Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3 has already been suggested to support the S Pen for some time, seemingly setting up the next-generation foldable phone as a true successor to the Galaxy Note 21. However, based on the new FCC filing for the stylus that currently notes the Galaxy Z Fold 3, it seems likely that the foldable phone will support the newer S Pen Pro.

This list not only lends credence to the idea that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is scheduled to appear at the rumored yet unannounced Samsung Unpacked event on August 11, but it also suggests that this foldable phone is very much a flagship device and not just gives a clear idea that it will be more than just a foldable phone.

Thanks to the Galaxy Note series, the idea of using a stylus on a large flagship device is not new. However, with Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra now supporting the S Pen and the Galaxy Note 21 very unlikely to see the light of day this year, the possibility of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 taking its place has piqued my interest.

The last Note phone I used for a while was the Galaxy Note 10 Plus, a nice board of top-of-the-line Samsung smartphone technology released in 2019. I am not a digital artist, and my handwriting has been described as "like a spider with ink running on paper." But the S Pen, neatly integrated into the Note 10 Plus body and with reliable sensitivity and accuracy, I used it a lot more than expected to type out messages in detail and highlight text.

However, as useful as the S Pen is to have, I found it far from indispensable. Had I used it on a foldable phone, I might have been persuaded otherwise.

Using a stylus on a single-screen smartphone is arguably pointless. But on a device that is set up to spend most of its time as a compact tablet, a stylus, and indeed a full S Pen Pro, makes sense to me. After all, we've seen how the larger S Pen works on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7.

I haven't used the Galaxy Fold or Galaxy Z Fold 2 much, but I can imagine that having more screen space to operate would be useful and allow for more precision. After all, I tend to use a mouse for most Windows operations, even though I use a touchscreen laptop.

Therefore, the combination of the S Pen or S Pen Pro (the latter is larger with Bluetooth capability) and the Galaxy Z Fold 3 makes the whole idea of a foldable phone more appealing. I can imagine that cropping an image accurately with the foldable display fully open would be much easier with the S Pen than with my meaty fingers.

Also, if I were to immerse myself in digital sketching, it would make more sense to use a stylus on a phone with a foldable, vast internal display than to draw stick figures on the Note's relatively compact screen.

The only concern would be the S Pen storage. However, I expect Samsung to integrate an S Pen slot in the hinge of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 or provide a smart case with an integrated stylus holder.

If this FCC list is indeed accurate, I have a feeling that the next generation Galaxy Fold will not only step over the line between phone and tablet, but will stand in its own category of flexible productivity device, just as Microsoft's Surface Duo tried and ultimately failed to do

However, it is not a tablet.

But if the Galaxy Z Fold 3 becomes more notebook-like, or indeed notepad-like, what will happen to the Galaxy Note series? That is where things are a bit uncertain.

Unless there is a sudden gust of wind, it is unlikely that we will see a new Note device this year. We had hoped for something like Samsung's Galaxy Note 20 FE as an inexpensive alternative to the flagship-grade Note device, but there have been few rumors of that kind recently.

Also, Samsung's mobile division boss Koh Dong Jin has said that we should not expect to see the Note in 2021, thanks to the global chip shortage. However, Samsung has not officially closed the curtain completely on the Note.

However, I would like to think that the final chapter of the Galaxy Note was written with the Galaxy Note 20. Now that the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the ultimate expression of Samsung's non-folding smartphone technology, the need for a Note is... . doesn't seem like much.

For the reasons discussed above, a foldable device makes more sense for a stylus-centric phone. Thus, it would seem that a foldable would make more sense as a place for Samsung to direct its R&D than a standard phone that is slightly larger and has more features than the Galaxy flagship that was released about 8 months ago.

I think it's a bit sad because I liked the blocky design of the last two Note phones with their vast displays and tiny curves at the edges. I would be rather happy if that design was carried over to the Samsung Galaxy S22 while taking inspiration from the Samsung Galaxy S21's contour-cut design.

Leaked information points to features such as an under-display selfie camera, powerful specs, a sleek design, and S Pen Pro support, making the Galaxy Z Fold 3 not only look like an upgrade over the previous model, but also a Samsung phone that It could open a new chapter and make foldable devices more mainstream.

So let's get ahead of ourselves and pour one out for the Galaxy Note series. But also look to August 11 for a glimpse into a future where foldable phones become sophisticated, full-fledged powerhouse devices for work and play.