Samsung has solved the reverse S Pen issue in new models of the Galaxy Note 5

When the Galaxy Note 5 was released, it received wide critical acclaim. Not long after, however, a different story began to sweep through the blogosphere. Some users found out the hard way that if they inserted the device’s signature S Pen in backwards, it could cause serious issues, including getting the S Pen stuck and destroying the S Pen auto detection within the phone. Now, a couple of months after the initial buzz, Samsung has quietly found a solution to the problem that it’s implementing in newly-produced models of the Galaxy Note 5.

The newer models of the Galaxy Note 5 include circuit boards that have a safety addition on the S Pen auto detection sensor. The new sensors have a small off-white tab that allows the S Pen to be safely ejected even if it’s been inserted backwards. The inital circuit boards didn’t have this cap, allowing the auto-detection sensor to simply snap if the S Pen was inserted backwards. You can check out the difference in the photo below.

Unfortunately, there’s no way of knowing which models now have this and which don’t. That being said, Samsung has clearly highlighted the proper way to insert the S Pen in the manual and packaging, so you should simply exercise caution and pay attention when you’re inserting the S Pen. But if you do have a new model and you make the mistake of inserting it backwards, at least you no longer have to fear losing your S Pen.