DO NOT Put The Note 5 S-Pen In Backwards!

IIGood

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For all of you talking about ignorant the users that screw this up must be, I'm guessing you've never made a mistake in any circumstances for any reason what-so-ever, especially while in some sort of rush?

Must be nice to be meticulously perfect.

All people need to do is slow down a little and pay attention in the case of something like this. Because if this DOES happen to them, then they scream and cry that "SAMSUNG MAKES TERRIBLE PRODUCTS!!! I'LL NEVER BUY SAMSUNG PRODUCTS AGAIN!!" all because it was user error. You know, the typical American thing to do: Blame someone other than yourself for your own failure.

There's no personal accountability anymore...it's always someone else's fault.
 
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Preach2k

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Jonny Kansas

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Ok. I had to try this with my Note 4. It was scary as hell. I'm sure I've accidentally started putting the pen in with the pointy end out before, but never got it all the way in. This time, I was curious, so I pushed it almost all the way in. I'm not sure if it would've gone further than I ended up letting it before grabbing my Leatherman and grasping the little tip to pull the Pen back to safety, but I almost had a moment of panic that I'd just pull the tip out of the Pen and the Pen itself would still be stuck, because I had it pushed in far enough that I couldn't grab the plastic of the Pen due to the slope.

I have to agree with others here. Like I said, I'm sure I've started to put it in wrong, but it didn't feel right (and it was close to the time I first got the device, when I was still making every excuse I could to use the pen) and I stopped before it was even halfway in. Maybe they've changed the pen and the phone enough that it's a smoother operation to insert it backwards, but I've never slammed the pen into my phone so fast that I couldn't catch myself.

All. I believe the issue is not of the pen being put in backwards (pointy end out per se') but flipped or upside down. This could have easily been rectified by making the S-pen either keyed at the top section so that it can't go in but one way or symmetrically shaped so that it could click-in in either direction.

I'm not sure I know what you mean by this, but I think you're wrong. No offense meant. It's just that, basing my knowledge off of my Note 4, I can flip MY pen either way with the tip going into the phone first and it'll go in properly. Ie, I can insert the pen with the button facing up or I can insert the pen with the button facing down. Putting it in sideways is impossible due to 2 of the 4 "sides" of it being longer than the others.

Again, there may have been more design changes than I can make out in the pictures I've seen of the device, but I'm thinking this is a problem with inserting the tip last.

A good Samurai always puts the pointy end in first.

EDIT: Yup, putting the pen in with tip out. I got mine for my Note 4 farther in than he did and it went in a lot easier than the Note Edge that he tried it with as well. Design flaw in Galaxy Note 5 S Pen slot causes pen detection to break, pen to get stuck

I still don't think you can call it a design FLAW though. It was designed the way it was for a reason. Just because they didn't design it to keep you from doing it wrong doesn't mean it's defective.
 
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xDMONEYx

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The picture in the original post does not show the S-Pen stuck in there with the pointy end out, it shows it stuck in there backwards. I think people are confusing backwards with upside down. While there may be an issue with people putting the S-Pen back in upside down (with the pointy end facing out), I feel like putting it in backwards, as depicted in the original post, is something people might find themselves doing more commonly.

Most people would definitely immediately feel the pointy end on their finger almost immediately, I would think.
 

PhreighnQ

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The picture in the original post does not show the S-Pen stuck in there with the pointy end out, it shows it stuck in there backwards. I think people are confusing backwards with upside down. While there may be an issue with people putting the S-Pen back in upside down (with the pointy end facing out), I feel like putting it in backwards, as depicted in the original post, is something people might find themselves doing more commonly.

Most people would definitely immediately feel the pointy end on their finger almost immediately, I would think.

I think part of the confusion is different people are using backwards/upside down differently. I see it the opposite way as you. To me backwards would be the pointy end out, and upside down is with the pointy end in but rotated to opposite way than it was designed to go.

Based on the picture in the original post we should all be able to agree this is not talking about people putting it in pointy end out. Put the Spen in pointy end out is entirely user error, but only having it rotated wrong is a very minor difference that could easily be mixed up. Samsung should have thought about and handled the second situation. I know with the Note 3 that I had it did not matter if the Spen was rotated 180 degrees.
 

Jonny Kansas

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I think part of the confusion is different people are using backwards/upside down differently. I see it the opposite way as you. To me backwards would be the pointy end out, and upside down is with the pointy end in but rotated to opposite way than it was designed to go.

Based on the picture in the original post we should all be able to agree this is not talking about people putting it in pointy end out. Put the Spen in pointy end out is entirely user error, but only having it rotated wrong is a very minor difference that could easily be mixed up. Samsung should have thought about and handled the second situation. I know with the Note 3 that I had it did not matter if the Spen was rotated 180 degrees.
No. The story is about putting it in with the pointy end out. Check out the YouTube video I linked just a couple posts up.

Regardless of what you think backwards or upside down means (I agree with you), this whole thing is about the pointy end being out. At least, that's the way that several other sites are explaining it (The Verge, Ars Technica, Android Police, etc).

The picture in the OP here, I believe, is one of the leaked pictures from before the device came out. Every other article about this issue has at least one picture with the tip sticking out.

I also agree with you that it's a user error issue, but in that YouTube clip I posted, it does appear that it's easier to slide the Note 5 S pen in with the tip out than it is to do so with the Note 4. Still, you'd like to think you'd notice the difference in feeling as you push it in.
 

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pc747

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[Update: Samsung Responds] Probable Note 5 Design Flaw Can Cause S Pen To Break Pen Detection When Inserted Backward, Or Get Hopelessly Stuck

My comment earlier was thinking it was put in upside down not pointy side out. Still as much as I hear the cries of people saying "pay attention" there could be several reasons that happened.

