Rumors have been circulating for months that the new S Pen will be amazing. It was rumored that it would get its own battery and would connect to the Samsung Note 9 using Bluetooth. A natural question arises: "Why?". After all, the branded stylus did well without all these things for many years and remained one of the best on the market.

Apparently, all this is necessary for the implementation of new functions. But what?

Today, Samsung created the effect of an exploding bomb by demonstrating its high-tech novelty. And finally, users have information about what the new S Pen can do.

Media playback

Now the S Pen stylus will become something like a remote control for the multimedia capabilities of a smartphone. For example, a single press of the button will start the player or pause the playing track. Double - will skip to the next song in your playlist.

Remote camera control

You can now use the button on the S Pen to take a photo. Just place your Note 9 in a convenient place, grab the stylus and take a selfie. Note that the latter works at a distance of up to 10 m from the smartphone.

Flipping images

The S Pen can now serve as a high-tech pointer. With it, you can flip through photos in the gallery or slides on the big screen, for example, during a presentation. Single press means forward, double press means backward.

Built-in battery

Because the S Pen is now a Bluetooth device, it requires a power source. But instead of using a conventional battery, Samsung has equipped the stylus with a battery known as a supercapacitor.

This solution has many advantages. First, unlike conventional Li-Ion batteries, which lose their properties over time and become unusable after a few years, a supercapacitor is able to work properly for 10 years.

Second, supercapacitors charge much faster than traditional batteries.

And it's not over yet

Even though these were all features showcased by Samsung, the company is known to be working with a development team. This will improve the usability of the S Pen when working with third-party applications.

Samsung will also release an SDK soon, opening the way for any developer to use the S Pen in their own software.

The Samsung S-Pen is one of the most recognizable smartphone accessories in the world. Have you ever wondered what he is capable of? Here is the most complete guide from which you will learn what the S-Pen is capable of.

The Galaxy Note series smartphones from Samsung are among the most popular and productive Android devices. At the moment, eight generations of the smartphone have already been released, the latest model of which is Note 9. Samsung skipped the Galaxy Note 6 and immediately switched from Note 5 to Note 7. Each phone came with a proprietary S-Pen stylus, and software support was implemented in the smartphone itself .

This is an unusual stylus. Each new generation was replenished with functionality. Thus, we focused primarily on the S-Pen of the Galaxy Note 9 smartphone. Most of this material will also be relevant for previous Note series devices. Well, let's start.

Clicking on the stylus not only helps to remove it from the smartphone.

Let's take a quick look at the key features of the Galaxy Note 9 S-Pen. Some of these features are carried over from previous generations, and some are completely new. Of course, we expect the Galaxy Note 10 stylus to come with improvements as well.

The new S-Pen connects to your phone via Bluetooth, a feature introduced in 2018. The stylus is still inside the case, unlike most competitors.

It is powered by a supercapacitor instead of the classic lithium-ion battery solutions like the Microsoft Surface Pen or Apple Pencil. Samsung claims that a full charge only takes 40 seconds.

A full charge allows you to use the stylus for up to 30 minutes or 200 button presses. Users are notified when the stylus battery is at 20 percent.

The S-Pen uses wireless charging while in the body of the device. This method is different from wirelessly charging the Note 9 itself. Thus, you cannot charge the S-Pen with a smartphone's wireless charger.

According to Samsung, the stylus requires 0.5 mAh of current to fully charge. In other words, the S-Pen should not impact battery life, even if the supercapacitors slowly lose charge over time. For reference, 0.5 mAh is only 1/8000th of the 4000 mAh battery installed in Note 9.

The S-pen will still work without charging, it just can't be used as a remote control until the next charge.

The stylus tip is 0.7mm thick. It registers up to 4096 pressure levels. This is equivalent to the Microsoft Surface Pen 2 and most Wacom device styluses.

The 2018 S-Pen is available in yellow, ocean blue, lavender, black and brown. Follow these links to check their availability on Amazon. They range in price, from $40 to $50. They are also responsible for your main letter color, but we will talk about this later.

The range of the stylus when using Bluetooth is approximately 9 meters.

A little-known feature of the S-Pen is its many nibs. Each of the recent Galaxy Note devices comes with a small tool that you can use to pop out the stylus tip. By default, the stylus has a soft rubber tip, but you can change it to a hard plastic one. The puller must be in the box of your Galaxy Note smartphone.

Main functions

The Air View feature allows you to remotely control your Google Chrome browser.

An example of direct S-Pen input. Direct Writing is a direct input function that fully justifies its name.

Notes on the turned off faucet can later be saved as regular notes or left for later use.

The S-Pen comes with various features. They are enabled by default and you can manage them in the settings menu.

air view- Air View allows you to collect quick information by pointing the stylus at various elements. The feature works best in the calendar and gallery. We don't know how the stylus will work with third party apps like Google Calendar or Google Drive.

Direct Writing Input– Direct input, which allows you to fill in text fields, in fact by hand. Just hover over an empty text field, click on it, and you can start handwriting.

