A new patent that just surfaced indicated that the next-generation Samsung Galaxy Note 4 may boast a more advanced S Pen that uses ultrasound technology.
Samsung has been offering the much-touted S Pen functionality ever since it launched its first Galaxy Note, which initiated the whole phablet frenzy. The company's subsequent Galaxy Note iterations have become increasingly powerful and advanced, and it now seems that the S Pen is in for a special treatment as well.
Just recently we heard that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 4 may boast a retina scanner for extra security, and now it seems that the company is also looking to improve its S Pen with ultrasound technology. The new S Pen ultrasonic stylus has recently popped up in a patent filing (downloadable PDF), as published by GalaxyClub.
A stylus that uses ultrasound technology is not exactly something new. Earlier this year, Qualcomm showed off a tablet with such a stylus, with the ultrasound technology built into its Snapdragon 805 processor. The technology enabled support without requiring any additional hardware.
Samsung's next-generation Galaxy Note 4 phablet is widely expected to pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 SoC under the hood, which means that it would make sense if its stylus would rock an ultrasonic S Pen. On the other hand, Samsung may also choose to implement this technology in some other device at a later time, as patent applications don't necessarily mean that imminent devices will actually pack that tech.
Other rumors, meanwhile, indicate that Samsung will also launch the Galaxy Note 4 in another variant with a different processor. While one version would come with the Snapdragon 805 SoC, the other would pack a new Samsung Exynos 5433 processor, which is rumored to be a 64-bit octa-core chipset.
Other rumored specs of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 include a 5.7-inch QHD display with a high resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, at least 3GB of RAM, and a 12-megapixel rear camera.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is expected to make its official debut at the IFA 2014 trade show that takes place in September. Samsung is also rumored to introduce a new Galaxy F or Galaxy Alpha smartphone that will boast a premium metal body and top-notch specifications, but nothing is confirmed at this point. As always, take all leaks and rumors with a grain of salt.
