Galaxy S25 Ultra S Pen Teardown Reveals Tragically Unused Bluetooth Circuitry

Ryan Haines / Android Authority

There was a lot of disappointment at the revelation that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra S Pen does not have Bluetooth functionality like its predecessor. Not that many people used it, but it still feels like a downgrade on a premium-priced model, and the price of the accessory is unchanged. There was some hope that Samsung might reverse that decision at some point after a teardown of the Android phone showed a charging coil that only a Bluetooth S Pen would need. Now we’re learning that the S Pen itself has the same circuit board as its predecessor. Unfortunately, it’s empty.

Posting on X, iFixit showed a side-by-side comparison of the internal components of the S Pen for the Galaxy S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra. Strangely, the S25 Ultra S Pen has the same layout and even a printed circuit board to match the S24 Ultra model. What’s missing is all of the components.

In its own Galaxy S25 teardown YouTube video, the iFixit presenter explains that the company used Lumafield’s Nepture CT scanner to look inside the two generations of the accessory. Not only is the circuit board not populated, but the capacitor that would charge the device is missing.

This discovery raises further questions about Samsung’s decision-making. If the company had already designed the layout to accommodate a Bluetooth-enabled S Pen, why remove the actual functionality? One possibility is that Samsung originally planned to retain the feature but scrapped it late in development, either for cost-saving reasons or due to low user engagement with Bluetooth-dependent functions like Air Actions.

Another explanation is that Samsung wanted to leave the door open for a premium Bluetooth S Pen accessory down the line — one that it could sell separately to users who still want those features. However, that theory is complicated by Samsung’s earlier statement that the Galaxy S25 Ultra does not support a Bluetooth-enabled S Pen at all.

Either way, it remains unclear whether Samsung could reintroduce Bluetooth functionality in the future. The presence of a charging coil and an unused circuit board suggests that the phone’s design isn’t completely incompatible with a powered stylus, but whether Samsung will change course remains to be seen.

For now, S Pen users will have to make do with a more basic experience — one that feels like a step backward for the Ultra series. At least this year’s S Pen still smells the same.

Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at [email protected]. You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it’s your choice.