As expected of older devices, Samsung has officially dropped support for the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 series over two years ago. In a surprising move, the company releases a new firmware update for the two lineups. Samsung started the rollout for the devices in South Korea, with other regions getting the update as well. It isn't clear what the firmware update fixes, but it could be that there's a vulnerability affecting these 2015 flagship models.
Here’s a quick update for you Samsung Galaxy Note 5 users. The phablet is set to receive its second Android 6.0.1 update this week in South Korea. But aside from that it’s been reported that the Marshmallow treatment will be heading to Canada, the United States, and Europe. Those reported to be getting the update in the coming weeks include those on Rogers, Bell, and Telus. According to Tech Times, the update is already rolling out to Bell and Telus subscribers, so you should just wait for it to head your way. The update is also said to be pushing to Galaxy S6 Edge+ users. Those on Rogers’s network are expected to get the over-the-air update on April 27th.
High-speed charging and wireless charging are game changing features that every modern smartphone should have and Samsung's got those two features spot on. They just work.
Easily one of the most attractive flagship smartphones in the market today, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 continues the evolution of Samsung's steadiest and most beloved line of supersized smartphones. The Galaxy Note 5 is textbook Samsung, and representative of a company that goes to where popular trends seem to lean.
Since the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge were lauded for their premium design which incorporate aluminum and glass, it is no surprise that the new Note borrows heavily from this design aesthetic, but at what cost?
The SPen stylus is one of the best features of the Samsung Galaxy Note line, except when it is not.
Reports that SPens inserted the wrong way in the new Galaxy Note 5 can break functionality of the phone are starting to mount. There doesn't seem to be any difference in resistance whether an SPen is inserted the wrong or the right way, which means careless users can inadvertently push the SPen in the wrong way and get it stuck or worse, force the mechanism that 'senses' whether the SPen is in or not. Not a good look for a premium $850 device.
The video above shows a review unit that lost the pen detection mechanism because of a wrongly-inserted SPen. The video also confirms that the earlie Galaxy Notes didn't have the same issue (i.e. they would not accept the SPen inserted the wrong way!), so its very surprising that this major design flaw got past Samsung's quality assurance. Seems like another black eye for a device that's already received a lot of flak for removing popular features (i.e. microSD expansion, IR remote capability and user-replaceable battery) that previous models enjoyed.
Thursday, November 19, 2020 at 8:54AM 
