Samsung’s S Pen accessory for their Galaxy Note series is more or less a stylus. It doesn’t really do anything, although it has the added advantage of being more functional than a regular stylus thanks to the Galaxy Note’s software that was designed around the S Pen. However a recently discovered patent could change that.
In a patent discovered by Patently Mobile, it seems that Samsung has filed for a patent that describes how the S Pen could come with speakers built-into it. What’s the point? We suppose audible cues or how different sounds could be emitted when hovering over certain parts of the screen are some potential uses.
The patent also describes how the S Pen could actually double up as a speaker grill for the phone when it is plugged into the device, and that when removed, the sound could continue to come from its slot inside the phone. However another potential reason for this design, as pointed out by Patently Mobile, is that it could be used as a waterproofing technique.
All of this is interesting but the question is whether or not Samsung will make it a reality. The patent application was actually filed in March 2016, meaning that it is relatively recent so who knows, maybe 2017’s Galaxy Note 8 could feature a revamped and more functional S Pen.