New Samsung phone patent reveals camera-equipped Galaxy stylus

Samsung Galaxy S10 leaks mean just about everything is known about the flagship smartphone. But the Note 10 is a different story

New Samsung Galaxy smartphone with an S Pen stylus (Getty Images)

Samsung is set to announce a host of new products later this month, including a range of Galaxy S10 smartphones, Galaxy Buds earphones and a Galaxy smartwatch.

All of the devices have been leaked, meaning little mystery still surrounds the 20 February event.

What is less known is what the world's most popular phone maker has in store for its other high-end smartphone – the Galaxy Note 10.

One of the defining features of the Galaxy Note-series is its S-Pen stylus, which last year was upgraded to include an infinitely customisable Bluetooth button.

The new addition meant it could be used for everything from taking photos to flicking through slides for a presentation.

A new patent recently spotted by Patently Mobile suggests the S-Pen stylus is once again set for a major upgrade.

Rather than simply being used to control the camera on the Galaxy Note smartphone, the stylus could soon come with its own integrated camera.

Even more surprisingly, the camera could feature optical zoom, rather than simply digital zoom that has become a standard for most modern smartphones.

The S-Pen patent features an in-built camera (USPTO)

Optical zoom capabilities are often shunned in favour of a slim device, though the length of the S-Pen means thickness is no longer an issue.

The camera patent describes how the lens would fit into the upper chamber of the stylus.

Something called a "control key" would then allow users to control the optical zooming feature.

The patent was granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office on 5 February, having first been filed almost two years ago by the South Korean tech giant.

While images show the stylus fitting into a smartphone, the patent notes that it could also be adapted to fit into laptop or desktop displays in the future.