S Pen : Actual uses

[Laserbutt]

I'd be curious to know what percentage of Note 5 users actually use the S pen. I'm a project manager for a construction company and have always found uses for the S pen. Just the other day I was at the National Zoo aiding the install of some glass and I got a call from a contractor requesting a sketch of a break shape (trim) prior to his meeting which was taking place within the hour, if I didn't own a Note it wouldn't have been possible to oblige his request. I quickly made a rough sketch and sent it off. Having the note in this situation really showed me how useful the stylus really is. I also use it to sign pdfs a couple times a week when I'm not at my desk. I've used the screen off writing feature to jot contact information, field measurements, trim profiles, etc. I've had every Note except the original and I really appreciate how is evolved. I'm spoiled and I don't think I could return to a device without this feature. It'll pay for itself in a month...

What real world uses have you found?

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[fruit2droid]

I find the S-Pen stylus great for navigating through web pages, as the air command features allow me to screenshot, or cut a few items out of the webpage and send/save them. This is extremely useful when I am multitasking, I am able to quickly select a picture of something that I like, and then drag it into messages to send to my friends. I would love to utilize the screen "off" memo a little bit more, but at the moment I am using the official S-View cover.

 

[SpookDroid]

Might be a bit early to ask about the Note 5 specifically hehe, but since the Note 2 I've used the S-Pen constantly. Just keeping my work notes handy everywhere I go is awesome (no more lost notebooks), and since the introduction of searchable handwriting (I think that came with the Note 3, might have been the 4) it's just even more useful. Just search for whatever you're looking for and it comes up. Easy.

I had a supplier that, like you, got a Note phone and would sketch fixture and machine concepts on his phone while in our meetings, and also had a mechanical simulation app where he could use the SPen to draw a rough sketch, apply certain physical properties, and roughly simulate a prototype, right there and then.

For more 'down to Earth' uses, if you use the SPen you can have the same mouse hover information on a lot of webpages that would otherwise be unavailable to mobile users.

And I have an artist friend who loves me since I introduced him to the Note line. Now he sketches and draws and creates amazing digital paintings with his phone (and yet I still struggle to get stickmen right ).

 

[goin_nil]

What real world uses have you found?

If you take many handwritten notes or pictures that have text within them, use S Finder to search for that text.

 

[russel5150]

I take notes a lot, and since buying the note5 on release day i have remembered how much I've missed the SPen!

Sent with my white Note5 with nonremovable back and no SDcard!

 

[debdroid1a]

I'm still new to the Note 5, so I've tried a few things, but still working on using it. I always like the idea of the Spen, but the phone seemed big until the S5.

I have used it to play games with. Found it works good for a spider solitaire game because the cards are tiny even on this phone. Also my word search game. Easier then using a finger to highlight the words.

I do like some of the tips I've learned and will use those. I love the idea of taking notes while on the phone. My dad (74) asks for help sometimes, especially looking things up on the internet, and so I have to take notes and this will be easier. I've made a screen for just work items and added two 2 note widgets for future use. I've made a few notebooks and wrote a few action notes, but it was just to test it and I like it. I've done the handwritten-to-text feature and it works great, even when I wrote on a bit of a slant. I also tried writing a phone number and could add it to contacts or dial it. I did try it on a Moleskine app in their calendar notebook and it works, whether I'll use it or not I'm not sure but it's does work.

I just need to get use to using the Spen. Yesterday my aunt called me at work and I grabbed a sticky note out of habit.

 

[bsod6]

How is everyone signing pdfs? I know their are 3rd party apps but I thought it would be built in. If it is indeed a 3rd party app I need, which one is best?

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[Kelly Kearns]

Well just from a discussion in the Note 4 forum, the large majority of any of the Note series owners on the forums, haven't ever removed their spen.

 

[goin_nil]

Well just from a discussion in the Note 4 forum, the large majority of any of the Note series owners on the forums, haven't ever removed their spen.

They are missing out.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

They are missing out.

Yup.. I never could understand them.

 

[Glock23-G4]

I'm using the pen to ''write" this reply right now, as I can write faster than I can type with the on screen keyboard.

 

[SteveISU]

If you get pissed at your phone you can use the pen to provide a fatal death blow, stick it in backwards.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

Hahaha

 

[Kelly Kearns]

If you get pissed at your phone you can use the pen to provide a fatal death blow, stick it in backwards.

And then use the spen as a short selfie stick.

 

[wvtarheel]

I haven't signed any PDFs with mine yet. Soooo many PDFs are sent read only, so you can't actually sign them without resaving them first as a PDF that isn't read only, and frankly, if I'm going through that much trouble I can have someone at my office add a picture of my signature to the document.

BUT - right now I use the pen all the time. First its great for navigating big webpages with lots of little links on them instead of my sausage fingers. Second, I take notes in evernote, or in S-Note (synced to evernote) and convert them. I downloaded an extension from the samsung app store (yes, it does exist) that allows S note to recognize my handwriting and convert it to text. So, when I do a screen off memo, if I write legibly enough, It can be converted into text and then it syncs into my evernote account automatically. This is great for writing down phone numbers, email addresses, etc.

I also use the stylus to type a lot faster on a swype keyboard than I could with my fingers...

Its great for drawing on screenshots - I really like taking a selected portion of the screen, writing on it, and texting my message to people. Very cool functionality, though definitely not essential. At this point I feel like the note taking functions of the S Pen are pretty essential to how I organize my business.

One big advantage of the S Pen is if you are in a job where you are in meetings, people with their phones out look like disrespectful jerks, even if they are actually typing notes. With the S Pen, it looks like you are taking notes even if you are actually not.

 

[johnmcd348]

I use it for taking Notes. Sometimes for navigation purposes. Coming from the Note2 that wasn't as functional as these newer models, I'm finding I am actually using a bit more than I did before and I used it a lot before.

 

[Connert]

I work between 7 locations with about 300 employees. I carry a laptop with me every day but the Note keeps me from needing to actually have to use the laptop most of the time. I use the pen to keep notes in Onenote and normally have a tab for each project I am working on (IT Director).

The ability to sign a contract and send back to a supplier or sketch out a building layout for a new project is the reason I would never want to loose the pen option.

Another awesome use for my situation is having my Bluetooth headset for the many support calls in on during the day and being able to take notes in Action Memo while on the call. The next time you're on a call with the same number, you will have a shortcut to the notes you have taken right in the phone dialer.

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[Connert]

Well just from a discussion in the Note 4 forum, the large majority of any of the Note series owners on the forums, haven't ever removed their spen.

I saw this post in the Note 4 section also. Makes me wonder if this is why the Note is not being made available to Europe. If you're not going to use the pen, why have a Note device? Seems like the Edge+ would be a better choice. But hey, that's just me.

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[Kelly Kearns]

I saw this post in the Note 4 section also. Makes me wonder if this is why the Note is not being made available to Europe. If you're not going to use the pen, why have a Note device? Seems like the Edge+ would be a better choice. But hey, that's just me.

Posted via the Android Central App

Right.. I could understand buying the Note 1 or even Note 2 for just the size, but not after that. So many other phones were coming out with big screens.

 

[Rukbat]

I still use the 3 (I wouldn't buy a 5), and have an extra pen on my desk, so I don't have to keep pulling it out to use. I haven't worn a tip out yer on either the one on the desk or the one in the phone, but I wonder why - I use it for everything. (Even typing - with my fat fingers, a pen is easier than a finger.)

My wife is a stroke survivor and can control the pen better than she can control her hand, so she uses her pen about 15 hours a day.

I don't think I'd ever go back to a phone without the pen, unless they came out with styli with points as thin as the pen.