Samsung seems to have quietly fixed the Galaxy Note 5’s stuck S-Pen issue
Samsung’s initial response to pen-gate (otherwise known as the debacle where people would accidentally insert the S-Pen into their Galaxy Note 5 backwards and result in in the device’s detection sensor getting broken) was to read the manual. That doesn’t mean they can’t do better, though.
Samsung already started changing the packaging to remind people how to insert the S-Pen into the Galaxy Note 5, and now they even seem to be producing new circuit boards which use a safer detection mechanism.
The switch, which you can see on the left in the image above, has a greyish white tab that seems to be designed to allow you to safely eject the S-Pen when it’s inserted backwards without fear. It looks like this may be an external cap piece that fits over the original design. Our source says it works beautifully despite the fact that it’s seemingly attached with a piece of adhesive tape. The previous design — the small black tab you see on the right motherboard — didn’t offer such safety.
It’s a shame that Samsung made the oversight in the first place, but at least they’re doing something about it (even if their only motive is to cut down on the amount of warranty claims they’re getting due to people making the mistake). Unfortunately we’re not so sure how to tell which model you get without taking it apart, but that just gives you more incentive to make sure you’re inserting the S-Pen correctly each time you use it.
[Thanks anon!]