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Samsung Galaxy Note 5 S Pen Guide: Working with various S Pen Features

Setting aside its hefty cost, absence of microSD card support, and non-removable battery, the new Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (#Samsung #GalaxyNote5) is by far, deemed the best #Android phablet with its premium design. It also comes with an enhanced S Pen that is schemed with a true-to-life pressure sensitivity and a very accurate pen tip for better control of your writing and drawing experience.

Samsung-Galaxy-Note-5-S-Pen

To help you take full advantage of the new features embedded into the Note 5 S Pen, we create this guide for your reference. Read on to learn more.

How to use S Pen with Air View on your Galaxy Note 5

The Air View feature allows you to interact with your phone’s screen without touching it. To use this feature, you need to enable it first on your device settings. Once enabled, you can start performing tasks like previewing photo albums, viewing calendar details, or scrolling through a list, while holding the S Pen near the screen.

Follow these steps to set up and use Air View with your Galaxy Note 5 S Pen:

  1. Tap Apps from the Home screen.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap the Device tab.
  4. Scroll to and tap S Pen from the given options.
  5. Tap Air view.
  6. To view descriptions of the Air View feature, swipe to the left of the Air View screen.
  7. Ensure the Air view slider is ON, and then press the Home key to go back to the Home screen.
  8. Now, tap Apps.
  9. Tap Gallery to open your phone’s gallery app and start viewing pictures using the S Pen.
  10. Hover the S Pen over an album to have an expanded view of the photos in the selected album.

How to enable and use S Pen with Air Command on your Galaxy Note 5

Air Command is a feature that lets you easily access S Pen features and application shortcuts from any application on your device, at any time you want. Again, this feature needs to be enabled first for you to use it. Here’s how:

  1. Tap Apps from the Home screen.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap the Device tab.
  4. Scroll to and tap S Pen.
  5. Tap Air command from the S Pen menu.
  6. Tap to select an Air command option to configure.
  • To assign up to three apps to the Air Command menu, tap Shortcuts.
  • To enable Floating icon and Detach S Pen to turn on, tap the sliders next to these options.
  1. Press the Home key to go back to the Home screen.
  • Enabling the Floating icon option will minimize the Air Command menu into a single icon. This icon is accessible from any screen.
  • To open the Air Command menu when you detach your S Pen from the device, enable the option to Detach S Pen to turn on.
  1. Hover your S Pen near the screen and quickly press the S Pen button twice, to open Air Command.

Once you’ve opened Air Command, you can open it again next time by simply touching the floating S Pen icon located on the right corner of the screen.

  1. On the Air Command menu, select any from the given options including Action Memo, Smart select, Screen write, and selected shortcuts, you desire.

How to Write an Action Memo with your Galaxy Note 5 S Pen

Action Memo is a feature that allows you to create notes and use the information in other applications on your Galaxy Note 5. Here’s how to write an Action Memo with the S Pen on your device.

  1. Hover the S Pen near the screen and quickly press the S Pen button twice to open Air Command.
  2. You will be prompted with the Air command menu. Tap the Action memo icon to proceed.
  • Alternatively, you can open Action Memo by pressing the S Pen button and then double-touch the screen.
  1. Now, use the S Pen to write any information like a name, address, phone number, or website address.
  • For this guide, write a phone number to proceed.
  • For a more accurate recognition, be sure to write in a straight line.
  1. Tap More to view more options.
  2. Scroll to and tap Link to action.
  3. Tap any of the icons below the box. Select the icon that best describes the previous information you’ve entered.
  • To proceed with this guide, tap Contacts to convert your written information into a phone call or save it as a contact. The memo will then be saved in your contacts list.
  1. Tap Save to save the contact information.

You should see a minimized version of the original Action Memo shown near the top of the screen.

  • To edit its content, delete, or save it as an S Note file, tap the minimize Action Memo and follow the onscreen prompts to complete the process.

How to use the S Pen to Clip Onscreen Contents via Smart Select

With Smart Select, you can use the S Pen to select and collect contents shown on your Galaxy Note 5 screen, including text. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Start by hovering the S Pen near the screen and quickly press the S Pen button twice to open Air Command.
  2. Touch the Smart select icon from the Air command menu.
  3. Now use the S Pen to draw a box around the screen items (apps shortcut icons) you want to collect (screenshot).
  4. You can save the selected screenshot to your phone’s Scrapbook or Gallery application. You can also share it or write some captions on it using the S Pen.
  • To proceed with this guide, tap Save in Gallery to save the screenshot instead.

The screenshot will be saved in the Screenshots album from the Gallery application.

How to use the S Pen to write notes on your screenshots

With Screen write, you can capture and annotate screenshots using the S Pen on your Galaxy Note 5. Here’s how to get this done:

  1. Hover the S Pen near the screen and quickly press the S Pen button twice, to open Air Command.
  2. To capture the current screen, tap the Screen write icon.
  3. Using the S Pen, edit the screenshot by drawing on it.
  4. Once you’re done editing the screenshot, tap Save in Gallery to save the changes you’ve made to the current screenshot.

The edited screenshot will be saved in your phone’s Gallery application, inside the Screenshots album.

How to use the S Pen for Text Inputs on your Galaxy Note 5

Your Galaxy Note 5 comes with a Direct Pen Input feature that lets you utilize the S Pen for writing in text input fields instead of using the keyboard. You can also write in text fields in Messages, Internet, Phone, and more applications using Direct Pen Input. You need to enable this feature for you to use it on your Note 5. Here’s how:

  1. Tap Apps from the Home screen.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap the Device tab from the Settings menu.
  4. Scroll to and tap S Pen to select it from the given options.
  5. Tap Direct pen input.
  6. By default, Direct pen input is enabled. Touch the slider located on the upper-right corner to enable it, if necessary.
  7. Press the Home key to go back to the Home screen.
  8. To continue with this guide, tap Apps.
  9. Tap Messages.
  10. Tap the Compose icon on the lower left corner of the Messages screen.
  11. Next, hover the S Pen over a text input field.
  12. Touch the S Pen icon that displays.
  13. Enter the recipient’s name using the S Pen. The Direct pen input will automatically convert your handwriting into text.
  14. Read and review the converted text to ensure accuracy and touch Done to complete the process.

How to create an S Note with your Galaxy Note 5 S Pen

You can use the S Pen, keyboard, or both to create notes, add photos, voice memos, videos, and more with your Galaxy Note 5 S Note. All you have to do is to select from predefined templates or start with a blank note. Here’s a quick guide for your reference:

  1. Tap Apps from the Home screen.
  2. Tap S Note.
  3. Tap the Create new note icon.
  4. Tap Pen.
  5. Choose a pen type, pen thickness, and ink color you want to use.
  6. Once you’re done with your selection, tap Close to exit the menu.
  7. Now use the S Pen to write or draw across the screen.
  8. When you’re done writing or drawing, tap More to view more menu options.
  9. To add pictures, videos, and more to your note, tap Insert. You can also add and manage pages on this same page.

To close the menu, tap Back.

  1. To save the S Note file you create, tap Save.
  2. Enter a filename or title for the file on the Save as screen, and tap Save to confirm saving.
  3. To view your saved S Note files, tap Back.

How to Add your Favorite Pens in S Note

With S Note, you can select multiple pen types, sizes, and colors to save for later use. Follow these steps to add your favorites in your phone’s S Note:

  1. Tap Apps from the Home screen.
  2. Tap S Note.
  3. Tap the Create new note icon (+) located on the lower-left corner of the screen.
  4. Tap the Favorite pens icon on the next screen.
  5. Tap Add favorite pens to continue.
  6. Now choose a color, size, and pen type you desire.
  7. To create additional pen types, tap the plus (+) icon.
  8. To delete a pen, tap the Delete icon.
  9. Tap the minus (-) icon on each pen you want to remove.
  10. When you are finished, tap Done.

How to Personalize/Customize S Note on your Galaxy Note 5

You can use the S Note settings to switch between Samsung accounts, select default S Note file covers, and view the version information. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Tap Apps from the Home screen.
  2. Tap S Note.
  3. Tap More.
  4. Scroll to and tap Settings to view S Note settings menu.
  5. To switch between Samsung accounts and change the default cover of your S Note files, simply tap the slider next to each option to enable the feature.
  • To turn S Pen only mode on or off, tap the slider next to the option.
  1. After you configure the S Note settings, tap Back to exit the S Note settings.

How to explore and manage your S Note Files

Any existing S Note files or contents can be rearranged, edited, and copied and pasted to another S Note file. Here’s how:

  1. Tap Apps from the Home screen.
  2. Tap S Note.
  3. Tap to open a saved S Note file.
  4. Tap More to view more options.
  5. Tap Manage pages to continue.
  6. Touch and hold a page to unlock it and to rearrange pages.
  7. Drag the page to another location you want and release it.
  8. You can also move or copy pages from one S Note file to another. Tap Edit.
  9. Choose the pages you want by marking the checkboxes on the pages.
  10. After marking all your desired pages, tap More.
  11. To continue with this guide, tap Copy to copy the selected pages.
  12. Tap the S note file where you want the selected pages to be pasted.

A duplicate file of the selected pages will be created on your specified location.

How to use Screen-off Memo on your Galaxy Note 5

Your Galaxy Note 5 also comes with the Screen-off memo feature that allows you to write memos while the screen is off. All you have to do is detach your S Pen from your device. In case you need further assistance, here’s how it’s done:

  1. Turn off the screen.
  2. Eject the S Pen from your phone while the screen is turned off.
  3. Write or draw across the screen with your S Pen.
  4. Tap Save to save your memo/note.

The memo will then be saved as an Action Memo in the S Note application.

How to download more S Note Features on your Galaxy Note 5

In case you are not satisfied with the predefined S Note features, you can download more of these features and add functionalities to your phone’s S Note. The S Note extension packs add new layers of functionality to the S Note application. Here’s a quick guide for you to refer to, if needed:

  1. Tap Apps from the Home screen.
  2. Tap S Note.
  3. On the S Note screen, tap More to view more options.
  4. Scroll to and tap More features.
  5. To continue with this guide, tap Extension pack.
  • To install features that allows you to create charts and graphs, tap Easy chart.
  • To install options that allows you to create line art quickly, tap Idea Sketch.
  • To add an S Note file as a widget to your Home screen, tap S Note widget.
  1. For this example, tap Install to proceed with the Extension pack download.
  • You will be required to use your Samsung account to download the pack.
  1. Review the permissions and tap Accept and Download to continue.
  2. When the download is complete, double-tap the Back key to go back to the S Note screen.
  3. Tap the arrow up to view some of the new features available in the updated S Note application.