  1. intoxicated
  2. to be part of the latest craze to make a youtube video pointing out a manufacturer flaw (ie bend gate).
  3. The kid was using the device to play a game and put it in backwards.
1&2 I'm willing to chalk it up as ....oh we.. .lesson learned.

But #3 is why I feel like if Samsung knew this was a potential issue they should have addressed it. Before I get the "you don't let kids play with an expensive item it is a tool not a toy" fine if you do not let your kids touch your phone then that is you. But there are people who are in an office who hand the kid a tablet or a phone (in an otterbox case) and the note devices are good for that in that it gives the kid something to write and draw on. Kids are going to be kids and when they are in a hurry going to not think about stuff like that.
 
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Mustang02

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Never used a note but can't they key the pen so it goes one way?
 

hammerhead13

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Anyone that puts the Note stylus in with the tip stick out of the phone putting it in backwards and jamming it should have an iPhone. Seriously, common sense would dictate that the pointy side should be inserted to protect it plus there it the pop out end that makes easier to remove the stylus.
 

TisMyDroid

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Okay, I'm now ready to post my most stupid and embarrassing, "have to test to see," $35 experiment. Yup, you guessed it, I had to see for myself. I have had the N2, the N3 and now the N5. I have never ever put my s-pen in backwards until this thread. I wanted to see how stupid you would have to be to actually do this far enough to get the s-pen stuck. I figured there must be some resistance to give you a clue.

My experience involved putting the s-pen in backwards very slowly to feel for any resistance and as I did that, every 1/4 inch I'd pull the pen out to make sure it wasn't stuck. I thought I'd be safe if i went slow & careful and retreated often to make sure my pen was not stuck. Well, there was absolutely no resistance whatsoever and the s-pen got stuck about a third of the way in. And it got stuck! I jiggled it and slowly moved it to get it unstuck trying not to ruin what it was stuck on. It didn't matter. After carefully getting it unstuck, the s-pen became possessed.

At first, it would work intermittently. Then it worked in reverse, showing that the s-pen was out when it was actually all the way in and that it was in when the s-pen was out. Then it didn't work at all except to give me an s-pen detached alert each time I walked through the store security sensors when I went to return the phone (not sure if that was a coincidence or if it really did set off my s-pen alert).

The $35 was what I had to pay for the within 14 day restocking/exchange fee.

Yup, stupid experiment! I'm prepared and ready for all the "you've got to be kidding, you can't fix stupid" comments. I promise this won't be the last time I do something this lame but it will be the last time I do something this lame with my phone.

If nothing else, my experience confirms that, yes, putting the s-pen in backwards will ruin it with absolutely no warning and you only have to start to insert it backwards for the damage to occur. I would highly recommend that if you let anyone, especially children, use your phone that you remove the s-pen first.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
 

Jonny Kansas

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Okay, I'm now ready to post my most stupid and embarrassing, "have to test to see," $35 experiment. Yup, you guessed it, I had to see for myself. I have had the N2, the N3 and now the N5. I have never ever put my s-pen in backwards until this thread. I wanted to see how stupid you would have to be to actually do this far enough to get the s-pen stuck. I figured there must be some resistance to give you a clue.

My experience involved putting the s-pen in backwards very slowly to feel for any resistance and as I did that, every 1/4 inch I'd pull the pen out to make sure it wasn't stuck. I thought I'd be safe if i went slow & careful and retreated often to make sure my pen was not stuck. Well, there was absolutely no resistance whatsoever and the s-pen got stuck about a third of the way in. And it got stuck! I jiggled it and slowly moved it to get it unstuck trying not to ruin what it was stuck on. It didn't matter. After carefully getting it unstuck, the s-pen became possessed.

At first, it would work intermittently. Then it worked in reverse, showing that the s-pen was out when it was actually all the way in and that it was in when the s-pen was out. Then it didn't work at all except to give me an s-pen detached alert each time I walked through the store security sensors when I went to return the phone (not sure if that was a coincidence or if it really did set off my s-pen alert).

The $35 was what I had to pay for the within 14 day restocking/exchange fee.

Yup, stupid experiment! I'm prepared and ready for all the "you've got to be kidding, you can't fix stupid" comments. I promise this won't be the last time I do something this lame but it will be the last time I do something this lame with my phone.

If nothing else, my experience confirms that, yes, putting the s-pen in backwards will ruin it with absolutely no warning and you only have to start to insert it backwards for the damage to occur. I would highly recommend that if you let anyone, especially children, use your phone that you remove the s-pen first.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
Couldn't just believe the OP, could you? Haha! I tried it with my Note 4, so I can't say I wouldn't have been curious if I had the 5.
 

TisMyDroid

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Couldn't just believe the OP, could you? Haha! I tried it with my Note 4, so I can't say I wouldn't have been curious if I had the 5.
LMAO! I did believe the OP but I thought for sure there would be some minor clue. And funny, I read your post about trying yourself on your N4 after I did my experiment. Unfortunately, after your post, I probably still would have tried for myself. I'm chalking it up to the "curious child syndrome" affliction I have. I can't just take someone's word, have to prove it for myself. I should know by now that doing that doesn't always end up with good results, lol!

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
 

Jonny Kansas

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LMAO! I did believe the OP but I thought for sure there would be some minor clue. And funny, I read your post about trying yourself on your N4 after I did my experiment. Unfortunately, after your post, I probably still would have tried for myself. I'm chalking it up to the "curious child syndrome" affliction I have. I can't just take someone's word, have to prove it for myself. I should know by now that doing that doesn't always end up with good results, lol!

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
I mean, I also posted a video where he said there's no resistance at all. On the 4, you can tell right away that you're doing something wrong, though I was still able to get it stuck.
 
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