At the dawn of the modern mobile era, an impressive proportion of smartphones were equipped with stylus. The stylus was not a refinement, but an attribute of objective necessity - without it, the operation process touch phone turned into torture. Resistive displays were installed on the gadgets, which did not react to heat (like capacitive ones), but to pressing. It was also possible to control such smartphones with your fingers, but in order to get to the desired letter on the keyboard, you had to spend several attempts and a lot of time. Fortunately, now smartphones with resistive displays are sold only at flea markets - which, however, did not make developers forget about stylus. The most notable of modern gadgets capable of working with "electronic pens", we will present in this review.

• Screen diagonal: 5.7 inch
• Display resolution: 2560 by 1440 dots (QHD)
• Built-in memory: 32 GB

Price: from 19 300 rubles

It seemed that the series Galaxy Note has already outlived its usefulness (no one is surprised now by smartphones with large screens), but it was not so - Samsung released new gadget with S Pen, which, according to experts, turned out to be significantly better than all previous models of the series. Consumers also liked the smartphone: in 2016 Note 5 became the leader in the ACSI rating - that is, in terms of user satisfaction. The main thing than Samsung Galaxy Note 5 differs from previous versions Note Is design. The smartphone is made of premium materials (glass, aluminum) and has a very slim body- only 7.6 mm. Smartphone stylus functionality Samsung also modified - user Note 5 able, for example, to draw on the locked screen and make notes in documents PDF. Curious innovation of the latest model: Note 5 will not allow the owner to lose the stylus, as it will constantly remind that the slot is under S Pen empty, vibration. Stylus S Pen you can write on the screen like a pen, but typing messages is nevertheless more convenient with your fingers - the recognition system may turn out to be powerless in front of the user's handwritten "scribbles".

LG G4 Stylus

• Screen diagonal: 5. 7 inch
• Display resolution: 1280 by 720 pixels (HD)
• Built-in memory: 8 GB

Price: from 11 500 rubles

Though G4 Stylus has a screen of impressive size, it is not the manufacturer's flagship and is more likely to belong to the average price segment... The phone does not amaze the imagination either with its design, or the presence of a mass of innovative features, or the beauty of the giant display - the HD resolution for the phablet is still too low, and the result is a noticeable graininess of the picture. Have Samsung there was a model with similar characteristics and disadvantages - Galaxy Mega.

In the international market, this phone is also known as Lg G Stylo.

About S Pen or other exclusive stylus technology is out of the question. G4 Stylus equipped with the simplest "stylus" with a rubber tip, which does not recognize the force of pressing. There are only two ways to use the stylus: you can draw in the application Quick Memo+ and handwriting the text of the message.

Alcatel OneTouch Hero 2

• Screen diagonal: 6 inch
• Display resolution: 1920 by 1080 pixels (FullHD)
• Built-in memory: 16 GB

Price: from 9 980 rubles

OneTouch Hero 2 , unfortunately, it is extremely problematic now to find them on the windows of Russian showrooms and stores. The gadget is characterized by an excellent value for money and, according to many users, is the only worthy alternative to the Samsung series Note among smartphones with a stylus. In favor Hero 2 say a powerful 8-core processor, 13-megapixel camera Sony Exmor with autofocus and stabilization, capable of reading QR codes, support for LTE. But the stylus here is more of a fun toy than a useful accessory; it can be used to draw and make text notes. In terms of sensitivity to the pen Alcatel far to S Pen – users Hero 2 prefer to type because handwriting is too tedious.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo

• Screen diagonal: 5.5 inch
• Display resolution: 1280 by 720 pixels (HD)
• Built-in memory: 16 GB

Price: from 14 990 rubles

Samsung Galaxy Neo aptly nicknamed Note"For the poor." This device really belongs to the middle price segment, although it has an external resemblance to Note 4 and Note 5 ... Anyone who "digs deeper" will find that, for example, the display resolution is low enough and about no QuadHD out of the question. However, this does not mean at all that Galaxy Neo bad. The phone boasts an attractive design (there is an option with a leather-like design and a decorative stitch), the presence of an LTE module, support for 2 SIM cards, compatibility with smart watches Gear... The stylus is "not for show" here. S Pen equipped with a special button, when pressed, you can access directly to 5 useful applications- for example, to Action Memo(electronic diary for notes) and Scrapbooker(content tracking program). In terms of stylus functionality Galaxy Neo just a little behind Galaxy Note 5 ... In retail Galaxy Note 3 Neo hard to find too. With a strong desire to buy such a device in 2017, you will have to "search" "average" online stores and popular Chinese trading platforms.