You then can start using any of the newly added features.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Tips, Tricks, Tutorials, How Tos, Guides and FAQs [Part 2]

Galaxy-Note-4-Power-Saving-Mode

Hello there, dear readers! Welcome to the second part of our Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Tips and Tricks series. We published the first part in December last year dealing with the most common procedures that will help you make the phone work normally in case of problems. In this part, however, I included the most common features and functions that will make user experience better and the phone run smoother. The first on the list is, of course, the Power Saving Mode, which I think is helpful enough to make the battery last longer.

We will be publishing more articles like this in the following weeks or months, so stay tuned. After we’re done with the basic stuffs, we will include more complicated procedures like rooting and flashing custom ROMs. Please remember that these tutorials are intended for users with average technical knowledge. Advanced users already know these stuffs but I think this post will still serve its purpose being a reference.

In case you have problems with your Galaxy Note 4, feel free to email us at [email protected] but provide as much details as possible so we can easily and accurately assess your concerns. You may also post your problems on our Facebook wall or Google+ page as we use them to help our readers.

The following are tutorials included in this post. Click on a link to jump to a specific topic:

Power Saving Mode

If all Galaxy Note 4 are enabled, the phone can drain its 3220 mAh battery in an hour or two that is why some were disabled by default. Samsung already anticipated the phone’s capability to become a power hog if the user allows it to. One of its ways to address this is by giving the phone power saving features. This is how you enable Galaxy Note 4 Power Saving Mode:

  1. From the Home screen, touch the Apps icon.
  2. Tap Settings to open it.
  3. Scroll to and touch Power saving.
  4. Touch Power saving mode to turn it on.
  5. Tick the checkbox next to Restrict background data, then touch OK.
  6. Tap Restrict performance to view additional features you may disabled to even minimize battery use.

Another feature that would handicap the phone but extends battery life even longer is the Ultra Power Saving Mode. Just follow the same steps above and touch Ultra Power Saving Mode and follow on-screen instructions.

When turning the Power Saving Mode, there are options that are disabled. This means you cannot use the phone to its full potential and there is also a noticeable decrease in its performance. It is best you enable this feature if the phone is below 30%.

Configuring S Pen

The S Pen is one of the features of Samsung’s Note series. While it functions like a generic stylus, the company made it a point to make it as interactive as possible not to mention a bunch of features that are embedded on the firmware itself as core services. The following are some of the features of the S Pen:

Air Command – this will allow you to easily access other S Pen features. To open it, just hover the S Pen near the screen and press the S Pen button. You will then have access to Action Memo, Smart select, Image clip, and Screen write.

Action Memo – this is probably the best feature of the S Pen as its functionality is just so diverse and unique. You can perform several actions after you’re written a note. For example, if you’ve written a number, you have the option to dial it without opening the dialer and keying in the number again. You may also start a conversation through text or email. As mentioned earlier, S Pen features are embedded on the firmware that core services can be easily used or pulled up.

Smart Select – aside from being an obvious cropping tool for texts, Smart Select also remembers additional data from the source of copied text that makes it easier for you to browse or find the website again.

Image Clip – it is a cropping tool for pictures that makes it easier for users to change the form of the selection and then share, save or both the output.

Screen Write – it is more than just a screen-grabbing feature. When used, the feature will take a shot and then the user can write all over the picture. It is best used when jotting down information in connection to a website or image.

Handwriting Recognition – it is obvious that anyone can type faster than scribble but if you find scribbling on your phone’s screen fun, then you can use the S Pen to literally write. The device will take care of converting what you’ve scribbled into words.

To turn on Air Command and its feature, follow these steps:

  1. From the Home screen, touch the Apps icon.
  2. Touch Settings.
  3. Scroll to and touch S Pen.
  4. Under ‘GENERAL’ section, touch Air command.
  5. Touch the slider to turn in On.
  6. Air command is now enabled.

Motion Gestures

In a bid to make Note 4 even smarter, Samsung included a bunch of features that can be executed with a wave of a hand or touch. Some of them are the following:

Direct call – this allows the user to trigger a call by simply holding the phone near the ear.

Smart alert – the feature will make the phone vibrate when the user picks it up, indication that there are missed notifications.

Palm swipe – this allows the user to take a screenshot by simply swiping a hand on the screen.

Air wake up – the user can turn the screen on by hovering a hand over it.

Single tap mode – you can dismiss calls, events and alarms by a single tap.

Flit to mute – this is a very handy feature where the user can mute the phone by simply flipping it over or by placing the palm over the screen.

You may enable or disable these features through Settings:

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Touch Settings.
  3. Scroll to and touch Motions and gestures.
  4. You now have access to some of the features.

Others can be accessed through Accessibility settings:

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Touch Settings.
  3. Scroll to ‘SYSTEM’ section and touch Accessibility.

Saving MMS Attachment

Saving MMS or picture messages on a Note 4 can be with ease. This guide may be helpful for people who often receive pictures sent through text messages. Follow the steps below and you’ll be fine:

  1. From the Home screen, tap Messages.
  2. Touch the message that contains the attachment you want to save in your phone.
  3. Once inside the conversation, touch the attachment to view it.
  4. If the picture is viewed in full size, you can find the Save button at the top.
  5. Once saved, the picture will be visible via Gallery.

Troubleshooting: If you can’t receive MMS or picture messages, make sure mobile data is enabled in your phone. If attachments are not displayed and altered by exclamation mark, lower priority from High to Normal.

Switching Easy Mode On

The Note 4 has two Home screen modes. The default is the Standard mode and when the phone boots up, this screen mode is automatically selected. The Easy mode, on the other hand, provides a more simplistic, minimalist experience to the user. If you’re a first-time user and lost in the sea due to countless features, it may help if you turn the Easy mode on. Here’s how:

  1. From the Home screen, touch the Apps icon.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Scroll down to find Easy mode and tap on it.
  4. Touch Easy mode to tick the radio button to the right.
  5. Tap Done on the upper right.

Turning On Private Mode

Samsung made it a point to include yet another security feature better known as Private mode. As what the name denotes, it makes things a little more private. Among the things you can hid are photos, videos, recordings and virtually any file you want hidden from prying eyes.

  1. From the Home screen, touch the Apps icon.
  2. Touch Settings.
  3. Scroll to and tap Private mode.
  4. Tap Next.
  5. Read the Disclaimer if you want and then tap Next.
  6. Review the information on the screen to know how to set privacy status for your files and then touch Start.
  7. Before you can hide your files, you need to setup your unlock method first. You may choose Patter, PIN, Password or Fingerprint. For this example, let’s use PIN.
  8. Enter your PIN and touch Continue.
  9. Re-enter your PIN to confirm it, then touch OK.
  10. Now that Private mode is properly setup and turned on, you may start moving files to private directory.
  11. For example, you may open Gallery and choose albums or photos you want to keep private.
  12. Once you’ve selected the files, tap the More options icon at the upper right corner and choose Move to Private.
  13. Turn off Private mode once you’ve finished moving files to make sure others can’t view them if given access to your phone.

Download Additional Camera Modes

One of the selling points of Galaxy Note 4 is its 16 megapixels camera; it speaks for itself. It is complimented by camera modes but Samsung only included a handful of them, although others can be downloaded for free. The following steps will guide you through downloading additional camera modes for your phone:

  1. From the Home screen, touch the Apps icon.
  2. Touch the Camera app to launch it.
  3. Touch MODE.
  4. Scroll to and tap Download.
  5. Now choose the mode you desire.
  6. Touch Install to begin the download.
  7. Tap Accept and Download.
  8. Tap Back twice to return to the camera viewfinder.
  9. Touch MODE.
  10. You can now find the mode you just downloaded.

Android Device Manager

If you think you wouldn’t lose a phone the size of the Note 4, think twice. Theft is very real and there are always times when you could misplace it. Of course, it would be easy to just dial your number from another phone to make it ring, but what if it was set to the lowest volume level? That’s when Android Device Manager comes into play. Among the things it can do are remotely lock the phone, play the ringtone at full volume for five minutes, remotely wipe the device, and track its location.

  1. From the Home screen, touch the Apps icon.
  2. Touch Google Settings.
  3. Tap Android Device Manager.
  4. The option Remotely locate this device is enabled by default, so enable Allow remote lock and erase by ticking the checkbox to the right.
  5. Now tap Activate to turn it on.

Take Screenshot with Hard Keys

There are three ways to take a screenshot on a Note 4 and the most common way to do it is by using the hard keys. The easiest is by swiping across the screen and the other is by using the S Pen through a feature called Smart Screen. Here’s how you take a screenshot using hard keys:

  1. Go to the screen you want grabbed.
  2. Press and hold the Home key and the Power key simultaneously for two seconds or until you see the screen flashes.
  3. Once the screenshot is taken, it will copied to the clipboard and saved to the Screenshots folder in the Gallery.
  4. The most recent screenshot will appear in the Notification Panel.
  5. With two fingers slightly separated, swipe the notification down to access screenshot shortcuts.
  6. When you expand the screenshot in the Notification Panel, you can Share, Edit or Delete it.

Accessing Task Manager

The task manager is one of the most important service you should learn to access in your Note 4. It offers quick memory management, which lets you free up system resources. But unlike any other services, there is no way for you to directly access it. But it’s a good thing, though, because before you can access it, you can do a couple of things that will also help in improving the devices performance.

  1. From any screen, touch the Recent apps key to the left of the Home key.
  2. You are now viewing recently used apps. You may swipe each one to the left or to the right to close them or just tap the Close all button.
  3. Touch Active apps.
  4. The Active apps screen will display all apps that run in the background as well as the current RAM usage.
  5. You may tap the End button beside each app to close then one by one or you can just tap the End all button to close all of them simultaneously. This simple procedure is helpful enough to make the device run faster.

