This source:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://mezha.media/en/2025/01/03/...
says that there have been 34.66 million S24 units sold. If we were to add to that the happy S23 Ultra who never upgraded and the remaining S22 Ultra users who did not upgrade, the total is substantially larger than the 34.66 million. 1% (if this is accurate, because a rounding error would erase or add up to 200,000 people) means the range of users who find the Bluetooth S-Pen useful is conservatively around 400,000 to 500,000. And we shouldn't forget, there are probably a few intrepid users of earlier Bluetooth S-Pen models as well.
The decision to remove S-Pen Bluetooth functionality is likely driven by the overall cost of the Bluetooth radio, charger, and battery divided by number of S-Pen Bluetooth-function users indicated in the device usage data that Samsung receives from all of us. And then, of course, there was a significant weight-reduction which benefits all Samsung Ultra users.
Nevertheless, I personally believe this is a stunningly short-sighted decision on Samsung's part. The low adoption by users of Bluetooth S-Pen functions indicates an abject failure on Samsung's part to adequately market the incredibly useful S-Pen Bluetooth tech they had engineered and integrated into their phones.
It's a relatively common phenomenon. Consider how marketing changes have successfully revived and sustained user and public interest in DeX. We also saw the remarkably powerful Bixby get demoted in terms of visibility and status. But both of these incredible tools continue because as software they can be easily kept and nested deeply for power users.
But when specific hardware is involved and overall device weight is impacted, decisions hinge more upon usage stats and production costs than the needs and desires of a relatively small (500,000 or so) group of users. Being able to say "lighter than the iPhone" is a huge selling point and the S24 Ultra was a behemoth.
I am sad about Samsung's decision and somewhat angry that they were unable to successfully introduce S-Pen's features and facilitate wide-scale adoption by their users. I would love to see Bluetooth functions reintroduced for the Ultra in the future. But it may not happen, and that leaves me in a quandary. Samsung knows how much I use my S-Pen and the Bluetooth functionality. I suppose I can live with the loss of the Bluetooth. If, however, there was ever a move to get rid of the S-Pen altogether, there would be absolutely no reason for me to continue purchasing Samsung phones.
If a separate Bluetooth-enabled stylus were made available by Samsung or by a 3rd party for future Ultra models (as has been suggested) I would find that to be a completely acceptable solution. I recognize I am part of a minority that uses the Bluetooth functionality routinely. Therefore, I am willing to pay a little extra ($25 to $35) for it.
