Galaxy Note 4 appetizers: ads extolling the S Pen

Just 9 days or so to go, so naturally Samsung is trying to build up the hype surrounding its next stylus-toting phablet, the Galaxy Note 4. And it is doing so by trying remind us, or convince most, that smartphones haven't killed off the need for a writing instrument and that the S Pen might just be the perfect tool to bridge the analog and digital divide.

Steve Jobs didn't want any stylus on the iPhone or even the iPad, and yet styluses of different builds and gimmicks proliferated in third-party accessories. Modern day tablets have supplanted the bulky Tablet PCs of old, and yet from time to time we see a return of the almost forgotten stylus. Samsung, of course, has long been a believer, providing the S Pen for those who want a more tactile tool for their digital device.

Samsung's other video, however, has a tone of urgency in it and might strike a chord in some. The skill of handwriting is in danger of disappearing and while there seems to be an endless debate between those who type and those who scribble, there are studies that try to sell the cognitive and psychological benefits of the physical act of writing. Of course, Samsung is trying to say that you don't actually have to choose between one or the other with a Galaxy Note device in your pocket or, in the case of tablets, in your bag.

That said, Samsung might be preaching to the choir. A very small choir at that. While Galaxy Note smartphones sell well in themselves, the use of the S Pen hasn't exactly exploded in a cultural revolution, much less a marketing one, enough to be something that rivals would try to copy to no end. A stylus is undoubtedly a very creative tool, but how many smartphone users would consider themselves creative enough to want one?

The Galaxy Note 4, at least based on rumors and leaks, is shaping up to be quite an interesting smartphone, with Samsung's most powerful Exynos CPU yet, a 5.7-inch QHD screen, and 4 GB of RAM. The device will undoubtedly earn fans based on hardware specs alone, but we'll have to wait and see on September 3 if Samsung will be able to offer something special for its next S Pen generation.