This week we're having a peek at the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 as it exists in this very pre-official state. At the moment, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 in a sort of limbo between development and reality. As such, the specifications we've got today are in a bit of a limbo as well. We're relying mostly on the kindness of anonymous insider sources from South Korea and/or China on this one - for now.
Logitech has announced a pair of accessories for the newly announced 6th-generation iPad: the Logitech Crayon and Logitech Rugged Combo 2. Both devices were designed specifically for use in the classroom and are arguably vital for it, the first being a stylus for children that is only about half the cost of Apple's Pencil; the second is a durable case with a keyboard and kickstand.
This week the folks at Wacom announced a new set of Intuos pen pen tablet devices. These devices are made to allow the user to write and draw with a stylus with almost any computer, Mac or Windows PC. The newest Intuos pen tablets include the same active tablet area as previous versions, but with improvements elsewhere, all around.
It’s a bit amusing to see Apple embracing something it scorned in the past. Although it hasn’t completely adopted the stylus the Microsoft has with Windows Ink, Apple does seem to be playing around with the idea of expanding the Apple Pencil beyond the confines of iPad Pros. And, no, that doesn’t mean an iPhone Apple Pencil. In fact, based on this recently spotted patent, it won’t even need any iOS device at all.
Steve Jobs was wrong. The stylus is far from a being a ridiculous and unnecessary accessory. OK, he wasn’t completely wrong. In the context of the tiny screen of the first iPhone and the Android phones that followed, the stylus may have indeed been more of a liability. We also owe that stylus witch hunt for pushing the user interface into more touch-friendly territory. But times have changed, screens are larger, and phones and especially tablets have become more than just content consumption devices. Even post-Jobs Apple has embraced the digital pen. It’s about time the industry rally behind the stylus, and the young Universal Stylus Initiative might just be the place to do it.
Yes, the Galaxy S9 isn’t even out yet, but that’s never a reason not to start talking about a phone that’s still probably 8 months in the making. With the foldable Galaxy X not expected to launch until next year, the Galaxy Note 9 won’t be overshadowed when it comes out. Especially not if these patents turn into reality. Patents filed in both the US and Korea reveal Samsung’s plans to enhance S Pen functionality almost ironically by making it work with your finger.
Things seem to be getting interesting for Chromebooks again. On the heels of Google removing the last remaining Android tablet from its store, clues of improvement of Android apps on Chrome OS have surfaced. And while Google is now pointing buyers to its own Google PixelBook for their Android tablet fix, Samsung might have a better solution coming. Last month saw signs in Chrome OS code of what could the first 2-in-1 detachable Chromebook coming from Samsung, and it might even come with a nifty stylus and a home for it.
The Wacom Pro Pen 3D was revealed today for use with 3D creative applications on Wacom drawing tablets. This digital pen is made for use with the Wacom MobileStudio Pro, Cintiq Pro or the 2017 Intuos Pro pen tablet. While this pen may look similar to past pens released by Wacom, this model includes one feature addition "frequently requested by creative professionals working in industrial design, game design, animation, virtual and augmented reality, and 2D and 3D art."
A new tip on Apple's stylus-laden future has come to light, this time making a play for the next-generation iPhone. We're so extremely far away from the next iPhone right now that I'm taking a total stab in the dark with the name iPhone 12 - it could also be the iPhone Pro, or the iPhone 11 (even though X is 10, and 11 should then come in 2018, and this device is tipped for 2019). The more important point right this minute is the suggestion that the next iPhone might have its own stylus, not unlike the Apple Pencil.
There is no shortage of Windows 10 tablets and 2-in-1s that support one kind of stylus or another. There is just one problem: they each have their own, using sometimes incompatible technologies. Wacom, ever the champion of styluses, has a solution. Announced last may, the Wacom Bamboo Ink pen offers a pressure-sensitive stylus to a wide plethora of Windows 10 devices from different manufacturers. The only requirement? That they support the Windows Ink.
Samsung is really bringing its S Pen back to its Windows devices. Following the 2-in-1 Galaxy Book duo, Samsung announced the Notebook 9 Pro convertible late May that not only offer better specs than the non-Pro Notebook 9 before it, it also offered stylus inside. Unlike with the Galaxy Books, Samsung isn't waiting too long to bring the laptop hybrid to market, with Notebook 9 Pro pre-orders starting this week and a launch set late June.
Today Wacom revealed two new stylus devices, one of which works on the iPhone (and the iPad). While the Apple Pencil only works on "Pro" devices like the iPad Pro, this Wacom Bamboo Sketch works on both iPhone and iPad. This device lets users "draw on their iOS devices like they would with a pen and paper."