Screen Off Memo- the classic note-taking feature. You can take notes on your device without unlocking the screen. Simply remove the S-Pen when the screen is off and follow the instructions on the screen. You can save these notes in the Samsung Note app, take multiple notes, erase, and even change the thickness of the digital ink.

PENUP is a kind of social network for Samsung Note owners. You can create drawings, color in existing art, and share your work with other members of the community. The app is installed by default and you can uninstall it if you don't need it. PENUP is also available on the Google Play Store.

Changing the color of the S-Pen- you can, in fact, change the color of the digital ink of the stylus. Unfortunately, there are only two options - this is the actual, physical color and the white color of the pen itself. If necessary, you can buy additional styluses in different colors. Applications themselves do not allow you to change colors, for example, in the Screen-off memo function there is no such possibility. You can change colors in Samsung Notes, just like most other apps that support a stylus. This is a minus, but not so noticeable.

Visible Pointer- the pointer displayed when the S-Pen is close enough to the screen. This is an old feature and is enabled by default.

Air Command Features

Press this button in the Air Command menu for quick access to S-Pen settings.

Air Command is the main interface for most of the S-Pen's functions.

Screen Write takes a screenshot and then lets you write notes on it.

S-Pen Translate translates using Google Translate, which is very convenient.

Air Command is the interface for using all the various functions of the stylus. It is displayed by default when the S-Pen is removed from the device. A circle appears on which you can see all the available options. You can turn this off in the settings, you don't need it. The interface does not interfere and is not displayed anywhere else.

notes– Of course, you can take notes in Galaxy Note. There are two features from Air Command for taking notes. The former creates a new note, while the latter opens the Samsung Notes app to view previous entries. Notes are synced between devices via your Samsung account, which is useful if you decide to upgrade to a new Note device in the future.

smart select is our favorite way to take a screenshot. You can use the S-Pen to mark an area anywhere on the screen and the smartphone will take a screenshot of that area. This is much better than taking huge screenshots and then cropping them when you just need to save certain information. There is also the option to capture animation in a specific area. Smart Select can make GIFs. A very handy feature.

Translator is a useful but unremarkable feature. You hover your S-Pen over a word in a foreign language and you'll get a translation of it. The option uses Google Translate, and we appreciate Samsung using proven options. You can also listen to the translation.

The zoom function is very useful for visually impaired people.

Live Message creates GIFs. Not very productive, but we like it.

Bixby Vision when using S-Pen.

magnifying glass- This is another useful, but again completely unremarkable feature. Point at something and get a magnification that makes it easy to read or see something small. It is very comfortable. You can enlarge items by 150%, 200%, 250% and 300%. There is also a switch that changes the zoom type, however we didn't see much of a difference.

Glance is a great multitasking tool that allows you to enable picture-in-picture mode for applications. Open the app, turn on Glance and it will shrink into a small window. Hover over it to open the app in full screen again. Simply move the S-Pen area to return the app to Glance mode.

Bixby Vision is a slightly controversial feature that can identify various elements on the device screen and show information about them. It can be seen that the option is made somehow and frankly, it does not work well. It is best used to extract text from an image using OCR technology or to scan a QR code. The rest of the features are just not polished enough yet.

Adding Applications- Air Command allows you to add your own applications to the interface. We recommend adding apps that you use frequently with the stylus. For testing purposes, we even added the Draw Something game since we often use the stylus with it.

Accessing S-Pen settings- After opening the Air Command interface, you can click on the wheel on the top left to access all the different S-Pen settings. This is the fastest way.

Hardware features

The S-Pen menu is the best place to check the stylus's battery level.

If the S-Pen disconnects from the Note, get ready to see this screen.

Many applications have separate S-Pen functions for remote control.

With the S-Pen, you can open any application by holding the remote control button.

There are also additional small hardware features. Usually, this section is rather boring. However, the addition of battery, Bluetooth, and remote control capabilities brought a lot more stuff into this category with the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

Loss alarm- a hardware feature that came from older versions of the S-Pen. When the stylus is removed from the device and carried over a long distance, Galaxy Note will constantly remind you that it is missing until you return it. This is a good way not to lose it, all such an expensive accessory.

Power saving mode- enabled by default. The Galaxy Note will not try to detect the presence of the S-Pen while it is in the phone. This saves valuable battery life. The option can be disabled.

Sound and vibration- You can set your Galaxy Note to beep and vibrate slightly when you remove the S-Pen. Both of these options are enabled by default.

Unlock with S-Pen- you can set up your device to unlock with S-Pen instead of PIN, password, fingerprint reader and so on. This is an interesting way, but we do not recommend it. Keeping the key in the lock is, shall we say, not a good idea.

Alarm mode and power saving options for S-Pen.

You can unlock your smartphone with S-Pen. However, we believe that keeping the key in the lock is a bad idea.

Remote control options– Galaxy Note 9 with S-Pen introduced remote control capabilities. This can be used in two ways. The first allows the S-Pen to perform tasks within certain applications. It works with many applications such as Microsoft Office, Google Chrome and many more. The available controls can be viewed in the Settings menu. They will automatically show up for any application that might be using them.

