Samsung Galaxy S4 S-Pen Inside Scoop - New Clue?

NEW INVESTMENT COULD MEAN S PEN STYLUS FOR GALAXY S IV

A fresh new development could spell "S Pen" for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S IV smartphone. Evidently, Samsung has invested $58.9 million in Wacom. This is the company who supplies the S Pen stylus found in the Galaxy Note series.

Does Samsung owning a 5% stake in Wacom mean that they believe the stylus will become the defacto user interface tool for all smartphones and tablets, or does it simply mean they are tightening up the future supply for the Note series?

I have flip-flopped on this issue at least 3 times now. First, I truly believed there would be a stylus with the Galaxy S IV. Then I truly believed they would not, due to the thinness issue and the fact that the Galaxy S4 would directly compete with the Note II and make it obsolete. But now my faith in the S Pen for the SGS4 has come back again.

I don't see Samsung plopping down this much cash just to support 2 devices in their lineup. This is the kind of investment that tells us the stylus is the future of their front line products. Maybe this is the kind of cash Wacom needed for research & development purposes to provide a thinner stylus for the SGS4.

Looking at the trends, we pretty much saw the stylus die back in the ending days of the Palm Treo. Nobody would have ever predicted a comeback after the induction capacitive screens were invented. But Samsung pulled it off with the first generation Note.

Maybe the stylus never died, spiritually. Maybe the hordes of "precision-minded smartphone users" like myself never really disappeared. I was one of the faithful stylus-toting Treo users, and I've missed the accuray of a stylus ever since those days.

Could it be that fat-fingering and screen-finger-buttering is the trend that might be coming to a close? I think it could be. As smartphones become more and more capable, the demand for pinpoint accuracy will only grow, in my opinion.

So, let it be known that I am officially waffling. Again. My current position on this issue stands upon the inclusion of the S Pen stylus for the Samsung Galaxy S IV breakthrough device coming to shelves in the near future.

I just hope I'm not wrong... because my hopes are up again.

Carlton Flowers
Stylus Mogul

Samsung Galaxy S VI Announcement Near! New S Pen Prediction

"SAMSUNG UNPACKED" EVENT IS SLATED - WILL WE SEE AN S PEN?

It's officially official! The next "Samsung Unpacked" event is scheduled for March 14th, 2013 for the unveiling of the wildly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S IV smartphone, to be held in New York City. That said, what is the status on inclusion of an S Pen?

By now, you all know that the magical S Pen sits on the forefront of my mind. I am more interested in this feature than any other. Up until now, the prognosticators have been waffling on this issue more than Bill Clinton in the 1992 presidential election.

As much as I want to have slightly-smaller-yet-more-powerful version of the Samsung Galaxy Note II with an equally capable S Pen stylus, I don't think it will come to fruition with the Galaxy S IV. There are two overwhelming reasons why I now believe the "no-S-Pen" predictors are calling this one correctly.

First, the inclusion of an S Pen would make the Galaxy S IV compete directly with the Note II, a phablet device that is still selling strong and not yet willing to be driven into obsolescence. Previously, I wishfully thought that the S Pen would become the new standard for all Galaxy handsets and tablets. But it doesn't appear that this is the direction the company is moving.

Even though Samsung likes to whip out updated devices faster than you can blink your eyes, they aren't going to kill the insanely popular Galaxy Note II this far ahead of the future third generation edition of the Note. We don't even have any fresh or credible rumors on the follow-up at this point. That makes me tend to believe that they are still going to ride out the popularity of the Note II and maximize their return on investment before killing it dead.

Second, I hate to admit it, but the addition of an S Pen stylus to the Galaxy S IV smartphone will add unnecessary extra thickness to a device that they might be trying to "thin out". If an S Pen was included similar to what we have with the Note II, the device would have to be about 9.1mm in thickness to house it inside of the case.

Everyone knows that the race is on to make the most paper-thin smartphone on the market. In my opinion, this is not practical, and it provides no advantage. How slim do we need a smartphone to be before we stop the maddening race-to-paper-thinness? I think it has gone too far. But the smarphone manufacturers don't seem to agree with me.

Therefore, with thinness being the call of the day, I seriously don't see Samsung switching from selling a super slim sliver of a smartphone to make a fatter S Pen-packing phablet just for the stylus nerds like myself. Sad as it seems, this is the reality of the situation. My Galaxy IV S Pen dreams will likely be dashed on March 14th, 2013.

That begs the question... will I still desire a stylus-less Galaxy S4 device? Possibly. Here's why.

If they diss the stylus nerds and leave out the S Pen on the S4, they will more than likely include touchless gestures for scrolling and selecting. This would liberate the user from gunking up the screen while manipulating the device. It is an exciting and welcomed feature. Not exactly a replacement for a stylus, but a nice concession.

If Samsung figures out a way to bring the multitasking, window-floating, and video preview features without the aid of an S Pen, it might be just as good of an experience as with the Galaxy Note II. And the obvious benefit would be that you could have the same powerful features without a stylus to misplace.

I would say that a Galaxy S IV without an S Pen would probably be used more like a smartphone and less like a phablet. Maybe this would be Samsung's slick way to force me into considering the Galaxy Note 8... and spend more of the money I already don't have.

Oh well.

Carlton Flowers
S Pen Enthusiast

Samsung Galaxy 4S Information - Hot Off The Press!

