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    The Galaxy Note 5’s push-to-eject S Pen mechanism is counterproductive

    Opinion
    By 

    Last updated: September 9th, 2015 at 15:44 UTC+02:00

    The Galaxy Note 5 lets you jot down notes using the S Pen while the screen is off. That's one of the most useful features Samsung has added to its brilliant stylus in the Note lineup's history, but the company has also made a change on the Note 5 that has made the S Pen rather counterproductive.

    If you didn't know already, the Note 5's S Pen has a push-to-eject mechanism that requires you to, well, do exactly what the name suggests. While the S Pen on previous Notes could simply be pulled out in a single go, the Note 5 requires you to push the S Pen first, then drag it out to start using it. It all sounds cool from a design standpoint, but when it comes to actual usage, this push-to-eject mechanism adds a minor additional step that has a major effect on how quickly you can access it and start tapping that screen with the stylus.

    The S Pen's head is rather small, so the entire process of putting your finger on it and pushing it requires some precision, in addition to wasting a precious second or two before you can get the stylus out and put it to use. As a Galaxy Note fan, the non-intuitive S Pen removal feature on the Galaxy Note 5 has disappointed me. Its functionality is still as awesome as it has always been, but I've actually started using it less than I would want to on the Note 5, and the push-to-eject system is a major reason.

    The S Pen is still a brilliant tool that puts the Note lineup heads and shoulders above all the phablets in the market, but Samsung's increased focus on design over functionality means it's not as quickly accessible as it was before. Some might feel I'm making this an issue for no reason, but for a device that wants you to quickly jot down notes with its stylus without even waking up the device, that push-to-eject mechanism makes zero sense.

    Opinion Galaxy Note 5

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