Galaxy Note S-Pen Reivew

[Briggs]

This thread is solely about the unique hardware feature the Galaxy Note has. Its the S-PEN. Its not your average captive stylus. Its based on dual capacitive multi-touch and EMR active pen technology that is called Wacom Feel It. There is a digitizer layer under the screen that the S-pen uses making it one of the most accurate.

Its the first smartphone to use this active pen technology from Wacom.

And here was me thinking that the stylus + smartphone would be a thing of the past. The era of windows mobile phones. But no the Stylus is making a big come back in smart-phones thanks to the Note.

The Stylus Pen itself

The S-Pen with its hardware button in view.

The S-Pen looks like any other stylus, but with a difference. It has a button. This hardware button is used to launch S Notes lite if held and the pen double tabs the screen. Or if you hold the button and the pen to the screen this will take a snap shot of the screen which your free to edit as you which. There are also a few gestures you can use with to launch the menu key and back key. As the S-Pen doesn't work on the Menu and Back touch keys below the screen!

S-Pen accuracy

The S-Pen while accurate when tracing your movements or each touch to the screen flawlessly it takes some getting use too and has a software calibration issue. The nib of the Pen is not where the pen will draw. Its about 2mm above on the corner of the pen. See the below image which explains this perfectly. And there is no way to calibrate the pen it seems. At least not yet. Maybe there is a hidden menu? If I could adjust mine to be 2mm below where it is now it would be perfect! Come on Samsung please give us an application or setting to calibrate the S-Pen.

Here you can see that the pen start to draw above the pens center tip. It takes some getting use to.

S-Pen bundled software and editing.

The S-Pen has its own software which is the Galaxy S-Notes and S-Notes lite (A smaller quick to launch version) The S-Notes is a application that lets you take notes, sketch or note text. It has various editing modes for the S-Pen. Much like a photoshop does for its brush and pen tools. You can select colors from a set pallet or select your own using the color picker, control the brush, pen or pencil width. Its quite handy. You can even insert photos, clip art or take a picture to insert.

The S-Note lite app is an app that can be launched simply by holding down the S-Pen button and double tapping the screen anywhere. This will launch a new S-Note in a small form factor.

The S-Pen tools, which include Brushes, widths, colors, undo and redo options and erase.

[Briggs]

Ok so its very well having this S-Pen but what are its uses. Anyone can use it of course. But it would defiantly suit design or art professionals. Art students etc. Even tradesmen that can quickly add dimensions to a photo for example on a future job.

But even the average job can use the S-Pen to write a quick note. (There is also a S-Note widget that is very handy for just this)

Below I've used the S-pen to create a few examples of its practical uses.

On a work side for renovations?



Noting a part number and including a photo?



Poor cartoon I know.....I'm no cartoonist!