Changing remote control settings- you can also set up any application that uses the remote control. Each app can have up to two functions, single and double press of the S-Pen button. Popular examples include flipping through slides. I use this feature with Google Chrome.

Remote opening of applications- you can also set the stylus to open the application with a long press on the button. Unlike the real remote feature, you can open any app you want, but only one at a time. The camera starts by default.

Controls are not limited to just one app– any program that can use the remote control function is running. You can switch from the camera app to PowerPoint and then to Chrome. All S-Pen compatible apps will work unless you turn off the option.

Remote control– With the stylus, you can control the camera and music playback. The option should work in all applications with camera or music playback functionality. You can, for example, take pictures in Snapchat.

Music playback remote control worked in every music and podcast app I tried (Samsung Music, Pulsar, Google Play Music, YouTube and even Pocket Casts). You can customize the feature, but it doesn't have many options.

S-Pen has always been relevant. The stylus is still adored by people. It can do a bunch of useful things and we can't wait to see what Samsung has in store for the future.

If we missed any features, tell us about them in the comments!

Reading 4 min. Published on 01/24/2019

Hey! Today I will show you how to use the s pen in the popular Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and 8 phones. What is it? A special device, in the form of a pen, it is also called a stylus. In fact, it is not only for drawing. With it, you can take photos, manage applications, etc. I will cover all the functions of the pen in detail in this post. See the instructions below and write comments if something is not clear to you. Go!

How does the samsung galaxy stylus work

S Pen tip

• Use the stylus to write or draw in freehand, or perform other actions by touching the screen;
• Hover and hold the S Pen over items on the screen surface to access additional features such as Instant Review.

S Pen button

• Press and hold the S Pen button to launch a predefined app. Pressing the button once or twice while using applications on the device will perform certain actions;
• To display contextual command functions, hover over the screen and press the S Pen button;
• While pressing and holding the S Pen button, drag the stylus over items to select them.

Tweezers

• To replace the pen nib, grab and pull the nib with tweezers.

Disconnecting the stylus from your smartphone

Press the S Pen to detach it. Then remove the pen from the slot. To store the pen, insert it back into the slot until it clicks into place.

Charging the stylus

To remotely control applications by pressing the S Pen button, the pen must be charged. Charging starts when you insert the pen into the slot.

• If the back of the device contacts the magnet, the device may not recognize the pen and will not charge;
• Even after the stylus is fully discharged, you can still use other functions such as touch screen functions or context command functions.

How to replace the stylus tip

If the pen tip is dull, replace it with a new one.

• Do not reuse old tips. This may damage the pen;
• Do not use excessive force when inserting the nib into the pen;
• Do not insert the round end of the tip into the stylus. This may damage the pen or your device;
• When using the pen, do not bend or press it too hard. This may damage or deform its tip;
• Do not press hard on the screen with the pen. The tip may be deformed;
• If you use the pen at a sharp angle to the screen, your device may not recognize your actions;
• If water gets into the pen slot, gently shake the pen slot to remove water from the slot before using it.

Stylus functions remote control

With a pen connected to a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device, you can control applications remotely. By pressing and holding the S Pen button, you can quickly launch applications such as Camera or Gallery. While using the app, you can perform certain functions by pressing the S Pen button once or twice.

For example, while using the camera app, you can take a photo with a single tap on the button, or switch between the front and rear cameras with a double tap. Launch the Settings app, tap More features - S Pen - remote control, and then tap the switch to turn this feature on.

Do you have any questions? Write a comment! Good luck!

The S Pen makes using apps easier and more convenient. About what opportunities the stylus opens for Note S will be described below.

1. Quick commands.

This is one of those S Pen features that most people overlook for a long time. But it is incredibly useful - because it allows you to run any application with a flick of the pen. All you need is to hold down the button on the stylus, then swipe across the screen in the direction from bottom to top. At the same time, a quick command window appears on the screen. The desired application will be launched by you when you draw on the screen a symbol that you have previously defined.

2. Optical letter recognition.

The OCR function will allow you not to even think about the virtual keyboard. And if you suddenly need to write a text message, send a letter or find something on the global network - take a stylus, and at that moment your keyboard will become a window for writing. OCR recognizes characters perfectly, although we have not tested this function with a doctor.

3. Stylus keeper.

The S Pen is a useful tool, but losing it is as easy as using it. Samsung has developed S Pen Keeper, a program that will not allow you, for example, to go far from the stylus. The gadget itself informs you that there is no stylus in the phone. It's easy to check - put the stylus away from the phone and move away, then you will hear the alarm clock.

4. Draw with the S Pen.

The S Pen stylus opens up new horizons for creative people and children. The S Note has a great Idea Sketch feature. It makes it possible to add thumbnails of objects by name - perfect for teaching kids or having fun.

5. Screengrabs.

The stylus allows you to make screengrabs, and it's amazingly easy to do. Hold the button on the S Pen and draw any area. Immediately after that, everything that was in the selected area will be saved as a screengrab.