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Intermittent sensitivity issue on Galaxy Note 7 S-Pen, other issues

With the on-going recall of #GalaxyNote7 series, worldwide sales of the new Samsung flagship is surely taking a huge hit. If you’re reading this post, you should know by now that Samsung had been forced to issue a recall of its most recent flagship after dozens of documented reports of the battery catching fire surfaced. If you’ve received the replacement one, you should stop worrying as Samsung claims replacements ones are be a lot safer compared to the initial batches. It doesn’t mean however that the replacement Note 7s will be free of issues. On the contrary, we are expecting to receive a lot of many different issues about this product in the coming months so keep watching for our Note 7 troubleshooting posts.

note-7

In the meantime, these are specific issues we cover in this post today:

  1. Galaxy Note 7 “camera failed” error
  2. Intermittent sensitivity issue on Galaxy Note 7 S-Pen
  3. Gear S2 and Galaxy Note 7 notification issue
  4. Verizon replacements for recalled Galaxy Note 7 devices
  5. Galaxy Note 7 won’t turn on
  6. Galaxy Note 7 is totally unresponsive

If you are looking for solutions to your own #Android issue, you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page, or you can install our free app from Google Play Store.

When describing your issue, please be as detailed as possible so we can easily pinpoint a relevant solution. If you can, kindly include the exact error messages you are getting to give us an idea where to start. If you have already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, make sure to mention them so we can skip them in our answers.

Problem #1: Galaxy Note 7 “camera failed” error

I’m getting the “Camera failed” error when I launch the front facing camera on my Galaxy Note 7. I have taken all of your troubleshooting steps, including re-launching the camera app, turning off smart stay and rebooting, clearing the camera app data and cache, and doing a factory reset. I’m hoping there’s something else that will work. I just received my replacement Note 7 and I didn’t have this issue on my original. — Kevin

Solution: Hi Kevin. The troubleshooting steps you mentioned are all that you can do to try to resolve the problem. Since even a factory reset did not fix the issue, the replacement unit you received may have a defective hardware in the first place. Try doing another round of factory reset and observe the phone without any apps. If the issue remains, get another replacement.

Keep  in mind that replacement phones are not brand new units but are refurbished ones so there’s a chance that they may be defective in the first place (especially if Samsung does not take extra checks before putting the returned unit to circulation).

Problem #2: Intermittent sensitivity issue on Galaxy Note 7 S-Pen

I have a Note 7. The S-Pen is becoming randomly overly sensitive (registering a click at random distances from 0-3 cm from the screen, rather than actually when i make contact). This makes typing, or selecting anything with much precision, difficult. It is also an intermittent condition, but I have not been able to figure out what conditions contribute to it occurring (no one app, no number of apps, no time since reboot). And the condition will go away on its own, while no action I take (including soft reset) seems able to clear the error. — David

Solution: Hi David. The S-Pen of the new Note 7 is twice more sensitive than its predecessor so your issue doesn’t make sense. Below are the troubleshooting steps that you can do to narrow down the cause of the problem.

  • Remove screen protector. If you are using one, try to remove it so you’ll see the difference. Some screen protectors can affect the sensitivity of the digitizer so taking it out is a must. If you feel some unnatural resistance when trying to write, or if you notice uneven surface, you may have a problem with the screen film.
  • Remove magnetic covers. Same as the screen protector, you must try to remove whatever protective case you’re using to see any difference in Note digitizer sensitivity. If the cover has a magnetic lock, it may interfere with the S-Pen’s functionality.
  • Replace the S-Pen tip. Sometimes, replacing a worn out S-Pen tip works in resolving sensitivity issues. If you have a spare tip, try to replace the existing one. This is the last troubleshooting step that you can do on your S-Pen.
  • Perform a factory reset. To also check if the phone’s firmware itself is the issue, you can try a factory or master reset. This will not only delete existing bugs, but may also prevent potential ones from developing. Make sure to also update all your apps after this procedure.

For reference, below are the steps on how do a master reset:

  • Backup your data and files saved in the phone’s internal storage.
  • Remove your Google account to deactivate the anti-theft function of the phone.
  • Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
  • Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key. NOTE: It doesn’t matter how long you press and hold the Home and Volume Up keys, it won’t affect the phone but by the time you press and hold the Power key, that’s when the phone starts to respond.
  • When the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
  • When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds. NOTE: The “Installing system update” message may show on the screen for several seconds before displaying the Android system recovery menu. This is just the first phase of the entire process.
  • Using the Volume Down button, highlight the option ‘wipe data / factory reset’’ and press the Power key to select it.
  • Press the Volume Down button a few times to highlight ‘Yes — delete all user data’ and press the Power key to select it.
  • It may take a few seconds to complete the reset so just wait.
  • Once completed, the option ‘Reboot system now’ must be highlighted, so press the Power button to restart your phone.
  • The Note 7 will then boot up normally.

If the above suggestions won’t help, contact Samsung and demand for a replacement phone.

Problem #3: Gear S2 and Galaxy Note 7 notification issue

Hello. I have the Note 7 and Gear S2 4G. I have had the watch since it came out last November. The problem I am having is that the settings for my watch change everytime I power it on. It changes my notifications in the Gear app. It worked fine with my Galaxy S6. I have tried rebooting and everything. The notifications it keeps changing are the ones to receive notifications from the phone on my watch while I am on the phone. Like phone calls or text messages and Voicemail. Like I said before no problem with my S6 only my Note 7. Please help. — Brandon

Solution: Hi Brandon. The first thing that you want to do is to ensure that both devices are running the latest software update. If both of them are already updated at this time, try to factory reset the phone first to check for any change in notification behavior. If nothing changes, make sure that you also factory reset the watch to refresh the firmware of both devices.

Problem #4: Verizon replacements for recalled Galaxy Note 7 devices

Hi and good morning. I follow your website and I refer to it often for my Android phones as well as my family’s phones. I am wondering if you have heard anything about when VZW might be getting repaired Galaxy Note 7s to replace the phones that were issued to us here in the US, and then recalled.

I call Verizon and they never seem to know anything. In fact, most of us know more than they claim to know just from news updates on the interweb,. Any info you might have would be great. Thanks. — Russell

Solution: Hi Russell. We don’t work for Verizon so our information regarding any Note 7 recall-related issue are just as good as yours. As far as Verizon’s official channel is concerned, customers can start claiming replacement units starting September 20, 2016.

As of this writing, Samsung claims that they’ve already recalled about 70% of all Note 7s in both South Korea and the US. If you received your Note 7 from Verizon, make sure to visit the nearest available store and have your device replaced as soon as possible.

Problem #5: Galaxy Note 7 won’t turn on

Hi. I have a problem with my Samsung Note. It just died last night. I was trying to open a page, the response was very slow, so I hit the back button. It didn’t answer to my command, so I pressed Home button and Power button. My phone just went black and that was it. I couldn’t start up again. Unlike other times, when my phone just freeze and was hot because I’ve used it a lot, this time, the phone was cold – the battery was cold, and I had it in my hands just a little time before it died. Should I mention that it doesn’t show me anything when I am trying to recharge the battery, nothing. It doesn’t heat up. I followed some steps on this page, but it didn’t help. The laptop doesn’t show me anything like recognising the device. It just makes a noise when I’m introducing the cable in the USB port. If you could help me with any information or something, I would appreciate it very much! It just happened when I needed my phone the most. And I am afraid that I may have lost all my contacts number. Thank you very much, for your help! Best regards. — Carmen

Solution: Hi Carmen. If the phone remains totally unresponsive even after leaving it connected to a charger for at least 30 minutes, we doubt if there’s anymore that you can do on your level to fix it. The only thing that we can suggest is that you try to boot the phone in other modes to see if you can revive it. If nothing happens, have the phone replaced.

Below are the steps on how to boot your Note 7 to different modes.

Boot in Recovery mode

  • Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
  • Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  • When the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
  • When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds.
  • Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
  • You can either wipe the cache partition or do a factory reset when in this mode.

Boot in Download Mode

  • Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
  • Press and then hold the Home and Volume DOWN keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  • When the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume DOWN keys.
  • Wait until the Download screen appears.
  • If you can boot the phone in download mode but not in other modes, that means that your only way out may be to flash a stock or custom firmware.
  • Use Google to look for a guide on how to do it.

Boot in safe mode

  • Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
  • Press and hold the Power button.
  • Once the ‘Samsung Galaxy Note 7’ logo appears, release the Power key and immediately press and hold the Volume Down button.
  • Continue holding the button until the phone finishes rebooting.
  • Once you see the text “Safe mode” at the bottom left corner of the screen, release the Volume Down button.
  • The only difference of safe mode from normal mode is that the former prevents third party apps from running. If you can boot the phone in safe mode but not in normal mode, uninstall all apps until the issue (that prevents you from booting normally) is eliminated.

Problem #6: Galaxy Note 7 is totally unresponsive

Hello. Great blog! Very informative and easy to understand. Wonderful educational resource for the masses. Keep up the great work! My Note has from time to time given me the “No SIM card detected” error. I would restart and all would be fine. Last week, the error came up multiple times in 2 days and then the phone started shutting down on its own. It would not start up immediately, sometimes a few hours would go by and when I hit the power button it would power up, but only stay on for short spurts of time before shutting down again.

Now, the phone will not turn back on at all. I bought a Galaxy J7 in the meantime, but it appears I didn’t back up my data on the Note (based on attempting to sync via Google and only email contacts show, not phone numbers) so I expect to lose all my contacts and pictures if I can’t power on my Note 7 to sync or export to my SD card. I did the soft reset to no avail. When trying again hours later, just to see, the phone did vibrate and the logo appeared and that was it. Power off. Perhaps this is a telling sign?

I get no response when holding buttons (home, power, volume up). Any suggestions? Your help is greatly appreciated! — Michelle

Solution: Hi Michelle. If you want to check if you can boot the phone so you can create a backup of your files, we suggest that you try to restart it to safe mode first. If that won’t work, try the other two modes we mention above.

You should also know by now that Samsung is recalling Note 7s around the world. If you haven’t returned your device yet, we highly suggest that you do so ASAP. Since it’s a recall, you don’t have to explain what the problem is to get a replacement unit.
If you are already using the replacement unit at this time, we still recommend that you have the device replaced if you can’t turn it back on by doing any of the modes above.

 

Engage with us

If you are one of the users who encounters a problem with your device, let us know. We offer solutions for Android-related problems for free so if you have an issue with your Android device, simply fill in the short questionnaire in this link and we will try to publish our answers in the next posts. We cannot guarantee a quick response so if your issue is time sensitive, please find another way to resolve your problem. 

