Samsung has released more information about its new S Pen device, its development and its features. The Galaxy Note 9 S Pen incorporates Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) technology, turning the stylus into a remote control. BLE needs extra power to work, so the company had to incorporate a rechargeable battery inside the stylus, while retaining the writing experience and other functions that the S Pen was already known for.
During the development, Samsung were able to find space for a super capacitor but couldn’t fit a separate circuit inside to power the new features of the S Pen without changing its design, so the company set about coming up with a tailored solution to the problem.
After numerous tests and experiments, Samsung developed an application-specific integrated circuit to deliver different levels of electric current for writing mode and charging mode, allowing the S Pen’s button to detect proximity to the Galaxy Note 9 and switch automatically from electromagnetic resonance mode to Bluetooth mode.
Customisable clicks also allows users to change Bluetooth functions to suit their needs, while the recently launched S Pen SDK enables third-party developers to adapt the stylus’ capabilities for different applications. The S Pen features a 30-minute battery life (or up to 200 clicks) and takes a minute to fully charge by inserting it into the dock within the phablet.
Analyst Comment
I have one of the new Note 9 smartphones and have found the pen useful a couple of times. A finger makes a bad stylus when working on the high resolution display – the pen is much more precise. I need to get organised to try out Samsung’s Dex technology for using the smartphone. I did have a brief try of the writing recognition technology which was technically quite good, but each area of handwriting has to be highlighted to make the process work and that makes it unusable if you are processing more than a few words. If it did the recognition on the fly, it would be a great feature. (BR)
