Galaxy Note Tips & Tricks

Bluetooth-enabled S Pen

Top 11 disappointments of Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

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Top 11 disappointments of Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 UltraLike Galaxy Note 10, Samsung released two models Galaxy Note 20: Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra. Many existing Galaxy Note owners were very disappointed with this year’s Galaxy Note models. This post summarizes the top 11 disappointments of Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

These disappointments include inconvenient S Pen Slot location, lacking apps for S Pen, no S Note app, disturbing curved screen on Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, an inferior in-display fingerprint reader, mediocre Exynos CPU/chipset in most regions, missing micro SD card support on Galaxy Note 20, plastic back on Galaxy Note 20, overpriced, no spare S Pen nibs and removing tool, no USB connector and no clear cover.

With the release of Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, Samsung also released the updated Galaxy Buds Live, which adds active noise cancelling (ANC) and a totally new design to Galaxy Buds +.

Inconvenient S Pen slot location

Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra relocated the S Pen slot to the left side of the charging port. In all previous generations of Galaxy Note phones, the S Pen slot is always on the right side so that it is very convenient for right-handed users to access it.

The relocation is apparently to create space for the bumped camera modules on Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. It seems the engineer just duplicated the design of S20 Ultra, which does not need a slot for S Pen.

It is one of the most inconvenient “new” features of Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. For right-handed owners, it is very awkward to access the S Pen on Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

This relocation reflects the arrogance of Samsung engineers. And it proves very likely Galaxy Note designers never or seldom use S Pen. Maybe, they use iPhones.

Without the S Pen, Galaxy Note is just a bigger (now identical) Galaxy S phones. Designers should always put S Pen in the spotlight.

The inconvenient S …

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How to use the new Galaxy Note 10 S Pen?

Learn to use the new S Pen on Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+

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How to use the new Galaxy Note 10 S Pen?S Pen is the iconic feature of Galaxy Note devices. The new Galaxy Note 10 S Pen now has some fancy features and can be used as a magic wand (lol).

This Galaxy Note 10 S Pen guide explains everything you need to know about the new S Pen: the layout and new features of the S Pen,  how to use S Pen features including Air actions, remote control, Air command, Air View, screen off memo, and how to customize the S Pen settings on Galaxy Note 10.

The S Pen (and S Pen features)  is identical on Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+, although the two phones are quite different as explained in this post.  So, this guide applies to both Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+. In this post, Galaxy Note 10 refers to both devices.

Layout of the new S Pen on Galaxy Note 10

As shown below, the layout of the new S Pen includes:

  • S Pen release button. You need to push the release button inwards to release the S Pen from the S Pen slot. Please note, you need to put the S Pen back into the slot to charge it.
  • S Pen button. You need to press this button to access some features, for example, remote control, Air command,  and Air view.
  • S Pen tip. The tip is replaceable. In the Galaxy Note 10 box, there is a tool (tweezers) and spare tips. You may refer to this guide on how to replace the S Pen tip (identical to that for Galaxy Note 9 S Pen).
  • S Pen body. The new S Pen used the unibody design. The battery and sensors are sealed inside the S Pen body.

Both the S Pen and Galaxy Note 10 are water-resistant and dust-resistant.

Although the layout of the S Pen is almost identical to that of the Galaxy Note 9 S Pen, there are some new features of this new S Pen.

What are the new features of Galaxy Note 10 S Pen?

Since Galaxy Note …

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Top 10 new features of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ you should try

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Top 10 new features of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+Although Galaxy Note 10 received a mixed reception, there are many new features of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ that you may enjoy.

In this post, I will summarize the top 10 new features of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+, which are quite impressive and exciting. They include Samsung DeX for PC, updated video editor, native screen recorder, the new S Pen, 25w/45W Superfast charging, 3D scanner (Galaxy Note 10+ only, not released yet), wireless Powershare, AR doodle, zoom-in mic, and the night camera mode.

The missing features of Galaxy Note 10 can be found here. An overview review of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ was posted here.

In this guide, Galaxy Note 10 refers to both Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ unless the special features are on Galaxy Note 10+ only. If this is the case, we will use Note 10+ explicitly. The differences between Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ are discussed in this post.

#1. Samsung DeX for PC: the best new feature of Galaxy Note 10

Samsung DeX, which was introduced in Galaxy S8 and later available on Galaxy Note 8, Note 9, S9,  S10, and now Note 10,  is probably the most useful innovation bringing Android to a bigger screen. It transforms your phone into an Android desktop when connected to a large screen.

