Technology magic. What is the S Pen for in a Samsung smartphone or tablet

Hello.

I am constantly asked a question with a hidden connotation: do you really use the S Pen, why

Is it needed in a tablet or even more so in a smartphone?The very posing of the question shows that the person who asks it has never been interested in what the S Pen is, presents it as a stick that can be poked at the screen instead of a finger. Maximum to draw something on the screen, and it is not clear why. In a word, some far-fetched utility that can be easily abandoned.

Another test question that should somethingshow: how often I take out my S Pen and use it. I answer that this happens once every few days, sometimes more often, sometimes less often. Immediately I see a triumphant smile: here you are, a useless thing, even you forget to use it. I have to explain that I don’t suffer from forgetfulness, I just don’t need the S Pen so often! How can you measure the usefulness of an item by the frequency of its use? There's a tool for every task, and the S Pen is unmatched for a number of use cases. And many of them have nothing to do with drawing as such. I will try to tell in this text why I use the S Pen in everyday life and how it can be useful.

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I'll start by saying that I have multiple devices.Galaxy line that supports the S Pen. The first one is the Galaxy S22 Ultra smartphone, where the pen is built into the body, it is always with me, and it is very convenient. The Galaxy Fold3 does not hide it in the case, so you have to carry it separately or use a case that makes the device look fat. It is possible that for this reason I use the S Pen more often on the S22 Ultra. Finally, I have a Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra that also comes with an S Pen. The difference between these S Pens is in size, in Ultra it is small, as it is hidden in the body, in Tab S8 Ultra it is a full-fledged pen, very comfortable in size.

• S22 Ultra
• Tab S8

The principle of operation of the S Pen is no different, it is alwaysis the same - the screen of the device has an additional touch layer, built on technology from Wacom, a leader among manufacturers of graphics tablets. Supports recognition of 4096 degrees of pressure, that is, when you write or draw, the screen evaluates the effort with which you do it. A complete match with what happens in the real world when you use a pencil or pen, or maybe a brush with watercolors. And this is the main difference from any “stick” that can be used to draw on the screens of modern devices. In such devices, there is no recognition of the degree of pressure, the line is always the same, which makes it very digital and closes many scenarios that simply become inaccessible to you. See what my handwriting looks like when I write with the S Pen (sorry, I'm not a doctor, but I can compete with them for illegible handwriting).

The ideal line thickness in one case andnormal, realistic handwriting in the second - the difference is obvious. I like the second option, it does not have such a digital shade, but, of course, this is a matter of taste.

The S Pen on the Ultra has built-in Bluetooth, whichallows you to use the “handle” as a remote control. The most obvious use is to control the shooting of a video or photo, as if you had such a remote control, bought separately, since there are a million of them on the market. The advantage of the S Pen is that it is always with you, in the phone case, always charged, and you do not need to carry a separate device with you.

The S Pen has saved me countless times whenit was necessary to take a picture from the side, and there were no people around who could be asked about it. Couple shots with someone in full growth, the ability to find an interesting angle and press the S Pen to take a photo or start recording a video. In a word, it is really convenient, but not the thing that you will use on a daily basis.

Another example of the usefulness of the S Pen.Mom sends a list of medicines that she needs. But as a person of the old school, she writes them out on a piece of paper, then takes pictures and sends them to me in a messenger. Mom is uncomfortable typing something on the smartphone keyboard, she tries to avoid it.

I open the list of medicines and as I buyI cross out what I have purchased, or note how many packs still need to be bought. In a matter of seconds, I take out the S Pen and simply circle the necessary points in the sent image. Comfortable? Not that word.

Another example.I love going to museums, there are strict rules at some exhibitions, it is not allowed to take pictures of paintings or other objects of art, but I want to remember the name of the author or work. I don’t unlock the phone, I take out the S Pen and immediately write on the screen what I need to remember. In the future, if desired, handwritten text can be recognized and converted from a handwritten note into plain text in electronic format.

Another example of the indispensability of the S Pen is meetings withofficials, the latter do not like it when someone is on the phone, even if you make notes about the meeting in it. Be sure to enter something in a notebook with a pen, but do not print on the smartphone screen - it seems to them that you are minding your own business, they look askance at you.

When you take notes with the S Pen, athe feeling that your notebook is just digital, and this does not cause negative emotions. You are working! For those who suffer from misunderstandings when using a smartphone, this is the perfect way out. Plus, Samsung's Notes app is so chic that you can't help but praise it. This is a directory of all your notes, you can search for information in it and quickly find, sort notes into folders and categories. And the notes themselves are very advanced in terms of the possibilities of using them inside different content.

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One of the coolest things about Notes is thatthat you can turn on the recorder, for example, take an interview or listen to a lecture. At the same time, you can take notes with the S Pen when something seems interesting to you. Then, when listening, you can immediately go to the notes made, the record will jump to them. Comfortable? Not that word. It’s also a thing that I don’t use every day, for a year I made five or six records in this format. But without the S Pen, I would have been alone with a voice recorder, I would have worked the old fashioned way.

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Taking screenshots, cutting out pieces of a picture,when you need not a rectangle, but an arbitrary shape, all this is more convenient with the S Pen. But another feature of the electronic pen from Samsung, which captivates me and leaves me completely delighted, is the recognition of text in photos or screenshots. Select the desired area where the text is located, and it is recognized, you can save it electronically. For example, I often have to photograph documents, then I simply recognize them, and the electronic copy is ready. Comfortable? I can’t imagine how one can live without such an opportunity, although, of course, I don’t need it at all every free minute.

The perception of the S Pen is very different independing on the diagonal of the screen. Alas, I cannot draw, but my daughter, on the contrary, is an artist. She first tried the S Pen on a smartphone, she really liked to draw on the screen, but the diagonal was missing. On the Galaxy S8 Tab Ultra, there is no such problem, we can say that this is a digital easel on which you can create. The huge 14.6-inch screen allows you to comfortably draw whatever you want.

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For those who are deprived of the opportunity to draw, there isthe simplest coloring pages, you fill in the templates with different colors or you can draw. The main thing is that you can see other people's work, and they, of course, make an impression. Occasionally I take out the S Pen and, thinking about something, I am coloring the drawings.

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In addition, the PenUp application allowslook at the work of other people, see how they drew certain drawings, try to repeat their work. For those who are just learning to draw, this is just an invaluable gift, you can see every stroke made by another person. Just try what it is, my kid loves this section. It also has contests where you can compete in the art of drawing with people from all over the world.

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For those who are used to and still love to write fromhands, there is simply no alternative to the S Pen, your smartphone or tablet allows you to enter your notes, and then even recognize them. And no matter what language you write in, the device recognizes the text correctly and almost never makes mistakes, it was checked on my handwriting, and as you remember, I write like a chicken with a paw.

You can describe the S Pen indefinitely, dozensdifferent functions and applications, everyone will find something useful for themselves. Remote control not only of the camera, but also of other applications - why not? You can draw graphs or comment on drawings. Signature of documents that need to be sent somewhere, for example, to a bank. The scope of the S Pen is limitless, and it is an additional tool that makes life easier. It seems that in everyday life the S Pen is not really needed, you do not keep in mind how you use it. But it took something from the above and mastered by you earlier, and here without the S Pen it’s like without hands. A useful accessory, but the degree of usefulness directly depends on what you study in it, what opportunities you find. The main thing is to try and not be afraid to try something new, to find other ways to use it, and not just the ones I described above.