Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Design Flaw

[tbayrgs]

So then you would agree Apple deserved criticism over being iphones? You would agree bending phones was an engineering gaff on Apple's part?

I do, and have said as much---same for the antenna issue. And I think most here have admitted as much. Why you and a few others can't see and admit that Samsung made a bit of a gaff here is what I find most bewildering. We aren't categorically classifying the Note 5 as a failure because of it. I group it into roughly the same category as bendgate--something that affected a very small handful of people who weren't careful with their devices. Apple could have prevented the prevalence of that problem with a better design and has admitted (without saying it out loud of course ) their design screw up with the change in material and design of the upcoming iPhone. I see Samsung in the same boat with this issue.

My personal criticism is purely at Samsung for omitting what seems to be such a simple prevention of this potential problem. I'm not advocating support for users who made this error (don't think anyone here is saying the users aren't at fault) but rather that this entire brew-ha-ha could have been so easily avoided and consequently, Samsung now has to deal with it publicly through the media.

 

[I7guy]

So then you would agree Apple deserved criticism over being iphones? You would agree bending phones was an engineering gaff on Apple's part?

sure, why not? I'll even include "you're holding it wrong".

 

[jamezr]

I do, and have said as much---same for the antenna issue. And I think most here have admitted as much. Why you and a few others can't see and admit that Samsung made a bit of a gaff here is what I find most bewildering. We aren't categorically classifying the Note 5 as a failure because of it. I group it into roughly the same category as bendgate--something that affected a very small handful of people who weren't careful with their devices. Apple could have prevented the prevalence of that problem with a better design and has admitted (without saying it out loud of course ) their design screw up with the change in material and design of the upcoming iPhone. I see Samsung in the same boat with this issue.

My personal criticism is purely at Samsung for omitting what seems to be such a simple prevention of this potential problem. I'm not advocating support for users who made this error (don't think anyone here is saying the users aren't at fault) but rather that this entire brew-ha-ha could have been so easily avoided and consequently, Samsung now has to deal with it publicly through the media.

I agree with some of what you said. Design flaw...don't agree. It works just as designed. Does not occur during normal use. One end is blunt end and one end has a sharp point. It takes force to insert the stylus...how can one not feel the point baffles me. But I am sure there are some that will do this. Not the same as bendgate. With bendgate the phone is pretty much broken. It needs to be replaced. I can't remember was Apple replacing bended iphones with broken screens under Applecare or warranty?

Agree with you that Samsung missed this during testing and it could have been prevented rather easily. I will bet the Note 6 will not have this issue.

 

[tbayrgs]

I agree with some of what you said. Design flaw...don't agree. It works just as designed. Does not occur during normal use. One end is blunt end and one end has a sharp point. It takes force to insert the stylus...how can one not feel the point baffles me. But I am sure there are some that will do this. Not the same as bendgate. With bendgate the phone is pretty much broken. It needs to be replaced. I can't remember was Apple replacing bended iphones with broken screens under Applecare or warranty?

Agree with you that Samsung missed this during testing and it could have been prevented rather easily. I will bet the Note 6 will not have this issue.

Not calling it a flaw, per se...just not a smart design. A flaw would be something like it somehow getting stuck if inserted correctly as intended. I just see an easily avoided headache for Samsung if they'd just applied the same principles of their previous designs.

 

[jamezr]

Not calling it a flaw, per se...just not a smart design. A flaw would be something like it somehow getting stuck if inserted correctly as intended. I just see an easily avoided headache for Samsung if they'd just applied the same principles of their previous designs.

I would agree with that completely! I think they just missed it in their testing somehow!

 

[pdqgp]

Agree with you that Samsung missed this during testing and it could have been prevented rather easily. I will bet the Note 6 will not have this issue.

^^ Agree.

However I discussed this with my wife and son and about 6-8 people at a cars and coffee event today and every single person said the same thing. Probably not the best design, but the end theme was who the heck wouldn't know which direction to put the thing away in?

Not one person was really bothered by it. Everyone agreed that on social media and in reviews by tech weenies, that sure it would probably be blown up and criticized but there too, the general response was meh.....

In the end, this is probably more exposure the Note Series has had in a while and one might argue it's not great press about it, it's also something that's going to keep someone from owning it.

Q-Tips have essencially the same flaw. When used correctly by billions, they work great. Push a little too far and you are at the doctors office for eardrum damage. Duh......

 

[CE3]

I agree with some of what you said. Design flaw...don't agree. It works just as designed. Does not occur during normal use. One end is blunt end and one end has a sharp point. It takes force to insert the stylus...how can one not feel the point baffles me. But I am sure there are some that will do this. Not the same as bendgate. With bendgate the phone is pretty much broken. It needs to be replaced. I can't remember was Apple replacing bended iphones with broken screens under Applecare or warranty?

Agree with you that Samsung missed this during testing and it could have been prevented rather easily. I will bet the Note 6 will not have this issue.

