One of the unique features of the new Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 that sets it apart from the standard Galaxy Book 3 Pro lineup It is compatible with the S Pen. Samsung’s stylus has been known for unlocking new ways to use the new Samsung Galaxy phone, be it the older Note device or the new Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Unlike other Galaxy laptops, the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 is a convertible touchscreen and comes with an S Pen in the box. Although it has a button, the S Pen is not Bluetooth enabled like other S Pens on Samsung Galaxy phones. Instead, it’s a Wacom EMR pen that doesn’t need batteries or recharging. This means you can get started with the S Pen more easily, especially with Windows Ink. Besides drawing on the beautiful 16-inch AMOLED display, taking notes, or using Samsung’s built-in apps and services on Windows 11, here’s what else it can do.
Air Command and Samsung Apps
Samsung’s S Pen has the unique ability to call up the so-called ‘Air Command’ menu on your Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360. This feature has always been present in Samsung’s Windows convertibles, and this year it’s again on the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360. With it, you simply swipe the S Pen close to your screen and then press the button on the side of the pen. A menu will appear showing you the different apps that you can open and use with the S Pen.
Samsung apps are front and center here at Air Command’s menu. You can create a new note in Samsung Notes or tap to view previous notes. For even more creativity, you can record and annotate your screen with Screen Write or start PenUP, Samsung’s digital art app and social hub, to share and download drawings and other images created with the S Pen. You can also customize which apps appear in this list by clicking the Settings gear. It can be any app you want, whether it’s a powerful program like Photoshop or even a simple blogging app you downloaded.
Other apps like Live Message are here, too. This is another fun Samsung note-taking app found on Samsung Galaxy phones. Someone who sees your notes can play back them and see a step-by-step visual representation of how you wrote the note.
The last Samsung app that we want to mention that has S Pen functionality is Samsung Gallery. This is an alternative to the Windows 11 Photos app where you can annotate your photos, draw on photos, and send them to friends and family.
Windows Ink
Since Windows recognizes the S Pen as a standard stylus, you can also use it with Windows Ink. When you hold the stylus on the screen after it has been inactive for a while, you’ll notice a Windows Ink menu pop-up at the bottom of the screen that will suggest Windows 11 apps to use with the S Pen, like opening OneNote for taking notes or even the Snipping Tool for annotating your screen.
You can call up the menu later by clicking your pen on the pen icon in the system tray. From there, you can tweak which apps you want to open when Windows detects your S Pen. You can also change additional pen settings, such as which hand you write with, show the pointer when hovering, and more. You can also set Windows to use handwriting for text entry where it is supported.
The S Pen for the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 isn’t all that great when you think about it. It’s just like the regular style that many convertible laptops also include. The S Pen is best used with Samsung’s own apps on Windows, which can also be accessed through the Air Command menu. It can also be used with any other drawing or note-taking app you can think of. You’ll just need to keep in mind that the S Pen still doesn’t have a storage slot on the new Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360, so invest in a case with an extra zipper or slot to keep it secure.
