Smartphones & Tablets | April 26, 2024
Samsung confirmed that the S Pen of its Galaxy S24 Ultra sucks due to a design feature of the phone.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is one of the most powerful smartphones Samsung has released in recent years. Not only does it have an advanced camera, an excellent quality screen, or a higher capacity battery, but it also has AI features that enhance its performance. However, all the good things take a back seat due to a glaring flaw: the S Pen stinks, literally.
Several users report on Reddit that the stylus included with the Galaxy S24 Ultra smells bad. “The S Pen of my Galaxy S24 Ultra absolutely stinks,” says LatifYil on the Samsung subreddit. “Either I have a sensitive nose or this thing is being roasted from the inside while it’s unsheathed. Please tell me I’m not crazy.”
The post has 245 comments, most of them confirming that the S Pen smells like burnt plastic. Some mention that this problem is not exclusive to the Galaxy S24 Ultra, as the S23 Ultra also smelled like a mixture of chemicals with plastic. While this detail has raised red flags among owners of the phone, the truth is that the smell is nothing to worry about.
A moderator from the Samsung Europe forum confirmed that the heat generated by the internal components of the Galaxy S24 Ultra causes the plastic to heat up.
“It may smell burnt, but it’s similar to the smell you can experience after leaving your car in the sun for a few hours. The seats and plastic accessories may have a hot smell, but this will decrease once it cools down,” he said. “The S Pen has that smell of hot electronic circuits, but it’s perfectly normal. Even the S Pen of the S22 Ultra has that smell after almost 2 years of use.”
Multiple owners of Galaxy smartphones with S Pen confirmed that this smell is normal and they are used to it. Others indicate that they have never bothered to bring their nose close to the phone, or simply their sense of smell is not as sensitive. The reality is that the smell of burnt plastic from the S Pen is a constant.
If you are thinking of buying a Galaxy S24 Ultra and are worried that the stylus might be damaged, there is nothing to fear. The S Pen is inserted in the bottom of the phone’s chassis, so the heat generated by the components is in contact with the case. If you play Warzone: Mobile or any other demanding game, or perform tasks that require higher processing power, the phone may heat up, which would cause that annoying smell of burnt plastic.
High temperatures are not only caused by pushing the phone to its limits, as they also occur when fast charging is activated. Heat waves experienced in spring and summer—or using it under direct sunlight—could also be a factor in overheating your device, causing the plastic of the stylus to emit that smell.
Samsung has confirmed that there is no damage to the S Pen from contact with the components of the phone when it is in its case. Some question Samsung for not resolving an issue that has been ongoing for some years, although we can’t think of how the stylus could be integrated into the body of the Galaxy S24 in a different way than it is now.