You acknowledge that Samsung missed this during testing and that it could have been prevented. But one has to wonder how they could miss this issue, since they knew enough to address it with previous versions (which was smart design on their part).

With the Note 5, the manual basically says inserting the pen incorrectly could break your phone. If that's not a flaw in the design of a product line centered around the usage of that pen, I don't know what is.

Thankfully, I don't think most people will do this (and of course the onus is on them if they do), but we all have moments of distraction and absentmindedness. This doesn't inherently make us stupid.. just human.

 

[tbayrgs]

You acknowledge that Samsung missed this during testing and that it could have been prevented. But one has to wonder how they could miss this issue, since they knew enough to address it with previous versions (which was smart design on their part).

With the Note 5, the manual basically says inserting the pen incorrectly could break your phone. If that's not a flaw in the design of a product line centered around the usage of that pen, I don't know what is.

Thankfully, I don't think most people will do this (and of course the onus is on them if they do), but we all have moments of distraction and absentmindedness. This doesn't inherently make us stupid.. just human.

Alright, here's where I have to disagree...it's not a flaw in that it doesn't prevent the phone from functioning if used properly. It's just not an optimal design as Samsung could've prevented this potential error.

Here, the wrong fuel analogy applies. Nothing on my fuel port stops me from putting diesel fuel into my gasoline powered car---the design isn't flawed, just not perfect. A better design would be have different fuel filling ports and pumps for gasoline and diesel fuel, but it doesn't stop me from using the car properly if directions are followed. Now, if petrol companies actually made different nozzles for each type of fuel and my company actually designed a fuel port that accepted both...that would be a flaw.

 

[Surf Donkey]

Nothing on my fuel port stops me from putting diesel fuel into my gasoline powered car---the design isn't flawed, just not perfect.

Actually it absolutely does. Diesel fuel pumps are larger in diameter specifically to prevent this.

 

[tbayrgs]

Actually it absolutely does. Diesel fuel pumps are larger in diameter specifically to prevent this.

Ok, didn't know that, stand corrected. Obviously I haven't made that mistake and at a glance, they appear the same. Regardless, flaw isn't the right word to describe the situation here...just not a smart design by Samsung that could've saved some hassle.

 

[MRU]

Actually it absolutely does. Diesel fuel pumps are larger in diameter specifically to prevent this.

Not here they are same size .... Though I haven't ever had the issue ... I drive fully Electric

 

[jamezr]

[QUOTE="CE3, post: 21758783, member]

Thankfully, I don't think most people will do this (and of course the onus is on them if they do), but we all have moments of distraction and absentmindedness. This doesn't inherently make us stupid.. just human.[/QUOTE]
I don't know man.......I can drive my car into on coming traffic. Doesn't mean my car is designed wrong to prevent me from doing that. If I drive into on comping traffic that is error on my part.

 

[CE3]

Not here they are same size .... Though I haven't ever had the issue ... I drive fully Electric

I'm jealous!

I don't know man.......I can drive my car into on coming traffic. Doesn't mean my car is designed wrong to prevent me from doing that. If I drive into on comping traffic that is error on my part.

Of course it's an error on your part. That wasn't my point (and I have to say some of the analogies I've read in this thread and elsewhere on the internet regarding this issue are pretty extreme and ridiculous). My point was directed at all the overly dramatic comments I've read (mostly comments in an article I read elsewhere) about how stupid and idiotic someone would have to be to make this error, when all of us have been distracted and absentmindedly made embarrassingly dumb mistakes as a result.

Regardless, flaw isn't the right word to describe the situation here...just not a smart design by Samsung that could've saved some hassle.

Semantics. I agree that it's not smart design, but when an issue that can apparently break a device has already been addressed in the past and then gets ignored, that's lazy oversight and equals design flaw to me. Had this issue not already been addressed and sorted, I would feel differently.

 

[Surf Donkey]

Not here they are same size .... Though I haven't ever had the issue ... I drive fully Electric

I could totally be wrong. I am a tech guy, not a car guy

Wikipedia seems to say so at least.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filling_station#Differences_in_fuel_dispensers

In most stations in Canada and the USA......Motorists occasionally pump gasoline into a diesel car by accident. The converse is almost impossible because diesel pumps have a large nozzle with a diameter of15⁄16 inch (23.8 mm) which does not fit the 13⁄16-inch (20.6 mm) filler, and the nozzles are protected by a lock mechanism or a liftable flap. Diesel fuel in a gasoline engine — while creating large amounts of smoke — does not normally cause permanent damage if it is drained once the mistake is realized. However even a liter of petrol added to the tank of a modern diesel car can cause irreversible damage to the injection pump and other components through a lack of lubrication.

