Why buy a Samsung phone with an S Pen and only use two of the 40+ things it can do?

I did buy my Galaxy S23 Ultra primarily for its camera, but I did justify the buy too, thinking that a built-in stylus would be really useful as well… But just using that S Pen for notetaking and signing the odd PDF is a real waste of what more that S Pen actually can do! It is more than just a stylus.

The video linked below really needs to be watched every month, as I’ve seen one similar to it a year ago, and I’ve forgotten most of this.

For me, some highlights are:

• Easily annotate PDF documents in Samsung Notes
• The S-Pen can open the camera app, switch front/rear cameras, zoom in/out, take the photo
• Similarly controlling music, gallery, etc apps by gesture
• Media controls
• Hover over word to translate
• Have any app in a small glance window
• Keeping phone unlocked while doing notes
• Pin a note to always-on display e.g. shopping list
• Screen-off memos for notes without unlocking phone
• Create a quick pop-up note over any other app (and make them transparent)
• If you have Galaxy Tablet, you can use your phone alongside it as a toolbar (very Apple this is)

The only way really to remember this functionality is to get into the habit of using some of the additional features, and refreshing your memory around what all it can do. I did make some summary notes in Google Keep at the time, but I’ve not really looked at them again.

Which brings me to two other points:

1. Samsung Notes, especially with the S Pen, really makes Google Keep look very bland and basic (apart from maybe Keep’s location reminders).
2. Some of the fancier S Pen to Text functionality only works with the Samsung keyboard, so if you’re using a 3rd party keyboard like I do, that doesn’t work. My only issue with the Samsung keyboard is I just don’t find its autocorrect very good, but maybe I should also give it another try. For me, a fluid and accurate autocorrect is the most important function of a keyboard.

Watch https://youtu.be/B5DrJYScXT4?si=F7hJHLzRY1DiXFK4
#Blog, #productivity, #spen, #technology

Here are all the S Pen features and functions on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra because no stylus is just intended for plain writing

The Samsung Galaxy S Ultra lineup officially succeeds the Galaxy Note lineup, meaning that the S Pen is here to stay. In fact, we can even hope to see Samsung’s foldables come with S Pen support and even an integrated S Pen if space allows for it. The Galaxy Note series has its fans who know all about the S Pen and its features. But an integrated S Pen is still new for the S series, and Samsung provides a fair few features that take advantage of the active stylus.

So many people just use a pen or stylus for plain writing. But as I discovered with my iPad’s Pencil, there was a lot more to master in terms of tricks and tips for really useful additional features. What I really like about what Samsung has done, is with their embedding of the pen inside the body of the device/ Very Applish! I mean, who’d magnetically stick a very expensive Pencil on the outside where it can just get bumped off (mind you, I think Samsung did the same with their new Tabs, unlike my old Samsung Tab which also had its stylus embedded)?

S Pen Features covered in this article:
- Screen Off Memo
- Samsung Notes app
- Air Actions
- Smart Select
- Screen Write
- Penup
- Coloring
- Live Messages
- AR Doodle
- Translate
- Magnify
- Glance
- Bixby Vision
- Write on Calendar

See https://www.xda-developers.com/samsung-galaxy-s22-ultra-s-pen-features/

#technology #samsung #spen #stylus #tips
#Blog, ##samsung, ##spen, ##stylus, ##technology, ##tips