Do you prefer writing with pen or paper or scribbling on a tablet with stylus? The line between writing purists and technology adopters is blurring. Recent developments have made the stylus more functional and more pen-like. Whether you’re one or the other, the effect that the stylus has had on our culture is undeniable. The bridge between traditional art and digital design is streamlined. Notes have become easier to jot down.
But that’s not to say that paper is going the way of the dodo. The sensation of holding and writing with a pen still beats the mechanical click of a button or a hard tap on the screen. The question now is how do you reconcile the twin worlds of writing and technology?
Samsung has that system down pat with the new Samsung Galaxy Tab A. The tablet has been designed with creativity in mind. It comes with the improved S Pen which seamlessly transitions the device between tablet and drawing board. The pen has three main functionalities, apart from being a writing instrument: Action Memo, Smart Select, and Screen Write.
Action Memo is a quick Post-It function you can use for sudden thoughts you have to put down. Smart Select is the ability to snip parts of the screen and saving them for later or for a quick share on social media. Screen Write is the ability to take a screenshot and jotting down notes on the capture.
Even without the additional functions, the S Pen’s abilities as a stylus are intelligent and convenient. It can automatically transcribe what you input. For example, if someone gives you a mobile number, you can just jot down the name and number in an Action Memo. The S Pen, then, transcribes the number automatically and even fills up the name for you. You can also save notes in your own handwriting (and as some claim, a prettified version of).
All that just from the S Pen. We haven’t even gone to the nitty gritty of the tablet yet. Inside, you’ll find a quad-core 1.2GHz chip, complemented by 2GB of RAM. Internal storage is at 32GB with room for expansion up to 128GB via a microSD. The screen is at eight inches, sizable enough for a good notebook. This screen is also at a 4:3 ratio. It’s not widescreen but this ratio enables users to see more content from the screen.
The tablet boasts full phone connectivity as well. It’s LTE capable so the Galaxy Tab A enables users to make the most out of its phone functions, including making calls, texts, and surfing the Internet. It’s also ultra slim at 7.5mm, which makes it an excellent travel companion wherever an idea finds you. The Galaxy Tab A is now available for P15,990 at all Samsung Experience stores and authorized dealer stores nationwide.
To promote the tablet, Samsung has appointed four nationalistic visionaries as their brand ambassadors. These are Jowee Alviar & Mon Punzalan, co-founder of Team Manila; Nix Alanon, top interior designer and editor of MyHome; and, Reese Fernandez-Ruiz, president and co-founder of the globally acclaimed Rags2Riches social enterprise. Throughout the Tab A’s launch, these personalities shared how the tablet enabled them to activate their ideas in their respective fields.
A collaboration between Samsung and the four ambassadors has also been announced at the event. In the tie-up, they are challenged to address a pressing social issue pertaining to drivers observing road rules at pedestrian crossings. They will leverage their expertise using the Galaxy Tab A to encourage drivers to slow down and stop at pedestrian crossings and pedestrians to follow road rules. More details on this collaboration will be announced this month.