 

[I7guy]

I could totally be wrong. I am a tech guy, not a car guy

Wikipedia seems to say so at least.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filling_station#Differences_in_fuel_dispensers

In most stations in Canada and the USA......Motorists occasionally pump gasoline into a diesel car by accident. The converse is almost impossible because diesel pumps have a large nozzle with a diameter of15⁄16 inch (23.8 mm) which does not fit the 13⁄16-inch (20.6 mm) filler, and the nozzles are protected by a lock mechanism or a liftable flap. Diesel fuel in a gasoline engine — while creating large amounts of smoke — does not normally cause permanent damage if it is drained once the mistake is realized. However even a liter of petrol added to the tank of a modern diesel car can cause irreversible damage to the injection pump and other components through a lack of lubrication.

Went from inserting the pen incorrectly to a "freight train hitting a bum".

 

[pdqgp]

Actually it absolutely does. Diesel fuel pumps are larger in diameter specifically to prevent this.

So change his point from Diesel to E85 as those pumps will fit an 87 to 94 octane car.

 

[Tsepz]

http://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-note-5/569378-don-t-put-your-pen-backwards.html

This is the thread were I think it originated from, as far as I know. At first I thought the issue was that the pen would break if you insert it upside down, didn't think they were saying backwards in first lol. A lot of people were confused in the thread at first as well, until they realized what the thread starter meant. Days later, Adroid Central did a funny article on that thread, then other sites kept on catching on.

This thread was highly moderated, so a lot of the original, yet laughable posts were deleted lol.

Oh my word, lol. Just did a quick look and chuckled a bit.

Poor guy... curiosity got the better of him

And my thoughts exactly WRT what these two say

 

[Six8]

I could totally be wrong. I am a tech guy, not a car guy

Wikipedia seems to say so at least.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filling_station#Differences_in_fuel_dispensers

In most stations in Canada and the USA......Motorists occasionally pump gasoline into a diesel car by accident. The converse is almost impossible because diesel pumps have a large nozzle with a diameter of15⁄16 inch (23.8 mm) which does not fit the 13⁄16-inch (20.6 mm) filler, and the nozzles are protected by a lock mechanism or a liftable flap. Diesel fuel in a gasoline engine — while creating large amounts of smoke — does not normally cause permanent damage if it is drained once the mistake is realized. However even a liter of petrol added to the tank of a modern diesel car can cause irreversible damage to the injection pump and other components through a lack of lubrication.

That's correct.

 

[Bishope1999]

Oh my word, lol. Just did a quick look and chuckled a bit.

Poor guy... curiosity got the better of him

And my thoughts exactly WRT what these two say

lol yeah it was a funny thread, I really couldn't believe what was going on. Then the curious ones just made it even funnier.

 

[nj1266]

I've never said I endorse or commended the design. My argument all along has only revolved around users own accountability with their lack of common sense around the use of the Note 5 and countless other products with simliar impacts when comment sense is not present.

Do you know of any other product with a stylus that has a similar implementation to that of the Note 5. I have a Palm Treo and a Garmin calendar/Nav. Both have a stylus that cannot be inserted backwards. I have read that this is the first such implementation of a stylus. If that is the case, then why did all other companies do it differently than Samsung?

 

[spriter]

Do you know of any other product with a stylus that has a similar implementation to that of the Note 5. I have a Palm Treo and a Garmin calendar/Nav. Both have a stylus that cannot be inserted backwards. I have read that this is the first such implementation of a stylus. If that is the case, then why did all other companies do it differently than Samsung?

It sounds almost inconceivable it wasn't found along the way but maybe they just simply overlooked it.

Rather than consciously designing the slot so the stylus could be inserted backwards, perhaps they forgot to design it so that it couldn't be inserted backwards.

After all, if it was discovered in the rest build stages, surely someone would have at least tried to insert it backwards, noted the stuck stylus, and altered the design slightly knowing it could become a problem and news story.

 

[bobob]

Say what you will about Samsung smartphones, but you can't deny the profound loyalty of their fanbase - - the ferocity with which they defend this design choice is most impressive!

 

[lazard]

Say what you will about Samsung smartphones, but you can't deny the profound loyalty of their fanbase - - the ferocity with which they defend this design choice is most impressive!

It's no different than Apple's fanbase defending antenna-gate and bend-gate.

 

[tbayrgs]

Say what you will about Samsung smartphones, but you can't deny the profound loyalty of their fanbase - - the ferocity with which they defend this design choice is most impressive!

It's no different than Apple's fanbase defending antenna-gate and bend-gate.

Every manufacturer has their loyal fan base. That being said, nobody comes close to devout Apple fans, who unfortunately have a segment of loyal followers that will defend their beloved to a fault like no other group of fans.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Every manufacturer has their loyal fan base. That being said, nobody comes close to devout Apple fans, who unfortunately have a segment of loyal followers that will defend their beloved to a fault like no other group of fans.

I see that said often in here but there appears to be more loyal Android fans in the alternatives section than the opposite in the iPhone section here on MR. Personally I think Android has overtaken iOS for loyal followers especially since flagship devices have got considerably better. It's almost a tech crusade to prove it these days and iPhone owners have simply become complacent with the tech rather than defensive of late. At least that is the impression I get.