator Edition.
First-order effects
- Note9 owners can trigger camera shutters and slide presentations from across the room using the S-Pen as a Bluetooth remote, while the new color options let Samsung differentiate the stylus visually for the first time.
Second-order effects
- The updated S Pen carries over into Samsung's PC line within months, with the Notebook 9 Pen refresh adopting it alongside a 15-inch option — turning the stylus from a phone accessory into a cross-device component.
Third-order effects
- Once the pen is a connected peripheral, Samsung can tier it: the 2023 Creator Edition ships without Air Commands and other smart features at $99, showing the 'smart' S Pen has become a premium differentiator that cheaper variants deliberately omit.
The trend: Styluses are evolving from passive input tools into wireless, software-differentiated accessories that anchor a premium device tier.