Samsung's new Galaxy Note 5 phablet apparently has a design flaw that can seriously damage the device when inserting the S Pen incorrectly.
For those who are unfamiliar with this whole Galaxy Note 5 S Pen issue, here's the deal: plenty of people who got the newly-launched phablet introduced the S Pen the wrong way in its slot, which resulted in damage to the stylus, the Note 5, or both.
While it's true that such issues can easily fall under user damage due to improper use of the hardware, it's also true that Samsung doesn't seem to have put much effort into avoiding this issue. With previous Galaxy Note iterations, for instance, trying to introduce the S Pen incorrectly would pose some resistance, making it obvious for users that it doesn't fit that way. Unless someone put significant effort into jamming the S Pen the wrong way, the stylus would not fit.
With the new-generation Galaxy Note 5, however, inserting the S Pen the wrong way is just as easy as inserting it the wrong way. No resistance warns the user that the S Pen is incorrectly introduced and when they do realize that the stylus is in backwards, it's too late and the damage has been done.
Removing the S Pen after it's been incorrectly introduced into the Galaxy Note 5 causes some functions of the phone, such as phase detection, to stop working. Users have also reported other issues that occurred due to the wrong insertion of the S Pen into the Galaxy Note 5, as a growing Reddit thread reveals.
Samsung, for its part, does note in the Galaxy Note 5 user manual (PDF) that the S Pen could get stuck if inserted the wrong way and removing it afterwards can have consequences.
"When you insert the S Pen into the slot, insert the S Pen's nib first. Failure to do so can cause the S Pen to become stuck. Forcefully detaching the S Pen from the slot may cause damage to the S Pen and your device," Samsung notes.
As the BBC reports, Samsung's advice to users was to simply follow the instructions in the user guide. Android Police got the same response from the company.
Nevertheless, many consumers still feel that this issue is a design flaw on Samsung's part, particularly because the S Pen slides in so smoothly inside the phablet even if it's not in the right position.
Bottom line, Samsung did warn of this issue in the Galaxy Note 5 User Manual, but it did little else to prevent such instances. If it's so easy to insert the S Pen incorrectly, there's a good chance that more users will do it even with all the media coverage and warnings in this regards.
It remains unclear at this point whether Samsung will offer some assistance in this situation or whether it will chalk it up to user negligence and wash its hands off the problem, but for now the company simply points at its user manual. In conclusion, if you have a new Samsung Galaxy Note 5 phablet, pay extra attention when inserting the S Pen.