If you find this post helpful, please help us by spreading the word to your friends. TheDroidGuy has social network presence as well so you may want to interact with our community in our Facebook and Google+ pages.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A (2016) with S Pen leaks out in all its glory

Galaxy Tab A 2016

Galaxy Tab A 2016

The 2016 iteration of the #Samsung #GalaxyTabA has just leaked out with the source mentioning the existence of the S Pen stylus as well. This makes the tablet quite identical to the current iteration of the Galaxy Tab A, which also comes with an S Pen stylus on board. While the stylus is not apparent from most images, the picture of the rear panel reveals a small silo for the S Pen at the bottom left portion of the device, thus confirming that this is indeed the real deal.

The tablet is expected to be packing a 10.1-inch display, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, a 1.6 GHz octa-core Exynos 7870 chipset, Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and a 7,300 mAh battery under the hood. As you can see, the device could turn out to be quite the tablet if marketed correctly. Previous models of the Galaxy Tab A were not that popular in the market, but the Korean manufacturer will hope to turn things around this time.

The S Pen stylus on the tablet will be the same as the one seen on the Galaxy Note 7, so you can expect to see all the new software features to be on board as well.

Via: Sam Mobile

Galaxy Note 5 unable to register to a cellular network, other issues

Note 5

We bring you again another list of #GalaxyNote5 issues taken from queries submitted by our community. If you don’t find your own question published here, don’t forget to visit the previously posted articles in this link. We plan on posting more related materials in the near future so keep watching for them.

These are the specific topics covered in this article today:

  1. Galaxy Note 5 unable to register to a cellular network
  2. S Voice on Galaxy Note 5 not working properly
  3. Snapchat app on Galaxy Note 5 keeps crashing
  4. Galaxy Note 5 S Pen apps and functions not working properly
  5. Galaxy Note 5 Marshmallow update disables micro-USB port

If you are looking for solutions to your own #Android issue, you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page, or you can install our free app from Google Play Store.

When describing your issue, please be as detailed as possible so we can easily pinpoint a relevant solution. If you can, kindly include the exact error messages you are getting to give us an idea where to start. If you have already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, make sure to mention them so we can skip them in our answers.

Problem #1: Galaxy Note 5 unable to register to a cellular network

Hey. I’m from the Philippines and I’m not sure if you’re aware of Smart. It’s a carrier here in the Philippines where my sister got this phone. Well, she is traveling to Dubai back then and needs to use the phone there. So what my mom did is she went to a tech store in a mall and got the device to be “open line” and I’m not really sure if you’re aware of that. but moving forward, once the phone was “open line” they tried to put in a different carrier sim card and they were able to use it. my sister was able to use the phone over abroad and then some days ago or months, I’m not really sure, my sister sent it back to us again.

My other sister tried to use it by inserting a Globe sim card and she wasn’t able to send or receive messages and calls. And then my phone (iPhone 5c) was broken and i need a phone so my mom asked if my sister can just give me this phone, the Samsung Note 5 and also with the same issue. I wasn’t able to send or receive any texts or calls. then i tried to hard reboot and factory reset it but nothing happened. And then i went to Settings>More Networks>Mobile Networks>Networks Operator and I tried to register my phone (note 5) to Globe. i was waiting for about 5 minutes for it to be finish loading up and then in seeing an error message saying: “unable to connect. Try again later.”

And my mom told me that my phone has an hardware issue and i don’t really know what it is. I’ve tried doing that multiple times but nothing is happening. So please.. if you can help me with this, email me ASAP. I really do need your help.

I would like to provide you my Mobile Number but you will not be able to reach me because as I’ve said, cant receive or make a text or call. So please email me ASAP. Thank you and God Bless. — John Michael

Solution: Hi John Michael. First of all, we would like to remind you that we don’t send our advice via email. We want to make our suggestions and solutions accessible to all Android users so you can’t expect an email from us. We do hope that you will find this article the next time you visit our website.

Now, as regards your issue, the first thing that you want to do is identify whether the issue is software or hardware in nature. Based on what you’re saying though, we think that the problem can either be an incorrect network setting, or an unknown software bug. Since this phone had been previously carrier unlocked, we can’t see no reason why it wouldn’t connect to another network in your country unless something was changed again when your sister used it abroad. The “unable to connect. Try again later.” error is a clear indicator that your Note 5 is unable to register to Globe network. Since it’s impossible for us to know the network settings of your device, we suggest that you have it checked in a shop again so it can be reconfigured again if needed.

Other possible reasons why a Samsung phone is unable to register to a network include the following:

  • incorrect IMEI. We’ve seen some Samsung phones in the past that changes their IMEI number to an invalid one after an Android system update. This is a known bug and should no longer happen at this time as it was fixed years before. It will still be a good thing if you can double check the IMEI number of your phone by going to Settings>About device>Status>IMEI information. Once you have the IMEI number, call your carrier and ask them to check if this device is being blocked by their system.
  • incorrect APN. Sometimes, switching between different SIM cards can cause network problems as well. Make sure that your phone has the correct APN settings. If you don’t have the APN settings or if you are not sure, call your carrier and ask them to help you set it up.
  • phone has been blacklisted. Although this doesn’t happen very often, some countries collect information of phones reported as stolen or lost. Blacklisted devices are then prevented from connecting to any network in the country, effectively making it unusable to the thief. To know if your phone is blacklisted, call your carrier and ask them how to check the IMEI status.

Problem #2: S Voice on Galaxy Note 5 not working properly

I’ve been having this trouble for a while now. S Voice used to work correctly. Now it comes up and tells me it has say four listings for a contact that I want to text. But those listings include one mobile number and the rest are emails or other ways to contact that person. I designated one email as primary and the text number is primary. And the voice comes up and tells me that I have all of these in my address book and then she shuts off and doesn’t bother to let me say text mobile, and if she does let me say text mobile, she just says I have four contacts in your address book and pops up all four options to contact that person. And they are all for the same person and she won’t pick up on the mobile number only. The app was up to date. I even uninstalled it and set it up all over again. It seems my only option is to delete all other ways to contact the person other than the text number only. — April

Solution: Hi April. There are only two possible solutions that you can try in this case — wipe the cache partition and do a factory reset.

The first solution, wiping the cache partition, is meant to ensure that the system cache is fresh. Sometimes, a corrupted or outdated system cache can cause other apps to act weirdly. Wiping the cache partition is safe to do and won’t delete contents from your phone storage. To do it, follow these steps:

  • Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 completely.
  • Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home buttons first, and then press and hold the Power key.
  • Keep the three buttons pressed and when ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key but continue holding the other two.
  • Once the Android logo shows, release both the Volume Up and Home buttons.
  • The notice ‘Installing system update’ will show on the screen for 30 to 60 seconds before the Android system recovery screen is shown with its options.
  • Use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘wipe cache partition’ and press the Power key to select it.
  • When the process is complete, use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.
  • The reboot may take a little longer to complete but don’t worry and wait for the device to become active.

 

If wiping the cache partition won’t change the behavior of the S Voice app, don’t hesitate to do a factory reset. Just remember to create a backup of your personal data before you do it.

Problem #3: Snapchat app on Galaxy Note 5 keeps crashing

About 80% of the time when I open Snapchat, it will cause my phone to go black and won’t turn back on. This has been happening for like 6 months now and it’s getting frustrating. I sometimes can open Snapchat and it will be okay, but if I’m on there for too long it will still crash. and most of the time it will crash as soon as I open it.

I contacted them about my issue and they seem to have no idea what may be happening. They haven’t heard any similar complaints.

I tried uninstalling and reinstalling it and same problem. I factory reset my phone and same problems.

I can use my camera app just fine so I don’t think it’s a camera issue. I just don’t know what else to do since I’m not exactly tech savvy. I don’t have an upgrade for my phone yet and don’t have the money to outright buy a new one, so I’m hoping someone could shed some light on the cause? oh and I hadn’t downloaded any new apps around the time it began doing this, so I don’t think that’s the cause either. — Megan

Solution: Hi Megan. Snapchat crashes is a well documented issue across many Android devices, not just on Samsung phones. Typing the phrase “Snapchat crashes Android” in Google will easily give you the picture. Given the pervasiveness of this issue in many Android devices, it’s not really difficult to deduce that it’s an a coding problem. That means that there’s no amount of factory resets, cache partition wipes, among other software troubleshooting on your phone that you can do to fix it. There’s nothing that we can do to fix it either. The burden of fixing the problem should fall on the shoulders of the app’s developer, not on users. Unfortunately, it’s the user that suffers. If the Snapchat app in your phone is up-to-date and there’s no available update for it at this time, just stop using it until the issue is fixed by an update. Again, we can’t stress the point enough that the problem is due to a code bug/s. if you want a fix, make all the noise you can to attract the attention of the developer so they can look into the problem. Otherwise, simply remove it from your phone and save yourself some trouble.

Problem #4: Galaxy Note 5 S Pen apps and functions not working properly

Hi! I have recently bought a second handed Galaxy Note 5, and I realized after a while that the S pen had a strange behavior with certain applications or functionalities. If I use the pen to scroll pages or type text, I cannot use correctly the dedicated applications for the S Pen, like S Note, but also Air Command.

For example, in S Note, if I want to write a note I need to press the button of the stylus before approaching the screen, otherwise it only erases what is touched.

With Air Command, I also need to click the button before I can touch the button to open Air Command or click on one of the icons.

It is actually the same thing when I want to press the Option and Return buttons.

Do you have any records of users facing the same problem? I tried to search some answers for similar issues, but without much results.

Thank you for your time! — Julien

Solution: Hi Julien. Any feature or app issue on the Note 5, regardless of whether or not an S Pen is involved, must be resolved by doing the same set of software troubleshooting. Such troubleshooting includes solutions like deleting an app’s cache and data, wiping the cache partition, and doing a factory reset. If you can’t fix the issues you’re having by doing all of these solutions, the issue may be on the phone’s hardware or the S Pen itself. Call Samsung and have both the phone and/or the S Pen checked.

For reference, here are the steps on how to wipe the cache and data of an app:

  • From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  • Find and tap Settings.
  • Under the ‘APPLICATIONS’ section, find and touch Application manager.
  • Swipe to the left or to the right to display the appropriate screen but to display all apps, choose the ‘ALL’ screen.
  • Find and tap the app that has issues.
  • Touch Clear cache to delete its cached files.
  • Touch Clear data and then OK to delete downloaded data, login information, settings, etc.

