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

[djroy03]

I think it's user error. The spen has a "clicky" feature on one end. The point of that feature is to be able to press it to take it out/lock it back in. It can't be pressed if the spen is inserted backwards.

That being said, it is unfortunate if someone makes this mistake and damages their expensive phone.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

I think the illustration in the manual for the international model explains it best.

 

[GalaticBoar]

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

But those are online manuals hosted on Samsung's servers right? The ones that came with the phone don't have the warning. Can you check? A few people have checked the manuals/User Guide that did come with the phone - no warnings there.

For example, here's the S Pen page from the installed User Guide on my phone.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

But those are online manuals hosted on Samsung's servers right? The ones that came with the phone don't have the warning. Can you check? A few people have checked the manuals/User Guide that did come with the phone - no warnings there.

The Quick Start guide doesn't have it, unfortunately.

Phones don't come with full-on manuals now.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

But those are online manuals hosted on Samsung's servers right? The ones that came with the phone don't have the warning. Can you check? A few people have checked the manuals/User Guide that did come with the phone - no warnings there.

For example, here's the S Pen page from the installed User Guide on my phone.View attachment 193480

It might be updated with a warning in the future.

 

[bhatech]

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

My take is they should have given more thought into the design of the pen slot so that user can't put it back by accident or purposefully. Knowing Samsung they could have definitely thought about an intelligent solution to prevent this.

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

 

[GalaticBoar]

The Quick Start guide doesn't have it, unfortunately.

Phones don't come with full-on manuals now.

Just to clarify, the screenshot I posted is from the User Guide. The installed User Guide is actually pretty comprehensive - please check it out for yourself if you have not seen it. There is another Getting to Know Your Phone paper pamphlet that also talks about the S Pen, again no warning there. I don't think the "read the manual" is a good response, if the manual didn't come with the phone, and there's nothing that came with the phone that points to the existence of the online manual.

 

[JayWill]

I'm in the 100% user error camp, but it's something the engineers and designers should have accounted for. Its their job to reduce or eliminate user error, outside of things totally out of their control like jumping into a lake with the phone in a pocket. In this, I feel Samsung failed to meet expectations.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[debdroid1a]

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

My take is they should have given more thought into the design of the pen slot so that user can't put it back by accident or purposefully. Knowing Samsung they could have definitely thought about an intelligent solution to prevent this.

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

The difference is I can reverse my car into a parking spot and it won't be stuck. They designed it so I can pull out again.

 

[smooth4lyfe]

Just be careful the way you out the pen in...sure Samsung could have made the design better, but that doesn't excuse user error...

Sent from my Galaxy Note 5!

 

[goin_nil]

Pictures inside the Note 5 when the S Pen gets stuck

Interesting photos and description of how/why the S Pen gets stuck.

Explained: Here’s exactly what happens when the Note 5’s S Pen is put in backwards [Teardown] | 9to5Google

 

[maximus96]

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

its a design error, but looking at the disassembled picture of the phone and pen inserted backwards, it looks like one can simply insert a drinking straw over the pen and into the phone to release the catch lever. you just need something thin to push up on the catch lever to release it

 

[NexusKoolaid]

IMO this is not User Error problem, but rather a User Misconduct issue. Yes, inserting the stylus in backwards is a goofy thing to do, but people should be expected to do goofy things, either by accident or even out of curiosity. As pointless as this type of behavior should be known to be, there is nothing to make it intuitively obvious to the user that this is detrimental to phone. Yes, there is the warning in the users guide, but having to fall back on documentation constitutes a human interface design failure.

IOW - User Misconduct, and Samsung flunked it's Ergonomics course.

 

[SpookDroid]

Re: Pictures inside the Note 5 when the S Pen gets stuck

Nice to see this 'X-Rayed'.

 

[jfoofoo]

I think it's silly that this is even a topic. I think as a society we are doing too much "*****" proofing and that needs to stop.

 

[anon(5630457)]

It's a non-issue.

I don't understand how someone can even possibly think it'd go in with the clicky end first. You have to take it out of the phone by pressing on the clicky end.

 

[dridas]

I think Samsung should offer to repair for a nominal fee. I don't disagree with what is being said here, but I think Samsung should accept it as a misjudged design flaw, and offer to repair broken devices for 20-50 dollars.

Also, I think Samsung should outfit carriers with a tool that can remove the s-pen without damaging the device. A thin sleeve that can be inserted in the slot that allows the switch to be dis-lodged from the top of the s-pen.

This is reasonable, and I think it helps fix the problem. Lastly, send a warning message to all note 5 owners announcing the warning when the s-pen is removed, that can be disabled by the user, through an acceptance of responsibility much like terms of uses are done now.

That's reasonable, and I think it solves the issue. If you are dumb enough to insert your pen backwards....you can just go to an authorized carrier, and they can remove it with the sleeve.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[rushmore]

Not seeing how this was not caught during field and quality tests.

I have attempted to place the stylus in the Note 4 backwards in the dark one time before going to bed. For this reason, can not make fun of or feign incredulity to those that do. I have enough quirks without adding hypocrite to the list.

I use mine rarely, so would expect it to be more likely to happen than might expect to folks that use the stylus a lot.

 

[rushmore]

It's a non-issue.

I don't understand how someone can even possibly think it'd go in with the clicky end first. You have to take it out of the phone by pressing on the clicky end.

Not sure I agree. If you use the stylus a lot and busy, you could easily apply enough force to seat deep enough before noticing. Seems it all depends on how frequent the stylus is used.

 

[8100User]

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 have a ten year old daughter, and every day, I drive her to school, and she asks if she can play with my cell phone (I don't think a ten year old needs her own phone, even though many of her classmates do have iPhones and Android phones)...

Since getting the Note5, she loves to draw on my Note5 instead of playing games, as she did with my HTC One M8. I'm NOT going to tell her she can't use the stylus...I have told her to make sure she inserts the stylus in tip first, and she's a bright kid, but accidents do happen.

I understand that most people will use their phone for two, three years, and NEVER insert the stylus backwards. However, I do believe I read that one of the earlier Note's stylus was designed with a wider rear end, so that it couldn't physically go in backwards. Obviously, at that time, Samsung felt it was worth it to simply design the Note/stylus so that it COULDN'T go in backwards!

It would have eliminated a rather serious problem (while you can still use your Note if you put the stylus in backwards, you do lose what I consider some great features, such as being able to draw on the screen with it turned off)

Yeah, it's user error, but again, Samsung could have designed it so that it couldn't possibly go in wrong, and eliminated the issue.