For Galaxy S8 and Note 8, you need to use the DeX station to connect the phone to the external monitor.  The slimmer DeX Pad was introduced with the Galaxy S9 and can be used on the Galaxy S8 and Note 8 as well. Galaxy Note 9 introduced the DeX cable, and you only need a USB-C to HDMI cable to use DeX with Note 9. This feature was ported to Galaxy S9 after the Android Pie update.  Currently,  Galaxy Note 9,  Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S9, and Galaxy S10 can use any of them (DeX cable, Dex Station, or DeX Pad) to switch to the DeX mode. Galaxy S8 still needs a DeX Station or a DeX Pad…

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Galaxy Note 10 review: the death of Galaxy Note

Samsung is destroying Galaxy Note with Galaxy Note 10

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Galaxy Note 10 review: the death of Galaxy NoteWith the official announcement of Galaxy Note 10 (and Note 10+), many long-term Galaxy Note owners are disappointed, although there are many BS articles claiming how innovative and how exciting Galaxy Note 10 is. This is a no BS Galaxy Note 10 review from a long-term Galaxy Note owners who owned every Galaxy Note devices.

This Galaxy Note 10 review is an overall review about Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ (the difference between Note 10 and Note 10+ can be found here). The detailed review of the new features of Galaxy Note 10 (and Note 10+) is posted here. And the detailed review of the missing features of Galaxy Note 10 (and Note 10+) can be found here.

When the first Galaxy Note was announced in 2011, many are not convinced. They were correct, and they are still correct.

Galaxy Note is for a niche market where owners use two hands (instead of one) and like to use the S Pen to “write” (instead of touch). So, it is not for the mainstream phone users.  The screen size of the 5.3″ Galaxy Note is more than twice (actually 2.23 times, 81.4  vs. 36.5 cm²) of that on the 3.5″ inch mainstream phone (iPhone 4) in 2011.

The growing user community who enjoys the bigger screen helped Samsung lead the industry in adopting a bigger screen in the mainstream phones. Today, most smartphones have a screen larger than 5″.

But the success of Galaxy Note is not just the big screen.

The success of Galaxy Note is due to 1) Big screen, and 2) S Note

The early adopters of Galaxy Note consisted of two groups of buyers:

  1. People who prefer a big screen to read books/website, to play games or videos on the phone.
  2. People who like to write on the big screen with the S Pen.

For the first group owners, they have got more and more choices over the years because all smartphone manufacturers gradually increased the screen size of their flagship smartphones. So, they are …

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How to change Galaxy Note 9 S Pen nib?

Everything about Galaxy Note 9 S Pen nib (tip)

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change Galaxy Note 9 S Pen nib?Many users are not aware they can try different Galaxy Note 9 S Pen nibs to get different experiences from the S Pen.

The spare S Pen nibs and the tool are often neglected by Galaxy Note device owners. It is a waste for many users who feel the S Pen is too sticky or too slippery.

This S Pen guide explains the different usages of the spare Galaxy Note 9 S Pen nibs and how to change the nib for Galaxy Note 9 S Pen.

Items related to Galaxy Note 9 S Pen nib in the Galaxy Note 9 box

Galaxy Note 9 introduced many new features and updated S Pen with Bluetooth support.

In your Galaxy Note 9 box, you may notice the following small plastic bag. Some users may think it is a weird connector for some ancient devices and throw it away.

Do NOT throw it away.

You will need the items inside it when you want to change the Galaxy Note 9 S Pen nib.

In the plastic bag, you can find:

  1. Tweezers. This is provided as a tool for S Pen nib removal.
  2. Another tiny plastic bag with two (2) pieces of spare Galaxy Note 9 S Pen nib (tip).

Prior to Galaxy Note 9, there are 5 pieces of spare S Pen nib. It seems Samsung is less generous on accessories for the more expensive Galaxy Note 9.

 Galaxy Note 9 S Pen nib in the Galaxy Note 9 box

When and why you need to change Galaxy Note 9 S Pen nib?

When you use the S Pen on Galaxy Note 9 screen, some users may feel it is too sticky. Some may feel it is too slippery.

Even for the same phone, after you apply a screen protector, you may find it is a bit harder to use the S Pen.

In these cases, you may change the S Pen nib to see whether the performance of the S Pen is better.

Besides, if you are a heavy user of S Pen (e.g., frequently using the S Pen for design or note-taking), the S Pen nib may experience severe …

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How to use S Pen remote control on Galaxy Note 9?

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use S Pen remote control on Galaxy Note 9S Pen remote control on Galaxy Note 9 allows you to use the new S Pen to control some apps remotely through a Bluetooth connection.

You can even customize the app actions corresponding to the single press (press the S  Pen button once) and double press (press the S Pen button twice).

This Galaxy Note 9 S Pen guide explains how to use and customize S Pen remote control on Galaxy Note 9.

What is S Pen remote control on Galaxy Note 9?

The Galaxy Note 9 S Pen is Bluetooth-enabled. And Samsung wants you to use it as a remote control so that you can free your hands from the phone screen.

If you ever used a selfie stick, you may already know the importance of a remote shutter for the selfie stick.