 

To master reset/ factory reset your Note 5, follow these steps:

  • Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 completely.
  • Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home buttons first, and then press and hold the Power key.
  • Keep the three buttons pressed and when ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key but continue holding the other two.
  • Once the Android logo shows, release both the Volume Up and Home buttons.
  • The notice ‘Installing system update’ will show on the screen for 30 to 60 seconds before the Android system recovery screen is shown with its options.
  • Use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ and press the Power key to select it.
  • When the process is complete, use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.
  • The reboot may take a little longer to complete but don’t worry and wait for the device to become active.

Problem #5: Galaxy Note 5 Marshmallow update disables micro-USB port

Firmware 5.1.1 works fine. then OTA Firmware 6.0.1 was downloaded via WiFi and scheduled to be installed. As soon as it was installed and Note 5 rebooted, battery drain was so fast the battery heats up.

outlet battery charger connected to Note 5’s mini USB port seems to be disabled, so charging the note5 was impossible.

Tried recovery mode and connected miniUSB port cable to Laptop USB port, ODIN 3.11.01 did not detect the port, but was able to charge the note 5 up to 58%.

As soon as I was able to boot normally to Marshmallow 6.0.1, it went straight to Settings>About>Software Info>Build number and clicked it 7x to enable Developer Mode. Clicked Settings->Developer Options and enabled USB Debugging.

Now ODIN 3.11.01 detected the port connected to Note 5 in Recovery Mode (3 buttons: Volume Down, Power, Home)

Flashed Android ROM 5.1.1.

As soon as 5.1.1 Lollipop was up and running, miniUSB port is now again working and can be browsed by Windows File Explorer.

Tried setting note 5 to recovery mode again and cleared cache, data, dalvic, etc before clean-flashing Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow ROM again. As soon as 6.0.1 Marshmallow was up and running, miniUSB port is now not working anymore, Windows File Explorer and ODIN 3.11.01 cannot detect note5 anymore!

Also, Samsung Oculus Gear VR for Note5 does not work at all… since it uses the miniUSB port as well…

– So I reverted back to Lollipop 5.1.1 once more via ODIN 3.11.01 and note5 miniUSB port is once again working.

What is wrong with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and Note 5?

I am from Philippines and my Cell service provider is Smart. They just referred me to Samsung Service Center but I still did not bring it in since it is now once again working with Android Firmware 5.1.1 Lollipop.

Is there a fix for this miniUSB port disabled stat?

My best bet was to use the wireless charger since it does not use the miniUSB port. — Toch

Solution: Hi Toch. The firmware provided by your carrier must be buggy so your question for a fix for the issue should be addressed to them. Android updates are modifications to core operating system files. If the update files are not coded properly, it usually leads to problems with the phones functionalities or with other apps.

In some cases, firmware updates may be coded properly but a third party app might not be. There may be an app that’s not optimized to work with the new operating system, leading to problems.

In other words, you must ensure that all your installed apps are compatible with Marshmallow to minimize bugs from developing.

In your case though, we think that the problem lies on the carrier-provided update itself. If they can’t help you fix at this time, since fixing even a known bug can take some time, simply refrain from updating to Marshmallow until a fix or patch is released.

 

Engage with us

If you are one of the users who encounters a problem with your device, let us know. We offer solutions for Android-related problems for free so if you have an issue with your Android device, simply fill in the short questionnaire in this link and we will try to publish our answers in the next posts. We cannot guarantee a quick response so if your issue is time sensitive, please find another way to resolve your problem. 

If you find this post helpful, please help us by spreading the word to your friends. TheDroidGuy has social network presence as well so you may want to interact with our community in our Facebook and Google+ pages.

Questions regarding S Planner Tasks in Galaxy Note 5, other issues

Note 5 S Planner

Our post today resolved five #GalaxyNote5 issues submitted by members of our community. If you don’t find a solution to your own Note 5 problem here, kindly visit this page.

Below are the specific topics covered in this material today:

  1. Questions regarding S Planner Tasks in Galaxy Note 5
  2. Galaxy Note 5 S Pen stops working | Galaxy Note 5 not showing notifications
  3. Galaxy Note 5 scree flickers and changes color to yellow
  4. Galaxy Note 5 not turning on and screen remains black
  5. Galaxy Note 5 always getting weak signal strength

If you are looking for solutions to your own #Android issue, you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page, or you can install our free app from Google Play Store.

When describing your issue, please be as detailed as possible so we can easily pinpoint a relevant solution. If you can, kindly include the exact error messages you are getting to give us an idea where to start. If you have already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, make sure to mention them so we can skip them in our answers.

Problem #1: Questions regarding S Planner Tasks in Galaxy Note 5

I just purchased a brand new Samsung Galaxy Note 5 from AT&T and transferred my calendar and tasks over from my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 using Samsung SmartSwitch. I am now having a number of problems I am hoping you can assist with:

 

  • When I transferred my Tasks from the old phone to the new phone, all of the previously “completed” tasks reappeared as new tasks that were no longer checked off. I now have over 2200 “unchecked” tasks in my new phone and I can’t figure out a way to cross them off without deleting them. How can I get rid of these without deleting them and without having to go back and manually check off 2200 tasks?
  • Is there a way to create tasks in the default Calendar App besides going to Calendar > Tasks (View) and entering it there? In my old phone, they used to have an option to “Add Task” in the same view as “Add Event”.
  • How do I prevent completed tasks from disappearing from the list? In my old phone, there was an option to “hide” or “unhide” completed tasks and completed tasks were just checked off with a strikethrough the task. Is this possible in the Note 5?

 

Please help!! — Jennifer

Solution: Hi Jennifer. Since you did not mention it, we assume that you are referring to Samsung S Planner when you say Calendar. The thing is, when it comes to moving events and tasks from one device to another, what you see is what you get. This means that you must work with whatever is carried over to the new device afterwards. We’ve seen your situation happen in other Samsung devices over the years after transferring events and tasks and there’s really nothing that we can do about that. While most of the time the transfer is done accurately, there are some cases wherein some events and tasks may be missing, or may be reflected as new entries. This may be caused by a bug in either of the two S Planner apps, or with Samsung’s sync system itself. Whatever the true cause is, you have no other option but to either manually modify the tasks set as inaccurate on the Note 5, or simply enter new ones by starting from scratch.

The only way to create tasks in S Planner app is as follows:

  • Open the app
  • Tap the top left section that allows you to change Calendar views by Year, Month, Week, Day, Tasks
  • Tap Tasks

For your last question, the answer can be found under S Planner settings. If there’s no option to hide tasks, then that’s it. The most recent version of S Planner does not have an option to hide or unhide tasks. We think that this has always been the case since S Planner was introduced with the first Galaxy S and Note series but we can be mistaken on this one.

Problem #2: Galaxy Note 5 S Pen stops working | Galaxy Note 5 not showing notifications

Hello. i have many problems that occur suddenly.

 

  • my S Pen suddenly stops while i was working “when i attach the pen or dettached i hear the sound” but i can’t find the air command. Accordingly i can’t use the S pen at all, and when i check the settings, all of them are ON”
  • i can’t find any notifications for Facebook, Whatsapp, etc on the top of the screen, i only hear also the voice only
  • the left bottom beside the home screen when i click on it “it supposed to show me all app so i can close all of them,” now it’s deemed i can’t use anymore and can’t close any app or even use the multiple screen “it’s like you are tapping on nothing”. it’s so frustrating.
  • When i drop the screen to see the setting bar, and try to drop again to see all the setting remaining it didn’t and the setting icon can’t take me to the setting inside… Hope you understand my last problem.

 

Finally i tried the wipe cash and nothing happens. Please need help as it’s so annoying. — Tamer

Solution: Hi Tamer. Because you have multiple issues happening at once, we recommend that you simply do a factory reset first to address them together. Doing so is more efficient than trying to address every issue individually. We think that the issue is caused by a corrupted firmware. If that’s not that, then it must be a third party app. Sometimes, software modification like rooting or installation of custom firmware/ROM can lead to problems as well. If you are running a custom ROM or  if the phone is rooted, we recommend that you revert back to stock software.

For reference, here are the steps on how to perform a factory reset:

  • Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 completely.
  • Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home buttons first, and then press and hold the Power key.
  • Keep the three buttons pressed and when ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key but continue holding the other two.
  • Once the Android logo shows, release both the Volume Up and Home buttons.
  • The notice ‘Installing system update’ will show on the screen for 30 to 60 seconds before the Android system recovery screen is shown with its options.
  • Use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ and press the Power key to select it.
  • When the process is complete, use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.
  • The reboot may take a little longer to complete but don’t worry and wait for the device to become active.

Problem #3: Galaxy Note 5 scree flickers and changes color to yellow

For the past few weeks my phone when set to the lowest light setting will make it flicker yellow. and when i hit the lock button and come back to it 5 or 6 minutes later, i have to spam the lock and home button until it will finally let me use my phone.

i have factory reset my phone multiple times and i have even started it in recovery mode, cleared cache data and then restarting it and still the same issues.

i also did the factory reset from the recovery mode screen as well. if i could get some help or advice on how to fix this i’d greatly appreciate it. — Andrew

Solution: Hi Andrew. If factory reset did not change the situation and the same symptoms continue, that’s an indication that software is not to blame. There must be a hardware error, most probably something in the screen assembly, that causes the screen to flicker and change color.

Have the phone checked or replaced.

Problem #4: Galaxy Note 5 not turning on and screen remains black

Hi. I’ve been having a problem with my Galaxy Note 5 since last month and I was be able to resolve it because of your helpful tips that I found here. and ever since the last time that my phone messed up, I never got anymore problems until last night when it was supposed to download the system update.

My system update was set at 12 midnight last night and I was charging it too. As the process was going on, the screen suddenly turned off where it usually displays the Android logo. I thought maybe its low in battery so I just let it recharge the whole night, but I don’t see a red light indicating that its charging.

Then this morning I was trying to turn it on again hoping that its fully charged and the update is still working. I went to your website again and follow your tips on resetting the phone but nothing happened till now. I am out of town so I haven’t tried the other process which is recharging/connecting to the PC. I still wanna try that when I got home, but is there any other process that I can do to make my phone work? What do you think is the problem? Is it the battery, the system update, or the whole phone itself?

