Samsung seems to be working on additional control options for the S Pen in an apparent move to improve the way you use its future Galaxy Note lineup using both the stylus pen and your fingers. A recent report indicates the South Korean original equipment manufacturer reportedly filed a patent application for a redesigned S Pen with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in September 2017 and a similar patent was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) way back in 2014. The report comes at a time when the company is expected to unveil the presumed Galaxy Note 9 in February.
The patent, in particular, reveals a new functionality that allows you to choose whether you want to operate a specific application or execute a certain action using either the S Pen, your fingers, or both. The new functionality is introduced by a new user interface with a quick-menu, which lets you create a memo using the S Pen while erasing a word or letter using your finger. On top of using your finger to erase some text, you can also apparently perform various other gestures such as a multi-touch, a double tap, a long tap, drag, flick, press, pinch-in and out, and a scroll to carry out certain actions. You can also create patterns using your fingers, as revealed by the patent document. The redesigned S Pen can also let you erase using its tail end. The patent shows two variants of the instrument: one which is similar to the Galaxy Note 8’s stylus pen with a native button for erasing text and another that’s quite similar to the 2013 model of the pen with an eraser attached to its tail end. It’s worth pointing out that these gestures apply to various display types including LCD, AMOLED, a flexible display or a transparent flexible display.
Furthermore, you will have the ability to configure the thickness, transparency, and color for both the finger and the S Pen. It’s possible that these advanced functions will be used for the upcoming Galaxy Note 9, which will then supposedly apply the appropriate settings after recognizing the source of input, whether the S Pen or your finger. More details about the new functions are likely to follow next month once the Galaxy Note 9 debuts on the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2018.
