The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is undoubtedly one of the finest Android phones on the market, but to earn such high praise it has had to overcome a pretty critical design flaw.
If you happen to insert the new S Pen upside down, the new self-ejecting mechanism will clamp down on it like a venus fly trap and it’ll become stuck.
Any attempt to remove it will likely break the detection mechanism which is supposed to bring up the S Pen menu as soon as the pen is released.
Perhaps realising this is happening more often than suspected, Samsung is now warning users of the dangers of wrongly inserting the handy stylus (via Engadget).
An unboxing video (see below) of a newer version of the device now comes with a warning wrapped around the phone.
“Be sure to insert your S Pen with the nib pointed inward. Inserting the S Pen the wring way can cause it to become stuck and damage the pen and your phone,” it reads.
Previously the company had recommended users simply ‘read the manual.’
Of course, it’s quite amazing that this obvious flaw made it through Samsung’s scrupulous checks, but at least the company is now being more proactive to prevent more folks wrecking key functionality.
See also Samsung Galaxy Note 5 vs Galaxy Note 4: Worth an upgrade?
During a recent test of the device, this reporter attempted to see how easy it would be to reinsert the pen incorrectly.
Much easier than he thought, it turns out. That Note 5 no longer detects the S Pen.
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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.