Thank you in advance for you advice and help. I will wait for your response to my email. — Hanzu

Solution: Hi Hanzu. A lot of things can be the potential cause of your problem right now. The potential causes can range from a simple firmware glitch, a bad battery, to damaged hardware. Since we don’t know the full history of your device, or if it’s been dropped or exposed to water/liquid, we can only speculate. The general rule of thumb though when it comes to troubleshooting an issue like this is to try to see if you can make the phone boot up to another mode like safe mode, recovery mode, or download mode.

You can also try to do a soft reset by pressing and holding the Power key for at least 10 seconds. This is the equivalent of pulling out the battery, an effective step that can be done on Samsung devices with removable battery. If this won’t work, try to restart the phone in safe mode first. Here’s how to do it:

  • Turn off the phone completely.
  • Press and hold the Power key.
  • Once ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key and immediately press and hold the Volume Down button.
  • The phone will restart but keep the Volume Down button pressed.
  • Once the phone has finished restarting, ‘Safe mode’ will be display in the lower-left corner of the screen.
  • You may now release the Volume Down button.

If you’re phone boots up fine in safe mode, that’s an indication that one of the installed third party apps is problematic. However, if the phone remains unresponsive, try to boot up to recovery or download mode.

  • Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 completely.
  • Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home buttons first, and then press and hold the Power key.
  • Keep the three buttons pressed and when ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key but continue holding the other two.
  • Once the Android logo shows, release both the Volume Up and Home buttons.
  • The notice ‘Installing system update’ will show on the screen for 30 to 60 seconds before the Android system recovery screen is shown with its options.

To boot in download mode, follow the same steps in booting to recovery but instead of pressing Volume Up, do the Volume Down key.

If your Note 5 is still unresponsive, try to charge it using another known working charger to see if the charger you have now is defective.  Otherwise, bring the phone to Samsung and ask for a replacement.

Problem #5: Galaxy Note 5 always getting weak signal strength

Many times I will only have 1 or 2 bars. 3 bars is usual if i’m in an average area. Sometimes I’ll have 4 bars. Inside buildings the phone is almost useless. I travel for my job, so area does not matter. My phone has been this way since day one. Others, who I have talked to, agree that the Note 5 generally has weaker signal than other Galaxy phones. I can be standing next to someone with a Galaxy S5 and they will have 1 bar & sometimes 2 bars better signal than my Galaxy Note 5.

The Internet isn’t any different. Does anyone make a better antenna that I can purchase and install to improve the signal strength. I read that there is a second antenna connection on the Note 5. Says that if you connect 2 antennas then 1 will transmit and the other will receive.  I did find this second antenna plug.

Is this correct? Can I connect Two Antennas(Antenni)? Can you recommend a good antenna for this OR is there a signal strength boosting antenna available that you can recommend? Thanks. — Cory

Solution: Hi Cory. The Note 5’s main antenna is at the bottom rear part of the device and it usually works fine in most circumstances, even if you use a third party protective casing. If the weak signal reception issue has been happening since day one, that should have prompted you to request for a unit replacement. See image below:

Note 5 rear view layout

 

Boosting cellular signal strength is only applicable if you’re getting weaker signals in one location. The reasons for the problem in this case may be due to obstruction, or distance from the nearest cellphone tower. A signal booster can work wonders by amplifying whatever weak signal is reaching one area. A signal booster though is not portable and must be installed inside or outside a building in order to work. Since you’re always on the go, this is obviously not possible.

We don’t know where you get the information about adding another antenna to the existing one but doubt if that’s even possible. The way the Note 5 is designed obviously makes the idea ridiculous in the first place.

The reason for your problem is the phone itself. The installed hardware may not be working properly, or the antenna itself is defective. We recommend that you ask for a replacement instead.

 

Engage with us

If you are one of the users who encounters a problem with your device, let us know. We offer solutions for Android-related problems for free so if you have an issue with your Android device, simply fill in the short questionnaire in this link and we will try to publish our answers in the next posts. We cannot guarantee a quick response so if your issue is time sensitive, please find another way to resolve your problem. 

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Photos edited with Galaxy Note 4 S-Pen are corrupted, other issues

Note 4 s-pen

Our #GalaxyNote4 post for today covers two S-Pen-related problems. We very rarely receive issues related to the Note 4 S-Pen so we are happy to tackle at least two problems for this functionality. The rest of the issues have been discussed in our other posts before but we have decided to publish our suggestions here for convenience.

If you are new to our TheDroidguy site, don’t forget to visit the Note 4 troubleshooting index in this link.

Below are the specific topics tackled in this post today:

  1. Photos edited with Galaxy Note 4 S-Pen are corrupted
  2. Sprint Galaxy Note 4 loses signal when SIM card is inserted
  3. Galaxy Note 4 S-Pen lag issue after updating to Lollipop
  4. Galaxy Note 4 screen not working after it got dropped
  5. Galaxy Note 5 unable to send text message
  6. Galaxy Note 4 speaker not working

If you are looking for solutions to your own #Android issue, you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page, or you can install our free app from Google Play Store.

 

Problem #1: Photos edited with Galaxy Note 4 S-Pen are corrupted

Hey. So I use the S-Pen feature on my Note 4 daily. It was the man reason for buying this phone. However recently I have encountered a very puzzling problem.

I normally take photos of jobs on different sites that need to be completed, and then I go through later and write on those images. I add notes to them. I then email them out to my contractors and clients. Recently however, when trying to view the edited photos on PC or other phones, it comes up saying, photos could not be opened. On PC it doesn’t recognize the file and asks you to choose a program to open it with. On other Android phones, it shows up as a white square with another white square behind it. And when opening it, it says cannot be opened.

After editing/writing on a photo, and saving it I select the photo and go to details, and it shows the image as being in jpg format.

So I am very confused as to why when emailing the edited photo is seems to be corrupted or something.

Also the photos i take and edit are both saved on the internal storage. Really hope you can help. Thanks. — Kobe

Solution: Hi Kobe. Does this problem happen when you email unedited photos? If the answer is yes, we highly recommend that you wipe the cache partition first. There may be an app- or system-cache bug that causes the system to go haywire. If you haven’t tried this procedure before, here are the steps to do it:

  • Turn off the Galaxy Note 4 completely.
  • Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home keys together, then press and hold the Power key.
  • When the Note 4 vibrates, release both the Home and Power keys but continue holding the Volume Up key.
  • When the Android System Recovery shows on the screen, release the Volume Up key.
  • Using the Volume Down key, highlight the option ‘wipe cache partition’ and press the Power key to select it.
  • When the wiping of the cache partition is finished, highlight Reboot system now and hit the power key.

If wiping the cache won’t help, don’t hesitate to invest time in doing a factory reset. This will ensure that all app and system settings are restored to defaults. Simply follow these steps:

  • Turn off the Galaxy Note 4 completely.
  • Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home keys together, then press and hold the Power key.
  • When the Note 4 vibrates, release both the Home and Power keys but continue holding the Volume Up key.
  • When the Android System Recovery shows on the screen, release the Volume Up key.
  • Using the Volume Down key, highlight wipe data / factory reset and press the Power key to select it.
  • Now highlight Yes — delete all user data using the Volume Down key and press the Power key to begin the reset.
  • When the master reset is complete, highlight Reboot system now and hit the Power key.
  • The Note 4 will restart but it will be longer than usual. When it reaches the Home screen, then begin your setup.

Problem #2: Sprint Galaxy Note 4 loses signal when SIM card is inserted

I have a new Note 4 that I purchased in March from Best Buy. It is on the Sprint network. As soon as I got it home I noticed NO SIGNAL until I make or receive a call, (if I receive a call) most of my calls go to voicemail without the phone ringing. If I make or receive a call the signal bars go all the way up to 5 bars but when I hang up, they all disappear again. I had Geek squad send me a replacement phone and the same thing happens. My Note 3 NEVER had a signal issue at all!

I figure out that if I take out the SIM CARD that lets the phone get LTE service, it works perfectly, but no 4G of course. Sprint is sending me out a new SIM card and Geeks Squad is sending me yet another new phone.

I am not confident that the SIM is the issue because my buddies Note 4 does the same thing with his SIM inserted. Any ideas? — Armand

Solution: Hi Armand. Sprint uses CDMA mobile technology which means that it does not need SIM cards to authenticate phones. Only GSM networks need a SIM card in phones. This has been the setup until 4G LTE arrives on the scene. LTE standard uses SIM cards. In order for carriers which uses CDMA technology to avail of this new standard, they must add SIM card functionality to their phones. These types of phones may also be able to work with GSM networks abroad due to the added SIM card functionality. This is the reason why 2G and 3G services on your phone still work fine without the SIM card.

The problem with the missing signals when the SIM card is inserted may be due to how your phone’s operating system is designed to handle this hybrid platform. We have no specific information if this normal for a Sprint Galaxy Note 4 so you have to work with your carrier to sort it out. Only Sprint can fix the issue as this is not caused by Samsung or any app. Try to get a replacement phone from Sprint to see if the issue also happens to it. If the replacement phone will show the same exact issue, that should tell you that it’s perfectly normal for this type of phone.

Problem #3: Galaxy Note 4 S-Pen lag issue after updating to Lollipop

Dear Droid Guy.

1)Ever since I updated my Note 4 to Lollipop 5.0.1, it started lagging. Although I fixed most of the problem (thanks to you :)) what didn’t get fixed was the S-Pen features. Everytime I choose an air gesture, it takes forever to get activated, like the action memo.

Please help me fix this problem as it takes all the fun out of using a Note 4 in the first place.

2)Another problem I faced one time was writing with the S-Pen on the keyboard. It wrote on the keyboard but the text wouldn’t get applied (on the search bar, note comment …etc.). I restarted the Note 4 and the problem was fixed, but I’m afraid the problem would increase. Do i have to be worried or is it just a simple crash. If not what shall i do?

Thank you so much for your great effort. — Basel

Solution: Hi Basel. We’ve encountered very little S-Pen related issues on the Note 4 in the past so we cannot say for certain if this problem is isolated to your device only or not. We are aware though of some third party launchers like Nova launcher and GO Launcher EX causing minor S-Pen glitches. If you installed a third party launcher, try removing them to see a difference.

