What does everyone think of the "reversed S Pen" debacle?

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

I think this might be pretty negative, but I really don't want to shed a bad light on this phone, because I think it's a nice little phone, but I'd just like your thoughts on this.

So, what do you guys think of this "S Pen getting stuck when put in reverse" debacle?

Personally, I think it's primarily user error.

Many devices with a stylus, whether it's the Galaxy Note, Nintendo DS, LG G Stylo, my electronic dictionary and others, always stow in the same way; tip first, then body later. Every Note has the same method of stowing the stylus. If anyone tries to insert the S Pen backwards, it's either on the part of human idiocy, or negligence due to lack of attention.

That said, I think Samsung can do some things to minimize the risk. Aside from a warning that could be on the phone itself, I think a small redesign of the S Pen that stops it from fully getting into the slot when put in backwards can help.

Overall, all I can say is please pay attention to how you insert the S Pen. It's an S Pen, not a Pen S.

 

[debdroid1a]

They changed the online Quick Start Guide. Mine doesn't say one thing about putting the pen in backwards. So they know they messed up on the design. I put 100% on Samsung. They should realize people like me aren't smart. I haven't done this, but it's possible for me.

Posted via the *Note 5*

 

[Christine Aflak]

It's blown way out of proportion. 100% user error. I feel sorry for the person it happened to first as that was an accident but now everybody is doing it on purpose and making the phone out to be a crap build. It's simple, some things can only work a certain way. They're obviously no longer going to work that way if you mess with them.

 

[syspry]

About the pen in general I really don't care either way. The main thing I noticed is that this issue has attracted the worst in humanity when it comes to keyboard warriors standing on a soapbox and pretending they're perfect. One comment in an article about this even went so far as to say he'd like to commit assault on people who've broken it. Seriously? wow. smh.

 

[mhettrich]

I've got to agree that it is user error. I've owned a Note 3, 4, and now 5. Not once have I ever attempted (intentionally or not) to put the S Pen in backwards. That being said, I realize that accidents happen (especially to those with children). I think this is definitely something that Samsung could have prevented with a small change in how the S Pen compartment was designed. I'll be curious to see if they do anything further than the statement that they've already issued regarding the manual.

 

[MDMcAtee]

They changed the online Quick Start Guide. Mine doesn't say one thing about putting the pen in backwards. So they know they messed up on the design. I also will put 50% on the user.

Posted via the *Note 5*

I'm sorry, but there's nothing wrong with the design of the s - pen. What they didn't do is make it ***** proof and all of this whole farce is proof of this.

People have to take responsibility for their own stupidity or negligence if you are offended easily, and quit trying to blame others for it.

I could use a ice pick to scratch my ears and slip and go in to far... do we need to have a ice pick designed any different? Do we really need warning labels affixed to them to make sure someone doesn't do this?

We can site hundreds of things like this and until people wise up crap like this will continue to happen.

I actually read someone who stated that Samsung should know people might hand off their expensive new note to a child and they might do this.... Seriously....? Why don't the adult remove the s-pen before giving to the child to play with....?

I think the best line about this is from the movie Forest Gump... You know it I'm sure.... Stupid is as Stupid does and the follow up is... You can't fix Stupid.

People need to take responsibility for their own actions and quit trying to find a way to blame others for it.

Posted from my Galaxy Note 5

 

[debdroid1a]

Then consider me one of the stupid people. I can see myself putting the pen in absent mindlessly while thinking of something else even though I know about the design flaw. Yes I will take partial (PARTIAL ) blame when that happens.

Posted via the *Note 5*

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

I actually read someone who stated that Samsung should know people might hand off their expensive new note to a child and they might do this.... Seriously....? Why don't the adult remove the s-pen before giving to the child to play with....?

I've seen this so many times.

The adult gives his/her child a Note and the child starts playing around with the S Pen. There was that one time where I witnessed a child putting the S Pen inside a Note 4 backwards.

 

[Glock23-G4]

An observation as a first time note user...

Just as the phone has a top / bottom, so does the pen (at least to me). Click part is the top, pointy part is the bottom. So with the top / bottom orientation in mind, it seems more natural to me that for the pointy end to go in first, the pen should be inserted from the top of the phone. So in that small respect, I can see how someone might install the pen "up" from the bottom without first reversing the pen.

That being said, this is not a 99 cent notepad and pen combo from Walmart... it's an $800 computer that fits in your hand.

I say 25% bad design judgement and 75% user error.

 

[Oscar Maradiaga]

Think of it the phone clearly shows how the spen is supposed to go in and why in the world would someone put it in backwards. Can you be that stupid.

 

[lackster2]

They changed the online Quick Start Guide. Mine doesn't say one thing about putting the pen in backwards. So they know they messed up on the design. I also will put 50% on the user.

Posted via the *Note 5*

WHAT? They actually changed the online version after the fact? This to me is a bigger deal than the design 'oversight'. In today's world, the COVERUP is usually perceived as being far worse than the 'misdeed' itself. Shame on Samsung if this is true.

