Samsung Galaxy Note 5 can be damaged by inserting pen the wrong way

Posted on Wednesday, August 26 2015 @ 14:50 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
Reports are hitting the web about a serious design flaw in the Galaxy Note 5 from Samsung. The device comes with a stylus but Android Police discovered it's possible to damage the device by inserting the pen the wrong way.

On previous Galaxy Note smartphones, it was either impossible to insert the wrong way or required substantial force so you'd immediately realize you were doing something wrong, but with the new Galaxy Note 5's S Pen this is not the case. The pen slides in with exactly as much resistance as inserting it the right way and will get stuck. If you try to remove it with force, chances are you'll break the device's pen detection sensor:
On the Note 5, inserting the S Pen the wrong way provides exactly as much resistance as inserting it the right way. Which is to say: basically none at all. Once you insert the pen far enough in the wrong direction (again, which causes no strange resistance or feel than putting it in the right way), it will get stuck. It doesn't even have to "click" in. At this point, of course, you will panic. And you will try to get it out - and most likely, you'll succeed. The problem is that if you do succeed, there's a very real possibility you'll break whatever mechanism the device uses to detect whether the pen is attached or detached from the phone. Which is exactly what happened to our review unit.
Samsung was reportedly aware of the issue when it shipped the Note 5, the Note 5 manual even contains a specific warning message that inserting the pen the wrong way can damage the pen and your phone.



About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.



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