Usually when
Samsung releases a new flagship phone, most of the attention is focused on the raw performance upgrades and camera improvements. When the
Galaxy Note 9 arrives, however, expect a fair amount of hype on the S Pen. Samsung teased as much when it sent out a closeup shot of the upcoming S Pen in a recent press invite, and now it's rumored the S Pen will introduce a brand new functionality.
Prominent tipster Ice Universe indicated on Twitter that the Galaxy Note 9's S Pen will feature Bluetooth support, thus enabling it to do things unrelated to the pen, such as using it to control music. Assuming that is the case, Galaxy Note 9 owners will be able to pause and skip tracks with their S Pen, cycle through their playlists, and so forth.
The other function Ice Universe mentioned is using the Bluetooth function as a long-range self-timer when taking photos. It would essentially be a shutter button, and potentially a huge convenience, especially for taking group photos where typically someone is always left out (someone has to take the picture, after all).
It would also be interesting to see how developers might utilize the new Bluetooth function. As for the phone itself, it's rumored to sport a 6.3-inch Super AMOLED display with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio, most likely powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor for the domestic version, and Samsung's own Exynos 9810 chip for the international SKU.
Samsung will formally introduce the Galaxy Note 9 during its Unpacked event on August 9, 2018.