 

[walhalla]

I'm gonna have to go with the responsibility rests 100% with the owner. If a person feels it's a good thing to give a phone to a child to play with, then that person should do what they can to "child proof" the phone.
Not trying to come down on any parent but if you hand off a $700 or so device to someone, think of all the possibilities and/or consequences beforehand.

 

[GalaticBoar]

WHAT? They actually changed the online version after the fact? This to me is a bigger deal than the design 'oversight'. In today's world, the COVERUP is usually perceived as being far worse than the 'misdeed' itself. Shame on Samsung if this is true.

I don't know when they put that warning in the online manual. But it's definitely not in anything that came with the phone, which includes a pretty lengthy software User Guide buried away under My InfoZone widget/Help (at least on my VZW phone). In the installed User Guide, there is a S Pen section and no warning there. I am surprised that no tech news site has pointed out this hilarious PR fail yet: RTFM - the one we host on our server that can be updated anytime, that you didn't know about and didn't receive with your phone

 

[debdroid1a]

Think of it the phone clearly shows how the spen is supposed to go in and why in the world would someone put it in backwards. Can you be that stupid.

Yes I could. I know I could be that stupid. I've done absent minded things before. I was thinking of getting some washi tape in a cute design for my cover I got with my phone and putting a strip of that down the center horizontally. My cover is really nice, goes around the phone so it covers the screen and I can just drop it in my purse. But it's boring and looks a tad masculine. So I wondered if I could put a piece on the end the pen so it wouldn't be able to go in. My case actually extends out from the phone itself, so having a little extra that wouldn't be a problem. I don't know though.

 

[debdroid1a]

WHAT? They actually changed the online version after the fact? This to me is a bigger deal than the design 'oversight'. In today's world, the COVERUP is usually perceived as being far worse than the 'misdeed' itself. Shame on Samsung if this is true.

The pictures I posted are the 3 pages on the Spen in my Start Guide. Unless there's a warning elsewhere that I missed. From t-mobile. Nothing was removed or changed. I was there when they opened the box. I even have the earbuds (prefer the S5 ones).

 

[ccpopham]

It is user error most likely due to not paying sttention. That being said, Samsung knew of the issue since at least the 4 or why else would they put system warning on when someone was about to try and put it in backwards and why would they not have the same warning on the note 5; furthermore if they knew of this issues since the 4 and redesigned the spen, why not make the end cap clicker a little larger and make countersunk the hole slightly for the larger end cap that way it would be impossible to put in backwards and the clicker would work fine the counter sunk hole. This fix would cost them nothing. Now all of the bad press from this small proportion of users is possibly costing them a lot more than that simple fix.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[k3m1c6]

100% user error. As much as I would love to believe I am perfect I realize that mistakes are made even by me!

The real difference is, if I where to make the error I would first be vary surprised and disappointed in myself then take full responsibility for MY actions!

Posted for my Galaxy Note 5 with a properly inserted S Pen!

 

[russel5150]

I think its common sense to pay attention to what you're doing, however i do see samsung changing the Spen next year to keep it from being an issue.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[anon(607340)]

Putting the pen in backwards is 100% user error. Could they have redesigned it to prevent that from occurring? Sure, with some sacrifices. There's almost always a trade-off in aesthetic for safety. These phones are super-tightly packed and one tiny increase in pen handle width could have changed the entire frame design (possibly even affected the design of the internals to the point it would have meant a major rework). However, yes, they could have done that.

What bothers me the most, though, is that people are doing something stupid, and then affecting a companies sales/bottom line by trying to turn it into some type of scandle. As if Samsung deserves to lose a ton of money because someone was "absent minded" or whatever the excuse is. Many people tried it as a result of reading the articles, which if we want to start blaming companies for the actions of individuals, also puts some responsibility in the way it's being reported by these tech sites. Do you see where this is going?

We are watching a generation evolve that can't take any personal responsibility and wants to blame someone/something else for everything they do. This is not how I was raised, and it all comes down to the issue with entitlement. I was taught that you appreciated the expensive (electronics) things you worked hard to get, and you treated them like museum art. Keeping them clean, safe, not letting your kids touch them until they were old enough to understand the value and how to respect it. Now we live in this "disposable" society where it's like "who cares if I break it, I'll just get a new one." Even if that means scamming Samsung or the insurance or the carrier. A very criminalistic mindset, but since people have no respect for large corporations anymore it's "OK" to steal/lie/cheat.

This comes down to a lot more than some "design" flaw. It's really an issue with a bunch of whiney brats that don't care about morality and would rather watch a company burn than be responsible for using the product they bought correctly.

My two cents.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

I've read the manual for 5 different variants of the Note 5; the Verizon variant, the T-Mobile variant, the Sprint variant, the AT&T variant and the international unlocked variant.

They all have the same warning
(T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, International, AT&T, in that order)