Galaxy Note 5 owners: you’re sliding stylus in the wrong way

Apple famously told iPhone 4 owners they were holding the phone the wrong way when the handset suffered reception problems. Now, Samsung is effectively blaming customers for its own design flaw, by telling owners of the new Galaxy Note 5 that they’re sliding the stylus in the wrong way around.

Unlike previous versions of Samsung’s phablet, the stylus that comes with the Galaxy Note 5 can apparently be inserted into the slot the wrong way around. This can cause the stylus to become stuck and damage the stylus detection function.

This has apparently become something of a problem amongst early adopters of the Note 5. Samsung’s solution? Don’t do it. “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,” the company said in a statement sent to The Verge.

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5 manual makes mention of the potential stylus problem, but given that the only people who read phone manuals are the people who write them, it’s hardly surprising the rather abject warning has gone unheeded. 

As one of the commenters on a Reddit thread about the problem notes: “[It] seems like they should have tapered the end or added something to keep this from happening. You’d figure after so many damaged micro-USB ports they’d have thought of that. Sure, it’s your fault for not paying attention, but sometimes it’s nice when someone else is helping out in that one time your might screw up.”

Currently, the reversible stylus isn’t a problem for UK users, as Samsung has yet to bring the Galaxy Note 5 to the UK. Indeed, the company has suggested that it may never arrive in this country, much to the disappointment of phablet fans.