Surface Phone: should we expect a new product from Microsoft?

Information about technical characteristics smartphone is unconfirmed. The smartphone hasn't come out yet.

• Screen diagonal: 5.5 inch
• Display resolution: 2560 by 1440 pixels (QuadHD)
• Built-in memory: 32 GB

Lest the reader get the complete impression that the stylus is a relic of the past, we should talk about one highly anticipated model that will be equipped with an electronic pen. This model is called Microsoft Surface Phone- if you believe the Chinese insiders, it will look like this:

CEO Microsoft S. Nadella confirmed that the company will abandon the brand Lumia, because it is already developing new series smartphones on Windows. The "first bird" of this series should be Surface Phone. Initially, it was expected that in the spring of 2017 the device will already go on sale, but at the moment (the article was written in March) it is obvious that Microsoft keep your fans waiting longer... Market experts, based on insider information, suggest that Surface Phone will be equipped the latest processor Snapdragon 835 (the same will be put in Galaxy S8 ) and OS Windows 10 Mobile Redstone 3 ... In addition, the new gadget will receive support for a keyboard cover and a stylus called Microsoft Pen... It is expected that the functionality of the stylus will be commensurate with the functionality S Pen- that is, a simple stick with a rubber tip will not be included in the kit. About the estimated price Surface Phone not a word yet - although it is highly doubtful that it will be sold cheaper than newest model rulers Note... Obviously, due to the launch of a new series of smartphones Microsoft will make another attempt to impose competition on the leaders of the mobile electronics market.

Conclusion

Considering how few smartphones with stylus have been released in recent years, the use of an electronic pen is by no means a new trend. Those models that are now on the market (like Alcatel Hero 2 ), slowly cease to be sold, others have already been discontinued - in particular, a remarkable device Asus Fonepad Note 6 ... However, there is reason to believe that the stylus will soon return to its popularity. They say that iPhone 8 will receive support for an electronic pen, which will be called Apple Pencil... The flagships of other "premium" manufacturers will also be equipped with styluses - S8 from Samsung and Surface Phone from Microsoft... Therefore, it is too early to put an end to the technology of the electronic pen and write it into anachronisms.

Frame	Glass, aluminum
Colors	Indigo, black, copper
Display	6.4 inches, Full HD + (1,440 x 2,960 pixels), Super AMOLED
Platform	Exynos 9810 processor, Mali-G72 MP18 video processor
RAM	6/8 GB
Built-in memory	128/512 GB + slot for microSD cards up to 512 GB
Cameras	Main - 12 Mp, front - 8 Mp
Shooting video	Main camera - 4K with 60 FPS, Full HD with 240 FPS, HD with 960 FPS; front camera - Quad HD with 30 FPS
Degree of protection	IP68
SIM card	Two slots for nanoSIM (one hybrid)
Wireless interfaces	Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac (2.4 / 5GHz), VHT80 MU-MIMO, 1024QAM, Bluetooth 5.0, ANT +, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
Connectors	USB Type-C, 3.5mm audio jack
Sensors	Accelerometer, barometer, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, heart rate sensors, proximity sensor, RGB light sensor, pressure sensor, fingerprint sensor, iris scanner, face scanner
Unlocking	PIN, fingerprint, iris, facial features, smart identification (iris + face)
Operating system	Android 8.1 Oreo, Samsung Experience 9.5
Battery	4000 mAh (non-removable), fast charging, wireless charging
Dimensions (edit)	161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm
Weight	201 g

Equipment

In the box: a smartphone with a stylus, a folder with documentation and a paper clip for removing the "cradle", USB cable- USB Type-C, AKG headset with additional ear pads different sizes, USB to USB Type-C adapter and microUSB to USB Type-C adapter.

Design and ergonomics

Note 9 is sold in three colors: indigo, black and copper. Depending on the color, the style of the stylus also differs: for the indigo it is yellow, for the black version it is black, for the copper version it is bronze. In my opinion, we got the prettiest version - an indigo with a dark blue body and a gold S Pen.

Note 9 not bezel-less smartphone, but the rounded edges on the sides give the impression that the screen almost fills the bezel. In this case, no accidental clicks and swipes occur. Nice and comfortable. Some users complain about the strange glow along the edges of the smartphone, but definitely in vain - it's just a reflection inside the screen, arising from the rounded shape of the display.

