Samsung Galaxy Note 5: A Very Flawed S Pen Cradle, "Boring" Compared To The S6 Edge+

Let’s face it: Samsung is the main Android mobile brand—for now. While the “sexiness” factor is definitely debatable—HTC and LG have better-looking flagships—pundits have to say that the brand’s popularity is what makes it sexy. And this is why whenever Samsung announces the looming rollout of a flagship device, such as the Samsung Galaxy S Series, or a premium model, like the Note Series, everyone waits with bated breath.

With such high expectations, though, come major disappointments when the product fails to deliver the expected near-perfection. When this year’s Note 5 came out, tech pundits picked at its flaws and how the Note 5 failed to deliver.

For the most part, the Note 5 was criticized as being lackluster compared to the Samsung Galaxy Edge 6+. In a quote from Wired’s David Pierce, the Samsung Note 5’s only edge, pun not intended, was the fact that it came with the S Pen. Design-wise, the Samsung Edge 6+ was touted to be more bleeding-edge, and a more interesting device, overall.

“To summarize: The Edge+ is a better-looking phone. It’s thinner, lighter, and just cooler. The Note 5 has a great pen. Got it? Good. Moving on.” – David Pierce, quoted on Wired, as reposted by Forbes

And yet, the Note 5’s S Pen was found to have a flaw that its predecessors didn’t have: How it was designed could break the built-in S Pen cradle.

The reason is that the new S Pen was designed in a way that even when the user returns the stylus to its cradle in a “wrong way,” the pen does not have the same “mechanical resistance” that its old models did. So when the user tries to pry the pen back out, there’s a greater risk of cracking the holder, unlike the past Samsung Note iterations.

The Forbes article, Ewan Spence’s “Android Circuit: Fans In Fury Over Galaxy Note 5 S Pen, Awkward Nexus 6 Leaks, Cortana Fights Google,” noted that Samsung’s reps, in a reply to a BBC reporter, claimed that users should check their manuals on how to use and return the S Pen to its cradle.

However, Ewan Spence also notes that Ars Technica pointed out that most units ship with no physical manual included in the box. What’s more is that Ars Technica had to scour the web for a PDF manual to figure out their review unit.

More than the S Pen flaw, Samsung Galaxy Note fans may also be irritated with the fact that the latest model dropped MicroSD card support. A feature that startups have been integrating into its units, in order to capitalize on Samsung’s miscalculations.

Illogical and unpopular design modifications, sagging sales, radical moves to boost them, belie bad moves and miscalculations in Samsung’s overall mobile strategy. With these new weaknesses and downright flaws pointed out on the recent launches of their high-end phablet units, maybe it’s high time for Samsung to reassess its rollout strategy, as well its design sensibility.

The market is changing. New players and startups are showing up on the Android scene, and Samsung’s relevance is definitely threatened. Samsung should be afraid. Be very afraid. They should figure out ways to get their act together and soar anew.

Check out Droid Report’s “Samsung May Slash Flagship Model Prices,” for more about Samsung’s latest sales performance.

Samsung May Slash Flagship Model Prices: https://www.droidreport.com/samsung-may-slash-flagship-model-prices-10605