Samsung slaps S Pen warning sticker on Galaxy Note 5

The Note 5's new S Pen warning. Photo: J. Williams

The Note 5’s new S Pen warning. Photo: J. Williams

Samsung has begun shipping its Galaxy Note 5 with new stickers that warn users not to insert their S Pen into the device upside down. The company hopes to ensure that new owners don’t make the same mistake many others have, which can lead to a broken smartphone.

Unlike previous designs, the new S Pen that comes with the Galaxy Note 5 will slip into its housing either way up — but putting it in upside down is a big mistake. Doing so causes the S Pen to become stuck, and forcing it out breaks the sensor that detects when the stylus is removed.

Samsung warns users not to make this mistake in its Note 5 user manual, but of course, no one reads those. So, the company is now placing new stickers on the phablet’s display that remind then “to insert your S Pen with the nib pointed inward.”

“Inserting the S Pen the wrong way can cause it to become stuck and can damage the pen and your phone,” Samsung adds.

Hopefully, this warning will encourage new Note 5 buyers to be more careful with their S Pen. It’s still a shame that Samsung didn’t prevent the S Pen from being inserted upside down somehow, but as long as you remember to insert it the right way, you won’t have a problem.