The S Pen is as iconic as the Samsung Galaxy Note series itself, offering the only truly excellent stylus we’ve ever used on a phone.
With the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10 Plus now officially announced, we’ve got a chance to get hooked on the S Pen all over again.
Related: Best Note 10 Deals / Best Note 10 Plus Deals
Here are four of the cleverest things the handy little pen can do.
1. Perform Air Gestures
New for the Note 10 is ‘Air Gestures’. As the name suggests, these are movements. made with the S Pen, that perform functions on the phone.
One specific gesture that was highlighted during our demo was zooming in while taking a photo, done by moving the S Pen in a circular motion.
2. Last 10 hours without needing a charge
With Note 9, Samsung introduced Bluetooth Low Energy to the S Pen. Along with adding some extra functionality, this also meant the pen needed regular charging. With the Note 10 and Note 10 Plus, Samsung has said that it has increased the S Pen’s battery life to 10 hours.
The likelihood of you ever making full use of that battery will remain slim, unless you’re getting stuck into some extra long drawing sessions, as it’ll recharge when inserted back into the device.
3. Act as a camera remote shutter to improve your group shots
A benefit of the addition of Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) is that the S Pen can interact with the Note 10 like a remote control. For instance, you can use the button on the side to snap a photo without having the phone in your hand.
This is great for shooting a group shot, for example, with the phone on a tripod.
4. Jot down notes without even turning the screen on
Sometimes you need to instantly take down a note without having to faff about unlocking your phone and opening up a notes app. That’s why screen-off notes is such a great software trick.
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Just pop out the S Pen, begin writing on the screen and your scrawls will appear. When you reinsert the S Pen the note will be saved and the display will remain off.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