In general though, S-Pen issues can also be due to a bad system cache or a glitch in the operating system. Don’t forget to delete the cache partition and do a factory reset if disabling a third party launcher won’t help.

Problem #4: Galaxy Note 4 screen not working after it got dropped

Hi. I’m Raj from Malaysia. I’m having an issue in my Samsung Note 4. First my phone fall down and my LCD broke fully. So I replaced  the LCD in Amsterdam as i was abroad. Eventhough i purchased my device in Malaysia, I was able to get the spare parts in Amsterdam. All this while was okey and out of sudden my phone fall down again on 10/02/2016. After that my LCD doesnt effect anything but i unable to switch on my phone. Its seems hard switch on even its on just for while then my phone black off. Then again i removed battery wait for a while i did switch on. It was fine but i can’t unlock my phone as the screen stuck. After that again it will black off. This thing repeated again and again. It was checked in Malaysia mobile shops. Some people said  motherboard and other people saying LCD but there no any scracthes or my LCD break.

Can i know what is the issue? I urgently need help from you? — Raj

Solution: Hi Raj. Dropping an electronic device can result to all sorts of problems. A complete hardware diagnostics must be done to identify where the point of failure lies. Eventhough the LCD looks okay outside, there may be some internal components that has broken loose or damaged. The motherboard or some components attached to it may also be damaged. A complete diagnostics can only be done by checking the phone physically, a job we cannot obviously do. If you can’t do the diagnostics yourself, make sure that you let a competent technician do it for you.

Problem #5: Galaxy Note 5 unable to send text message

Hello. How are you doing today?

So I’m having an issue with my Galaxy Note 4. All was great but then the charge port stopped working. I replaced the charge port and everything was good. I did notice the next day when I was trying to send a text message it wouldn’t send. Error keeps popping up. I tried to switch default app and still nothing. I did find some info on doing a ping test but I don’t know if it’s working. Even when hooked to Wi-Fi i can’t send a message. I can use my phone to do everything else.

Tried to switch between network and wi-fi but still nothing. Could it still connect with the carrier and not be able to send a message?  Message center or SIM? Please help. Thank you for your time. — Joseph

Solution: Hi Joseph. It’s the first time that we encounter an issue about a hardware component replacement resulting to an SMS issue. There appears to be no logical connection between the two though. We recommend that you treat the situation as an SMS issue so the first thing that you need to do is call your carrier. Be sure to have them check that your phone is properly provisioned to use their services, especially SMS. If they can confirm that everything’s okay, start the SMS troubleshooting on your phone.

The next best thing to do is to ensure that the phone has the correct Message center number. Your phone may be communicating with your carrier’s tower but is not properly configured so that it talks directly to the SMS Message Center. To check, please do the following:

  • Open Messages app.
  • Tap the menu icon.
  • Tap Settings.
  • Tap Text messages.
  • Tap Message center.
  • Enter your carrier’s Message Center number (if you don’t have it handy, make sure to ask your carrier for the correct one).
  • Press OK.
  • Once you’ve encoded the number, try to send a text message again.

If entering the correct Message center number won’t work, make sure to ask further troubleshooting instructions from your carrier’s technical support team.

Problem #6: Galaxy Note 4 speaker not working

Hi. Over the last 24 hours, my phone ringtone sounded odd – quieter and with a vibration type quality to it. Today all phone sounds have gone. The phone vibrates when I get a message / call but no sound at all. There’s no sound when playing media either. If I make a call, I can hear fine. Also if I connect headphones, I can hear all sounds and media fine. I’ve adjusted all sound settings, restarted the phone and cleaned it as much as I can. No improvement. As the sound is working fine with headphones in and when making calls, it must be a speaker issue. I just don’t know how to fix it. — Ulya

Solution: Hi Ulya. If the phone’s speaker works fine when you are in a call, that’s definitely not a hardware problem. It is most likely a software glitch or a bad third party app. Try to boot the phone in safe mode to see the difference.

Booting Galaxy Note 4 in safe mode will temporarily disable all third-party or download apps leaving pre-installed ones and core services running. This procedure can help you determine which of your apps is causing a problem.

  • Turn off the phone completely.
  • Press and hold the Power key and the Volume Down key.
  • When the phone starts to boot, release the Power key but continue holding the Vol Down key until the phone finished restarting.
  • Safe mode will be display at the lower left corner; you may release the Volume Down key now.

If the issue fails to occur while in safe mode, that means that one of your installed apps is to blame. You can either uninstall apps until the issue eliminated or you can simply do a factory reset (steps provided above).

 

Engage with us

If you are one of the users who encounters a problem with your device, let us know. We offer solutions for Android-related problems for free so if you have an issue with your Android device, simply fill in the short questionnaire in this link and we will try to publish our answers in the next posts. We cannot guarantee a quick response so if your issue is time sensitive, please find another way to resolve your problem. 

When describing your issue, please be as detailed as possible so we can easily pinpoint a relevant solution. If you can, kindly include the exact error messages you are getting to give us an idea where to start. If you have already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, make sure to mention them so we can skip them in our answers.

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What to do if you inserted the S Pen incorrectly into your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 & other related issues

Since the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (#Galaxy #Note5) was released in August last year, reports of broken S Pens flooded the internet after hundreds of owners incorrectly inserted the stylus into their devices. The debacle prompted Samsung to issue an official statement telling the owners to “follow the instructions in the user guide to ensure they do not experience such an unexpected scenario caused by reinserting the S-Pen in the other way around.”

Note-5-S-Pen-warning-label
The Note 5 S Pen warning label.

The company then started to change the packaging of the Note 5 and included S Pen warning label to show buyers how to correctly insert the S Pen. However, neither the first nor the second response was a solution to the problem, which angered some of the owners because it seemed like Samsung was hesitant to provide a real solution.

Earlier this year though, reports indicated that the manufacturer started shipping new Galaxy Note 5 units with a new mechanism that allows the owners to eject the S Pen without damaging the device. However, the company didn’t provide sufficient information so as to determine the unit with a fixed detection sensor.

Therefore if you bought a Note 5 and want to know if it still has that old mechanism or the new one, you have two options:

  • Open up your brand new phone and see what’s inside, or;
  • Insert the S Pen backwards to see if it get stuck.

Now, for owners who bought the “older” variant of the Note 5 and happened to have inserted the S Pen backwards, do not force it. All you need to get the stylus out without damaging it or your phone is a piece of paper.

Youtube user How2Tech prepared a video on how to do this and that’s where this guide is based on. To make it even simpler for you, I’ve outlined the things you need to do:

Step 1: First of all, do not pull the S Pen out because it will surely damage (and I am 100% sure) the detection sensor. You should know that inserting the stylus incorrectly won’t damage it or the phone, it’s only when you forcibly try to take it out that the sensor and the tail (clicky end) of the S Pen get damaged.

Note-5-S-Pen-inserted-backwards

Step 2: Get a piece of paper and cut about the width of the S Pen and 6 inches long. The stylus is around 4.75 inches long and you will have to insert that piece of paper that far, too.

S-Pen-length

Step 3: Slowly insert the piece of paper until you reach the point where it can’t go any further anymore. To make sure if the paper reached the sensor, try pulling the S Pen out a little bit and push it back in just to guide the paper in. Do it a few times.

insert-paper-s-pen

Step 4: At this time, you may try pulling the S Pen out but if you feel any resistance, don’t continue. Instead, continue guiding the paper in a little farther. If the paper reached the sensor, you should feel just a little amount of resistance while trying to pull the S Pen out.

pull-s-pen-out

Try doing this procedure over and over until you succeed because at this point, the only option you have is to visit a local shop and let the technician open the phone for you just to remove it. You may also try watching the video below for the actual procedure.

But for those who have been very impatient and pulled the S Pen out with force, then it’s too late for you. It may have already incurred some damage as well as your phone.

Other S Pen Related Problems

Q: There always messages comes “S Pen detached” and Air commands appears on screen, whereas Pen is still inside the holder and never removed from holder. This messages come frequently.

A: The detection is either stuck or broken and your problem is actually one of the results when you put in the S Pen backwards and pulled it out. However, if you’re 100% sure you haven’t inserted the pen incorrectly, then it might be just a firmware issue. There might be something that activates Air Commands and since we don’t have any clue what it is, I suggest you do the master reset:

  • Backup all your data.
  • Remove your Google account.
  1. Disengage your screen locks.
  2. Remove your Google account.
  3. Disengage all screen locks.
  4. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5.
  5. Press and hold the Volume Up, Home and Power keys together.
  6. When the device powers on and displays ‘Power on logo’, release all keys and the Android icon will appear on the screen.
  7. Wait until the Android Recovery Screen appears after about 30 seconds.
  8. Using the Volume Down key, highlight the option, ‘wipe data/factory reset’ and press the Power key to select it.
  9. Press the Vol Down button again until the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted and then press the Power key to select it.
  10. After the reset is complete, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.

Q: My S Pen Air Command doesn’t show up on the screen. When I go to settings, S Pen, Air Command, the page is non responsive. Its just color grey.

A: Only a few reported this kind of problem and according to them, their providers see the problem as a “device issue” and replacement is the only viable solution. However, if this problem just started recently or if the page has always been responsive before and this issue started without apparent reason, there’s a chance it’s just some corrupt caches. For that, deleting the system cache may fix it:

  1. Turn off your Galaxy Note 5.
  2. Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, and Power key.
  3. When the phone vibrates, release the Power key but continue to press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key.
  4. When the Android System Recovery screen appears, release the Volume Up and Home keys.
  5. Press the Volume Down key to highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
  6. Press the Power key to select.
  7. When the wipe cache partition is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
  8. Press the Power key to restart the device.

Q: How come Air Command doesn’t pop up automatically when I pull the S Pen out? My Note 5 is pretty new and I’m sure I haven’t inserted the pen backwards so it should be working. But how come it doesn’t work the way it should?

A: Well, may be the S Pen power saver option is enabled; check on that one. It should be disabled so the phone will automatically open Air Commands when the S Pen is pulled out.

If you have other questions or problems, visit our troubleshooting page. We already answered hundreds of problems so we’re sure you can find something you can use. If you need further assistance though, do not hesitate to contact us. Just fill up this form and hit submit.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 now comes with a warning about incorrect S Pen insertion

Galaxy Note 5

The #Samsung #GalaxyNote5 smartphone has been a stellar device in the market so far. However, during the early days of its availability we found that the handset’s S Pen slot had a design flaw that could potentially damage the device if the stylus was inserted wrongly.

