Note 3 owners - do you use the stylus?

July 19, 2014 3:33 PM

I am looking at getting a new phone with a big-ass screen, primarily for browsing. I've narrowed it down to an LG Pro 2, Sony T2 Ultra, or Galaxy Note 3 - but I need to know if anyone actually uses the space-age stylus.

I love my Galaxy s3, but here in Australia, the note is significantly more expensive than the G Pro 2 for example (like 2-3 hundred bucks more). I can only justify this price difference if the Note 3 brings something extra to the table.

I'm aware that the stylus is allegedly a wonder, but does anyone actually use it, and more particularly, do you actually use it for note taking? If I could use it to replace my notebook at work, that is a significant gain.

Also, I'm left handed. Dunno if that will make a difference. Any experiences would be most welcome, thanks!

posted by smoke to Shopping (15 answers total)

I had the Note 2 and used the stylus for maybe a week, two at the most.
posted by Venadium at 3:40 PM on July 19, 2014 [1 favorite]

i am a left hander with a note 2 which i absolutely love...but, i never use the stylus.
posted by nadawi at 4:06 PM on July 19, 2014

I am left handed.
I've owned a Note 3 for several months now.
I definitely use the stylus all the time. More comfortable for me than a finger on the screen.
I even use S-Note for quick notes and some other stylus-specific apps...
posted by jozxyqk at 4:28 PM on July 19, 2014

I first laughed at a friend who was using a the stylus with his phone. He then schooled me about how awesome it is. Now I see him use it all the time and I don't laugh. YMMV.
posted by IfIShouldEverComeBack at 4:39 PM on July 19, 2014 [1 favorite]

I have a note 2, was impressed by the handwriting recognition with the stylus, but haven't used it much since the first month or so.
posted by trunk muffins at 7:59 PM on July 19, 2014

My Note is a tablet, which I love, but I think it depends in large part on how much writing by hand you did before? Very good friend of mine has had a Note 2, I think it is, for quite awhile now, and he uses the stylus constantly. He also carried a notebook with him since high school. If you're already accustomed to taking notes by hand all the time, it's great. If you're not, it's not going to give you the habit.
posted by Sequence at 8:03 PM on July 19, 2014

Didn't think I would use it when I bought the phone, but now I do at least a couple of times a week. Mainly for quick lists like groceries or to-do. I used it last week to write down someone's address.

It's quite handy.
posted by harrietthespy at 8:03 PM on July 19, 2014 [1 favorite]

I got S5 about a month ago after going through the pros and cons of it and the Note 3. For me a smaller size made more sense.

After seeing someone use a stylus with an IPAD for taking notes I bought a tiny stylus and downloaded a handwriting recognition app. This app replaces the on screen keyboard for any input, though it's easy to switch back and forth between the two.

I now use the stylus for pretty much all input now. I find it so much quicker then typing. It's also sort of fun writing emails and texts long hand, like old school meets high tec.

I started using Evernote to take notes. It's great. Just like having note pad to scribble on. It makes it easy to draw and input text on the same page.

I now have two styluses. The small one stays clipped to my phone case and I have another one I keep at my desk that's a pen plus a stylus.

I would expect that my experience would have been the same with the Note 3 as soon as figured out how wicked using a stylus was.

I can also handwrite with a finger it's just easier with a stylus because you can write smaller.
posted by Jalliah at 7:19 AM on July 20, 2014

I use it. Mostly for drawing or jotting down notes, but also if I'm internet browsing for an extended period or for some games. I like this phone.
posted by cmoj at 8:55 AM on July 20, 2014

Yes, but not very frequently. Almost always for taking notes, but not in the "I will now sit down and listen to the lecturer, taking detailed notes for an extended period of time" sense; more like the "Hold on a minute, let me get a pen... OK, what's that number again?" sense.
posted by Flunkie at 1:34 PM on July 20, 2014

I have a Galaxy Note tablet and use the pen constantly for writing comments and otherwise marking up PDFs. I like it so much I'd consider getting the phone version when it's time for an upgrade if the phone weren't so darn huge. If the size of the phone isn't an issue for you and you take a lot of handwritten notes I think it would be ideal.
posted by nixxon at 1:55 PM on July 20, 2014

I liked the idea of it but never actually used it much. Then one day I thought "I really should try getting more use out of that stylus," and found it had fallen out of the holder at some point and got lost.
posted by KateViolet at 4:12 PM on July 20, 2014

I've had a Note 2 for the past couple years, my wife got one at the same time but upgraded last year to the Note 3. I was skeptical when we got the phones, but after seeing the pretty neat functionality of it and giving it a shot, I ended up liking it enough to use regularly. I use the stylus a few times a week for taking notes/making lists and making quick sketches. I tried the Evernote app but ended up preferring Jotter. My wife is a student, and she uses hers ALL THE TIME to take notes, highlight and comment on notes/PDFs/etextbooks, and LOVES it.
posted by hootenatty at 9:08 AM on July 22, 2014

Response by poster: thanks all!
posted by smoke at 1:22 AM on July 23, 2014

Response by poster: Oh yeah follow up: I ended up getting a Sony Xperia Z Ultra, it's gigantic, and was literally more than half the price of a note 3. I couldn't justify spending $400 extra bucks for a stylus. I'm very pleased with the Ultra.
posted by smoke at 3:44 PM on August 19, 2014