Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra offers all the latest features you can expect from a 2024 smartphone. But it stands out because of an unusual problem: The S Pen stylus has an unpleasant burnt plastic smell. Discussion about this unexpected oddity began on Reddit, with user LatifYil noting in a post that the S Pen on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra “definitely smells bad.” Comments quickly poured in, with many confirming the issue.

Some comments added some humor to the discussion; one user jokingly said: “I can confirm this was a hell of a fight.” Others described the smell as similar to “burnt plastic” and some even compared it to the distinct smell of a “cyber truck”.

Some users have suggested that the smell on the S-Pen could be related to potential chemical coatings. However, the moderator of the European Samsung Community Forum made a more realistic statement.

Apparently, the S Pen’s close location to internal components causes it to heat up during storage. The moderator says this results in a “hot plastic” smell, similar to the smell of a car left in the sun. Interestingly, this scent is not limited to the S24 Ultra model. According to 9to5Google, previous generations such as the Galaxy S23 Ultra and S22 Ultra also feature this feature.

Curious about this, I tested my own Galaxy S22 Ultra and found that the S Pen had a slight odor. However, it was not as strong as described. Surprisingly, the 9to5Google report highlighted that the Note S20 Ultra has no smell of its old stylus. This may be due to the glossy finish of the new models compared to the rubberized finish.