Samsung’s S Pen has been a worthy accessory for users of its Galaxy Note smartphones. However, judging by a recent patent filing it could soon be sparing patrons a brush with the law.
According to a Korea Times report, the pop-out S Pen could soon be used as a breathalyser to measure blood alcohol content.
The report cites a Samsung company official that says the next S Pen will double up as a microphone for phone conversations… while taking the booze measurements.
According to the patent, the accessory would feature additional sensors to measure the blood alcohol. It would also bend up to 90-degrees to enable folks to continue the conversation.
Related: Galaxy Note 8 latest
The Korea Times says the Samsung filed the patent over a year ago, but it was only recently granted by the USPTO.
“Samsung filed a patent application for the S Pen that can measure the user’s blood alcohol content in June 2016. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office approved it last month,” the Samsung official reportedly said.
Ready for Note 9?
If and when the patent filing makes it into future Samsung Galaxy Note phones remains to be seen.
Recent reports have suggested the Note 7 S Pen will remain unchanged from the stylus that shipped with the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7.
Given the high level of leaks for this particular phone — along with its absence from a brochure leaked yesterday — we’d say it’s unlikely the Note 8 ships with the patented functionality.
If it happens at all, it’ll likely arrive with the Note 9 in 2018.
As for the Note 8, it’ll be revealed at an Unpacked event on August 23. Keep it locked to TrustedReviews for all of the news as it breaks.
Will you be jumping back on board with the Note series? Or did you have your fingers burned by last year’s Note 7 debacle? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