THE SAMSUNG GALAXY 4S AND WHY THERE IS NEWS

You either reached this site because you are an avid, rabid Carlton Zone Blog fan, or you were searching for the Samsung Galaxy 4S in vein. But lucky for you, this site is the only "legitimate" search result for the 300,000 people looking for this non-existent phone each and every month.

It's halfway comical, and also half marketing success story on behalf of Apple. While you searchers were really wanting to find more information on the up-and-coming Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone, you mindlessly used Apple's crusty old nomenclature for their boring 5th generation device.

When I see "4S" coupled with "Samsung Galaxy", it makes me cringe. Why? Because it dredges up the frustrating, painful memories that I have stuck in my mind from the days of owning an iPhone 4.

Fortunately for me, I was liberated on October 24th, 2012 when I purchased my Samsung Galaxy S2, which I now own and love.

But back to the topic at hand... hats off to Apple for brainwashing at least 300,000 people per month and causing them to mindlessly search for the vaporware device listed in the title. My bet is that the searchers are current cult members who are trying to escape the stronghold Apple has on their minds.

Fear not, brainwashed Apple refugees, for you have not actually found this site in vein. You have reached the promised land of Android, and I will lead you to the light. Crank back a few stories and start to read what I have provided about the rumors surrounding your smartphone savior, the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Carlton Flowers
Smartphone Prophet

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Samsung Galaxy S IV Rumor Roundup

FRESH GALAXY S IV GOSSIP - S PEN SUPPORT OR NOT?

The rumor mill is cranking out some fresh new chatter about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S IV. The tidbit of info that has my ears perked the most? Whether or not it will have an S Pen.

The initial rumors were holding out that the S Pen would be a part of the Samsung Galaxy S IV. Then as time went on, a lot of the prognosticators were saying that they would not allow an S Pen on the S IV because it would compete directly with the Galaxy Note II.

But now we've come back to the initial theory that the Galaxy S IV would in fact come with the extra digitizer layer that is needed to read the special tip in the S Pen stylus. But how will they do this without killing the Note II?

First of all, in Android years (very similar to Dog years), the Galaxy Note II has reached full maturity. It will be in its geriatric stages by the time the Galaxy S IV has been released. So maybe Samsung and the carriers aren't concerned with whether or not the Galaxy S IV will stick the final nail in the coffin of the Note II.

Second of all, there are some hideous rumors floating around about the Galaxy Note III. If they are even remotely true, I don't think the Galaxy S IV will be considered an overlapping device because of its inclusion of the S Pen.

As the story is now being told, the Samsung Galaxy Note III might have a display that is 6" or greater in diagonal measure, and it will have an 8-core CPU. That definitely takes the Note out of its current class as a ginormous smartphone, and puts it into a new category of "tablet-with-on-board-phone".

In my opinion, calling such an absurdity a "smartphone" would be ridiculous. But it makes sense. This would be similar to an iPad Mini with a 4G LTE radio on board, just smaller and more portable. Plus, it would allow the Galaxy S IV pick up right where they left off in the "phablet" niche.

People complained in the past that the Galaxy Note I was way too big. The Note II was tweaked, making it thinner width-wise, and a tad taller. But still, many claim it's too big to be taken seriously as a smartphone. I don't think it would be too big. However, I certainly think scaling it back to 5" would be a master stroke.

Stay with me and we'll keep tracking the latest tidbits on the smartphone/phablet of the future that looks to be packing a quad-core CPU and all the fixings. It's gonna get really exciting as we go!

Carlton Flowers
Mi Amore Galaxy Galore

Samsung Galaxy Note II Is Dead - Enter Note III, Fonblet, S IV

NEW SAMSUNG DEVICES COULD MOTHBALL THE NOTE II

Just a couple of months ago, I told you all that my next upgrade would definitely be the Samsung Galaxy Note II. This was my firm decision after a wonderful 2-week test period of this device from AT&T. Scrap that. Everything has changed.

We all know that in the world of Android and Samsung, devices remain "cutting edge" for about a month before they are kicked to the side and shown up by new devices. It appears that this will be the story with the Samsung Galaxy Note II. It's already old hat.

My upgrade is not due until May of 2013. By then, I seriously doubt I'll be purchasing a Samsung Galaxy Note II on contract. I'll either be getting a Galaxy S IV or some new yet-to-be-revealed device.

The decision will be rather easy if Samsung includes an S Pen with the Galaxy S IV, plus at least a 4.9" display. I would love to have a jumbo phone that is slightly smaller than the "phablet" Galaxy Note II. So this would do the trick.

The Galaxy S IV will also be packing some serious power, and could sport the new unbreakable AMOLED display. If that happens, it's an easy call. But if we don't get an S Pen with it, I will fall back to the Galaxy Note II.

But that decision won't be easy either, thanks to the fresh new rumors of a Galaxy Note III, and the supposed "Samsung Fonblet". The Note III is rumored to have a larger display than the current Note II, and the "Fonblet" is also rumored to be a jumbo device. Both have been said to have sizes ranging from 5.5" all the way to 6.3".

The engine inside the Note III and the Fonblet could be anywhere from quad core to eight core. I tend not to believe the latter. Whatever the cpu ends up being, we probably won't get to see such a device until the fall of 2013.

So as it stands, it is looking like I could be landing a Samsung Galaxy S IV this May with quad core power and a possible 5" display and S Pen. But your guess is as good as mine as to what we will really see. All I know is that I won't be able to wait much longer than May to pull the trigger on something.

Stay with me. And chime in with your thoughts.

Carlton Flowers
Fonblet/Phablet Futurist

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