Samsung modifies Galaxy Note 5 S Pen silo to prevent incorrect insertion issues
Samsung launched the first Note back in 2011 with the stylus serving as one of its most unique features. The Note 5 launched with the most advanced S Pen yet, but the silo had a design flaw. Samsung has now confirmed that the silo has been modified to prevent issues with improper insertion.
The design flaw appeared when people put the S Pen into the silo backwards. The S Pen stuck on a catch in the silo and the device functionality was impaired after forcefully removing the S Pen.
After owning the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 for five months, I have yet to put the S Pen in backwards. With a retractable piece on one end and the writing tip on the other, it's obvious which end should go into the silo first. However, Samsung should have created a design to address the lowest common denominator so if the S Pen was inserted backwards it should not have rendered the S Pen useless.
The reported fix looks quite simple with a modified tip catch bracket that will allow people to remove a S Pen put in backwards. There is reportedly no way to tell which new Note 5 units have received the fix so the best way to ensure you don't have a problem is to just use your S Pen as it has been designed.
I reached out to Samsung to ask if it plans to replace Note 5 units broken by owners due to faulty S Pen insertion with these new units that have been modified. So far, Samsung issued the following statement, "Samsung can confirm that the Note5 internal S Pen mechanism has been changed to avoid the issue caused by inserting the S Pen incorrectly. As always, we recommend following proper instructions for storing the S Pen."
I haven't heard what Samsung did for those who broke their Note 5s before the modification and am interested in hearing from any Note 5 owners who experienced such a failure.