Taeki Chan Samsung’s SPen had been recognized as one of the killer features for most of its Tab series. It started with its flagship Galaxy Tab S series tablet and now even its Galaxy Tab A8. All are able to use the SPen on it. The SPen for the Tab S Series attaches magnetically to the side or rear of the tablet, and the magnetic dock on the side doubles as a charger for its S series tablets except for the FE version.
The pen has a rounded shape that feels much like a typical mass-production ballpoint pen. It’s easy to hold and maneuver with one hand, even for those with small hands. If anything, those with larger hands may find it too small, as the stylus is not as long as many pens or a classic No. 2 pencil.
It’s a responsive stylus. This is due not only to the pen, which connects over Bluetooth and promises just 6.2 milliseconds of latency but also to the LCD touchscreen, which can refresh at 120Hz. The added refresh rate cuts down on visual latency because the display can update every eight milliseconds. That’s twice as quick as a 60Hz display, which updates once every 16 milliseconds. It’s light and thin compared to its competitors.
Working on Samsung Note
Working with SPen on Samsung’s notes app gives us a good feeling as the stylus’s soft tip was able to mimic the feeling of scribbling on your notebook.
Working with PENUP app
The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra also comes with PENUP apps which we being used to creating digital arts. The experience when we were using the SPen with PENUP apps was amazing. Besides trying to draw anything original, we have also tested out the app’s coloring options where preset line art was already being provided.
SPen Hidden Features
Besides writing and drawing with the SPen. We could also use it for many purposes. All you have to do is to turn your stylus into a remote. Go into your settings, then select “Advanced Features,” and then “S Pen,” followed by “Air Actions.” Then tap the toggle to turn on the “S Pen remote” option where you can assign some gesture or actions features to the SPen such as:
Remotely take photos and videos. Follow the steps above to use the stylus as a remote. Then, when you have the camera open and ready, simply tap the end of the stylus once to take a photo or begin a video. Tapping twice will switch between the front and rear cameras. This works when the stylus is less than 10 meters away from the device.
Control your music and other media with the S Pen. Once you’ve set up your S Pen as a remote, you’ll also have the ability to start and stop your media by tapping the end of the stylus while watching a video or listening to music.
Customize air actions. Swipe down on your device, and on the notification panel, select “S Pen air actions.” Under “App actions,” select the app you want to customize. Tap the item you want to customize and select either “Pen button” or “Gestures.”
Use direct pen input. This is turned on by default and allows you to write in text boxes, like in the Messages, Internet, or Phone app, and also converts your handwriting to text.
Advance through a slide deck. Open a presentation on your phone, then pull down your notification menu and choose to use your phone as a touchpad. Go into presentation mode and click your pen once to go to the next slide, or twice to go back to a slide.