Now, with Galaxy Note 9, you can just press the S Pen button once to take a photo. You can press the button twice to switch between the front and rear camera.

Or when you hook Galaxy Note 9 to a projector to do a presentation (in either screen mirroring or Samsung DeX mode), you can use S Pen as a wireless presenter.

Besides the camera app and PowerPoint app, you can also use S Pen remote control on Galaxy Note 9 to control a few other apps.

There are 3 categories of S Pen remote control on Galaxy Note 9:

  1. Open app or S Pen function. You can designate one app to be opened when you press the S Pen button (and when you are in Galaxy Note 9 Home screen or Apps screen). You can also choose one S Pen feature (e.g., smart select) if you do not want to open an app.
  2. App actions. You can choose the corresponding operations for single press and double press of the S Pen in supported Samsung and Google apps.
  3. Universal control or master control. You can assign operations for all third-party camera apps and media apps.

In short, S Pen remote control allows you to perform operations in some apps without looking …

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How to use Galaxy Note 9 S Pen?

Everything about the Bluetooth enabled Galaxy Note 9 S Pen

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Everything about the Bluetooth enabled Galaxy Note 9 S PenGalaxy Note 9 S Pen is a productivity and content-creation tool for Galaxy Note 9.  It received a major update since its inception 7 years ago with Bluetooth features.

You can now use Galaxy Note 9 S Pen as a remote control for several apps, in addition to the traditional S Pen features such as air command and screen-off memo.

This Galaxy Note 9 guide explains the new features of this new S  Pen, how to charge Galaxy Note 9 S Pen, and how to check the battery and Bluetooth connection status.

Please note, this guide is for the new S Pen bundled with Galaxy Note 9.  For S Pen with previous generations of Galaxy Note devices (e.g., Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy Note 7,  Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note 10.1, Galaxy Note Pro, and Galaxy Note 8.0), please check this page.

Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ have an updated S Pen with gesture support. You may check this guide on how to use the Galaxy Note 10 S Pen.

What’s new in the Galaxy Note 9 S Pen?

S Pen differs Galaxy Note devices from other Android phones and tablets.  Samsung included S Pen in a few Galaxy Tab S and Galaxy Tab A tablets after they stopped making Galaxy Note tablets.

Over the years, Samsung only slightly tweaked the S Pen. From Galaxy Note to Note 4, there were no noticeable changes. Since Galaxy Note 5, a new design with a release spring has been adopted up to now. But it is only a cosmetic, not functional revision.

Galaxy Note 9 S Pen probably can be considered as a new generation of S Pen.

Although the physic design of the Galaxy Note 9 S Pen is almost identical to that of Galaxy Note 8 (or Note 5), there are considerable new features introduced in the new S Pen on Galaxy Note 9.

The most significant change in Galaxy Note 9 S Pen is Bluetooth LE support.

So, in addition to all existing S Pen features…

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Top 9 new features of Galaxy Note 9

Should you upgrade to Galaxy Note 9? Is Galaxy Note 9 a right phone for you?

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Top 9 new features of Galaxy Note 9Samsung unveiled Galaxy Note 9, the 8th generation of Galaxy Note devices, on August 9 (press release).  You will be able to get one in retail stores on August 24.

As the latest generation of Galaxy Note devices, you should expect some new features of Galaxy Note 9 in this phablet.

This guide will explore the top nine new features of Galaxy Note 9 (compared to Galaxy Note 8) to help you understand the differences and enhancements in Galaxy Note 9.

You may check and download the official Samsung Galaxy Note 9 user manual in your local language to try these features.

#1. Top 9 new features of Galaxy Note 9: Bluetooth-enabled S Pen

S Pen is one of the signature accessories for all Galaxy Note devices although a few Samsung tablets (e.g., Galaxy Tab S4 and Tab A) started to get S Pen bundled.

But S Pen in Galaxy Note 9 got a significant update: the S Pen is now Bluetooth enabled.

In addition to all existing S Pen features, you can now use the S Pen as a remote control for Galaxy  Note 9: a remote shutter for Galaxy Note 9 camera, a remote control of media player, a presenter for your presentation with Galaxy Note 9, a remote launcher of some apps. You may check this guide on how to use S Pen remote control on Galaxy Note 9.

You do not need to worry about the battery life and charging the battery in the new S Pen. You put the S Pen in the S Pen slot in Galaxy Note 9 for 1 minute; the S Pen will be ready for use up to 30 minutes.

The secret lies on the supercapacitor, not a regular battery, which powers the S Pen. The lifespan of a supercapacitor is also far longer than a standard lithium battery, and therefore you should never need to replace the supercapacitor even if you use Galaxy Note 9 for the next 10 years.

Please check this page on how to use and charge the new Galaxy Note 9 …

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