The pen is mightier: Samsung modifies Galaxy Note 5 packaging to warn about stuck stylus

Posted:
in iPhone edited November 2015
Rather than fix a flaw that can permanently damage its latest flagship phablet, Samsung has instead opted to revise the packaging for the Galaxy Note 5, warning users not to insert the device's S Pen back into the handset in the wrong direction.


Via J. Williams


When the Galaxy Note 5 launched in August, some users quickly realized that the stylus included with the handset could be easily and mistakenly inserted upside down into the phone. Doing so caused a potentially serious problem --?a locking mechanism within the Note 5 could clamp down on the wrong end of the stylus, resulting in it being stuck and sticking out of the top of the device.

That issue has not been fixed, but Samsung has opted to ship new units with a warning sticker telling users to insert the S Pen with its "nib" pointed inward. The warning was highlighted in an unboxing video by J. Williams, first spotlighted by SamMobile.





"Inserting the S Pen the wrong way can cause it to become stuck and can damage the pen and your phone," the label reads, along with corresponding pictures showing the right and wrong way to reinsert the stylus.

Getting the S Pen stuck in the Galaxy Note 5 was apparently so easy to do that TWiT broadcaster Leo Laporte accidentally did it live on the air, as can be seen in the video below:





The S Pen stylus is one of the defining features of Samsung's jumbo-sized Note phablet lineup. The new Note 5, boasting a 5.7-inch display, was announced by Samsung in August ahead of Apple's iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus unveiling in September.

Apple, of course, has been hit with its own slew of "controversies" over the years, including antenna reception issues with the iPhone 4 and the ability to bend the iPhone 6 series with sufficient pressure. Both of those supposed issues were addressed with subsequent annual updates in the form of the iPhone 4s and iPhone 6s.

Those who may be affected by a stuck S Pen with the Galaxy Note 5 shouldn't try to forcibly remove the stylus from their handset or they will risk breaking it. Instead, users have said the issue can be fixed by cutting a strip of paper about six inches long, wrapping it around the piece of the S Pen protruding from the phone, and sliding it into the holding bay to allow the stylus to be safely removed.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 36
    If this happened to an Apple device it would lauded by the media [I]Penghazi[/I], but since it's only a Samsung product, and not their most popular one at that, only a few tech outlets care; and of those, most are pro-Apple sites that are doing it for the [I]Schadenfreude[/I].
  • Reply 2 of 36
    Maybe they should include a piece of paper in the package with the new phone.
  • Reply 3 of 36
    red oakred oak Posts: 1,104member

    It must result in some serious product returns.  It is so easy to do, especially in the dark.  Samsung's user experience is so bankrupt 

  • Reply 4 of 36
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,122member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismY View Post



    If this happened to an Apple device it would lauded by the media Penghazi, but since it's only a Samsung product, and not their most popular one at that, only a few tech outlets care; and of those, most are pro-Apple sites that are doing it for the Schadenfreude.



    Exactly.  If Apple did this, it would be on every media site and the lawyers would be lining up for class-action lawsuits in the hundreds of millions of dollars.



    Nope... not Samsung.  People already know (and expect) that they make junk, so barely a fart in the wind from the media.  Fandroids of course are being conveniently quiet, hoping know one will insert (pun intended) the obligatory "Penghazi", "Pengate", and the classic "You're inserting it wrong" phrases.

  • Reply 5 of 36

    Saw that episode of MacBreak Weekly where Leo Laporte got the pen stuck previously. Hilarious.

  • Reply 6 of 36
    I thought Leo Laporte had become anti-Apple over the years, so it's interesting to see him running a MacBreak Weekly show... unless the "Break" refers to smashing Macs on every episode? :P
  • Reply 7 of 36
    jfc1138jfc1138 Posts: 3,090member

    So in summary, when inserting the pen for storage: "Don't hold it that way".

     

    Good tip.  :)

  • Reply 8 of 36
    ecatsecats Posts: 273member
    It's this simple media relies on ads: Samsung have been spending massive amounts in advertising. On the order of 13-15x per annum. This is how you "win" darling editorial and the media turning a blind eye to design defects such as the pen issue, and their weak "solution".

    The moment Samsung return to normal ad spend you're going to see everyone pile the crap on it, but while there is money to be made publishers are going to be more interested in not getting Samsung offside.
  • Reply 9 of 36
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by coolfactor View Post



    I thought Leo Laporte had become anti-Apple over the years, so it's interesting to see him running a MacBreak Weekly show... unless the "Break" refers to smashing Macs on every episode? :P



    He trolls Apple, Samsung and Microsoft these days. He's not really committed to any particular manufacturer. It's only when he pushes a load of irrational criticisms because he happens to be in a bad mood that day that it gets old.

  • Reply 10 of 36
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,731member
    Did I accidentally go to SamungInsider.com?
  • Reply 11 of 36
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by coolfactor View Post



    I thought Leo Laporte had become anti-Apple over the years, so it's interesting to see him running a MacBreak Weekly show... unless the "Break" refers to smashing Macs on every episode? :P



    Leo is fickle as fickle can get.  I listened to his podcasts for a long time until he finally got on my nerves enough.

  • Reply 12 of 36
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by coolfactor View Post



    I thought Leo Laporte had become anti-Apple over the years, so it's interesting to see him running a MacBreak Weekly show... unless the "Break" refers to smashing Macs on every episode? :P



    The best parts of the MacBreak Weekly show are Rene Ritchie and Alex Lindsay. Leo makes some stupid, ignorant comment about Apple and Rene and Alex are quick to smack him down with knowledgeable retorts. Andy Ihnatko is the most objective and comes across as unbiased. He criticizes Apple when he thinks it is necessary but also praises the company often. Of course the various guests are always pro Apple like Serenity Caldwell and Jim Dalrymple. 

     

    And like some of the comments above, if this were an Apple product it would be on NBC Nightly News and the iHaters would be shouting from the rooftops.

  • Reply 13 of 36
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,226member

    I predict this won't happen with the iPad Pro and the Pencil... not the least of which is because nobody can get their hands on the Pencil.

  • Reply 14 of 36
    Where is the outrage? The class action lawsuits? The press? I admit there was done press about this problem back in August/September, but the press just shrugged it off. No class action lawsuits have been filed as far as I know. I guess being an Android problem means just accepting the problem. Unless... Not many Note devices have been sold.
  • Reply 15 of 36
    In other related news... people are stupid.
  • Reply 16 of 36
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,226member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by leavingthebigG View Post



    Where is the outrage? The class action lawsuits?

    you can't get class action status without sales.

  • Reply 17 of 36
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    Where is the outrage? The class action lawsuits? The press? I admit there was done press about this problem back in August/September, but the press just shrugged it off. No class action lawsuits have been filed as far as I know. I guess being an Android problem means just accepting the problem. Unless... Not many Note devices have been sold.

    Or many Note devices haven't been damaged.
  • Reply 18 of 36
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Cpsro View Post

     

    I predict this won't happen with the iPad Pro and the Pencil... not the least of which is because nobody can get their hands on the Pencil.


    Just give it some time.

     

    Once the Pencil and iPad Pro start selling in larger numbers, accidents are bound to happen.

     

    The way the Pencil attaches to the lightning port on the Pro could result in an unfortunate breaking of something if people are equally careless.

  • Reply 19 of 36
    red oak wrote: »
    It must result in some serious product returns.  It is so easy to do, especially in the dark.  Samsung's user experience is so bankrupt 

    Features, not experiences. Once they take your money, the relationship is concluded.
  • Reply 20 of 36
    rayzrayz Posts: 814member
    Well that's one way to fix a design flaw :\
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