Usually one wouldn’t try to fit a stylus the wrong way on purpose, but it was quite a surprise to learn that something that trivial could damage the device.

Now Samsung has made sure that customers are told exactly what not to do with the S Pen as newer models of the smartphone are revealed to be packing disclaimers on the display mentioning how the S Pen should and shouldn’t be inserted. This doesn’t exactly fix the issue, but gives users a fair warning beforehand about how to handle the stylus.

Galaxy Note 5 Warning

The Galaxy Note 5 can be purchase from all major carriers of the U.S. and the disclaimer should be visible on any new units that you purchase going forward.

Source: YouTube

Via: Android Authority

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 S Pen issues detailed by a teardown

Galaxy Note 5

Galaxy Note 5 Teardown - S Pen

If you’ve been following the news at all lately, you would be aware of the issues surrounding the #GalaxyNote5 and its #SPen stylus, where inserting it wrongly could potentially break the device and some of its functioning. #Samsung offered a word soon after, but that was barely addressing the issue at hand.

Following this episode, the folks over at 9to5Google have managed to conduct a teardown of the device to properly understand where the smartphone might be at fault. And as expected, it’s the company’s design that is to be blamed. The S Pen slot has two openings or levers, one which which acts as a switch for the auto detection feature that’s enabled while removing the S Pen, the second lever located at the end simply keeps the S Pen in place.

Pushing it backwards essentially breaks the auto detection lever, rendering it useless. In some cases, the stylus might get stuck at the top lever, making it nearly impossible to get out. This seems like a massive design flaw that could haunt the company over the coming months. One can liken this to Apple’s Bendgate (Pengate), although the issues aren’t that severe here.

If you already have a Samsung Galaxy Note 5 or intend to get one, just make sure you watch closely while inserting the stylus back in its silo.

 

Via: 9to5Google

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ vs LG G4 – specs comparison

It’s becoming clearer and clearer by the day that Samsung’s “true” flagship for the upcoming holiday season was always meant to be the Galaxy S6 Edge+, not the Note 5. It’s of course no coincidence the latter is getting a more limited global bow, and even its freshly surfaced S Pen-related “design flaw” may have something to do with sloppier R&D.

samsung-galaxy-s6-edge-plus-vs-lg-g4

Many will argue you’re not supposed to insert the stylus the wrong way in its slot, and you deserve what’s coming if you don’t pay attention to the direction the tip is pointing at. But is it really as simple as that? Not if you consider such drama was impossible at previous Note generations and their non-springy pens. Physically impossible, as in prevented by design.

Anyhoo, this is not a piece about the Galaxy Note 5 for obvious reasons. It’s about the fully working, thoroughly well-designed and super-provocative Galaxy S6 Edge+. Also, its number one box-office opponent at the moment. That is, until the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus go on sale.

Galaxy Note 5 S6 Edge Plus

The LG G4’s curves are clearly subtler than its rival’s, and the hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 SoC is no match for the raw speed of the Exynos 7420. Can the leather-clad dark horse then still keep up with the metal-and-glass front-runner? Let’s find out:

Galaxy S6 Edge+ vs LG G4 – pricing and availability comparison

Up for grabs from all big four US carriers, Samsung’s “next big thing” is nowhere to be found on Amazon for the time being. At Best Buy, it’s bundled with a free wireless charger, which is neat, and can further net you $200 on a gift card with qualifying trade-ins.

Galaxy S6 Edge+

If you’d rather take your business directly to wireless service providers, Verizon is selling the edgy phablet starting at $32 a month, no upfront fee, or $768 outright. AT&T asks $47 extra off-contract, and also still does carrier agreements in exchange for $299.99.

Then there’s T-Mobile, where the 32GB 5.7 incher costs $780 at full retail, and finally, Sprint will give you a free Galaxy Tab 4 (on-contract) if you score the Galaxy S6 Edge+ with Lease programs or Easy Pay, i.e. $0 down. Alternatively, the Now Network wants $350 with pacts, or $792, no strings attached.

LG G4 brown

Quite the upscale purchase, no matter your retailer or operator choice, especially given an unlocked LG G4 is only $455 through Amazon. In brown leather, so none of that ceramicky or “metallic” plastic exterior nonsense. Of course, if you dig the non-leather gold or white models, they’re pretty affordable too, at $470 and $495 respectively.

Arguably the handsomest flavor is the leather black, available for $472 SIM-free, or $99.99 with Sprint or Verizon contracts. That’s one battle LG wins with ease, although it goes without saying the war remains wide open.

Design and build quality

Aesthetically speaking, this is very much an apples and oranges comparison. Which is not to say we can’t like one fruit more than the other. Can you guess which one? Of course you can. The scrumptious, stylish, robust, metal-and-glass dual-edged treat, measuring 154.4 x 75.8 x 6.9 mm and tipping the scales at 153 grams.

Galaxy-S6-edge-plus

Thanks to a slightly smaller screen and polycarbonate build, you’d expect the G4 to undercut the S6 Edge+’s weight, but that’s not really the case. Granted, the difference is negligible, as the leathery (or metallic) heavyweight contender weighs in at 155 grams.

At its thickest point (remember, the G4’s got a curve too), the 5.5 incher measures a fairly chunky 9.8 mm. And it’s also a bit wider than the GS6 Edge+, although shorter, courtesy of those now iconic physical buttons moved to the back.

LG G4

At the end of the day though, this is a crushing victory for the odds-on favorite. Ladies and gents, we have an exciting tie so far on our hands!

Display and cameras

5.7-inch Super AMOLED with 2,560 x 1,440 pixels and 518 ppi pixel density vs. 5.5-inch IPS LCD, 2,560 x 1,440 and 538 ppi respectively. Before you call this another tie, perhaps you’ll be interested to hear what DisplayMate had to say about the Quad HD panels on the Note 5 and S6 Edge+. Without going into too much detail, they’re “the best performing displays ever tested.” And that includes the G4.

lg-g4-camera

Now, cameras are a delicate subject to tackle for the moment, as we haven’t taken the photographic units of the S6 Edge+ for a real-life spin yet. On paper, the rear shooter should be as remarkable as the one on the G4, with 16 megapixels, optical image stabilization, autofocus and LED flash offered across the board.

Selfie addicts will likely find more comfort in the 8 megapixel front cam of the older flagship, as the new kid on the block only sports a 5 MP secondary camera.

Processor, RAM and battery life

This is where G4’s dreams of glory are completely smashed to pieces. We already showed you a series of Note 5 benchmarks, in which the S Pen phablet obliterated its predecessor, not to mention its Snapdragon 808-powered arch-nemesis.

Samsung 4 GB RAM

The S6 Edge+ features the same exact octa Exynos 7420 silicon, with a matching 4GB RAM for good measure. Ergo, expect a similar 30 to 35 percent gap in system performance, plus a noticeable advantage in energy efficiency for the S6 Edge+ also, despite its larger screen and identical 3,000 mAh battery.

A conclusive recent autonomy test put the Galaxy S6 Edge+ near the top of the charts, with 9 hours+ of single-charge endurance, whereas the LG G4 trailed way behind, at a modest 6 hours of so. Let’s not forget the new guy also comes with wired and wireless fast charging capabilities in tow, compared to wired only as far as the “veteran” is concerned.

Storage, software and others

What’s the score now? Five, six to one in favor of the S6 Edge+? Give another point to the G4 on account of microSD expansion. And a third one for the user-removable battery. Which still doesn’t make our verdict very hard to cast.

LG-G4-battery-microsd

Particularly when you add the touch-based fingerprint recognition technology of Samsung’s bad boy in the equation, as well as its arguably superior copy of Android 5.1 Lollipop. Proprietary UIs are mostly a matter of personal taste, but we think we speak for the vast majority of our readers when we say TouchWiz is prettier than Optimus 4.0.

Bloatware? Both phones are filled to the brim with non-Google apps, yet Samsung actually provides a few you’ll find use for. S-Voice, S Health, Kids Mode, plus a bunch of free “Galaxy Gifts” typically worth a good few hundred bucks.

Galaxy Gifts S6 Edge+

Connectivity-wise, neither device features a futuristic USB Type-C port, with LTE speeds slightly enhanced on the S6 Edge+, and Bluetooth 4.2 superseding 4.1. We have a clear winner therefore, and it’s exactly who you think.

Samsung’s suggestion on the Galaxy Note 5 S Pen controversy: Don’t do it

Galaxy Note 5

Galaxy Note 5

We talked today about how the #Samsung #GalaxyNote5 had a design flaw which could potentially break the device if the S Pen was inserted backwards. Samsung has now responded to these reports and offered a very generic response.

In a brief word offered to an online publication, the company said – “We highly recommend our Galaxy Note 5 users follow the instructions in the user guide to ensure they do not experience such an unexpected scenario caused by reinserting the S-Pen in the other way around.”

It seems like the company is failing to recognize this as a design flaw, which is rather unfortunate given the nature of the issue. However, with this statement being offered, we’re sure that device owners will be more careful while inserting the S Pen back into its slot. Current owners should make sure that the device is out of reach from kids or new users who might accidentally insert the S Pen backwards.

What do you make of this whole controversy and Samsung’s response (or its lack thereof)? Sound off below.

Via: The Verge

Inserting the S Pen backwards on your Galaxy Note 5 might damage the device

Galaxy Note 5

While there are innumerable advantages to having a stylus like the S Pen on your device, it isn’t without its own set of pitfalls, a new report has found. According to some unlucky users, inserting the S Pen backwards on the #GalaxyNote5 causes the device to stop recognizing the stylus altogether. In some cases, the S Pen wouldn’t even come out if it’s inserted wrongly, telling us that this could be a serious concern.

We know what you’re thinking, why would somebody insert the stylus backwards? Well, nobody will do it intentionally, but some users (or kids) might insert it the wrong way accidentally. Ideally, it makes sense to keep a provision for something like this, but sadly that doesn’t appear to be the case with the Galaxy Note 5.

While some users found that S Pen detection was bust after this accident, some were able to get it back with a bit of wiggling inside the slot, something which is not recommended for new users. Samsung is yet to respond to this flaw, but we expect to get a word or two from the company as the word starts to spread.

Via: Android Police