The frame at the top is highlighted for the sensors, the front camera and speaker... On the verge there is a hole for one of the microphones and a "cradle" for SIM and microSD cards. On the left are the volume and assistant call buttons, on the right are the power and lock buttons. Below is another microphone, speaker, audio jack, USB input Type-C and stylus clicker.

On the back are cameras, a flash and a fingerprint. Perfectionist hell - the main camera is located as if a couple of millimeters to the left than necessary.

The smartphone is made of smooth-to-touch glass and aluminum frame. It is very thin, but feels good in the hand. Back panel quite easily soiled, but to call this a serious drawback, when almost everyone is already making smartphones with a glass body, it is impossible.

The Note 9 feels solid and sturdy - at least when dropped onto the aluminum frame, it is unlikely to be damaged. And he is not at all afraid of dust and moisture is almost not terrible: the degree of protection is IP68. This means that it can be submerged to a depth of more than a meter for more than half an hour.

You can still find fault with the Note 9's ergonomics. Due to the fact that the body is thin, the thickness of the buttons is barely a couple of millimeters - it is not very pleasant to press them. Plus the eternal problem of phablets - to use the fingerprint scanner or press the side buttons, the palms now and then have to "walk" up and down. It's good that the weight is distributed correctly and the Note 9 can be used with one hand without fear of dropping.

Screen

Diagonal - 6.4 inches. The screen is really big, which is convenient - especially if you use the mode with two applications on one screen. This can be useful if, for example, you need to simultaneously work in Google Docs and comment on the document in the messenger.

The screen resolution is 1,440 × 2,960 pixels, the aspect ratio is not even 2: 1, but 18.5: 9 - and this again makes it more convenient to work in two applications at the same time.

The screen is Super AMOLED from Samsung. The characteristics are the same as in the previous models of the manufacturer: excellent calibration, high brightness, support for the Always On Display function, which saves battery power when the screen is locked. You can't find fault with the screen - the colors look natural, you can look at it from any angle, and it is difficult to use a smartphone only in very bright sunlight.

Sound

The sound, as usual, is loud and clear - you can't expect more from the small speakers of the smartphone. There are two dynamics here, and they support the panorama. This means that with the horizontal arrangement of the smartphone, you can comfortably watch, for example, videos on YouTube.

And Note 9 also supports Bluetooth 5.0 - you can connect two wireless headphone or two columns. And even set them up so that the sound goes to the devices not synchronously, but from different applications... You can turn on music from the streaming service on the speaker in the office, and watch YouTube videos yourself with headphones.

Interesting fact. Not that in 2018 anyone was interested in ringtones, but Samsung still excelled - some of the official ringtones were recorded by famous blogger and musician Andrew Huang.

Headphones

Comes with an AKG headset. Despite the fact that it is a brand with a reputation, it has a large number of great headphones, the sound is not even a compromise. Generally mediocre sound. Same ergonomics and tactile sensations as most in-ear headphones, - for an amateur.

Camera

The Note 9 fulfills its flagship title with a 12-megapixel dual camera. It allows you to take great pictures, comparable to those that can be taken on an iPhone X or Google pixel 2 XL. In terms of iron, everything is fine here: there is a double optical zoom and even a mechanical aperture with two values: ƒ / 1.5 and ƒ / 2.4. The aperture adjusts automatically based on lighting conditions. The second lens is used for bokeh when creating portraits.

The main camera can take pictures with a resolution of 4,032 × 3,024 pixels and shoot videos with a resolution of up to 3,840 × 2,160 pixels at 60 FPS. There is also a super slow motion video mode with a completely insane frame rate - 960 FPS. But this does not fundamentally change the situation - for most people this is a feature that can be played several times, besides, to create a slo-mo video, the camera must first find an object to shoot. By the time this happens, the moment may have already been missed.

All this stuff in high definition requires a lot of space, and in this regard, the Note 9 breaks all records. If you take a modification with 512 GB of memory on board, and then insert a USB flash drive with the same capacity into your smartphone, you get a terabyte. Terabytes of space for your photos and videos.

O front camera There is nothing special to say. Resolution - 8 megapixels, aperture ratio - ƒ / 1.7. You can take great selfies, create self-jis and take selfie panoramas.

It should be understood that when comparing flagship cameras, we often talk about their programmatic work- in terms of iron, they are all about the same. And the results of this comparison often depend on preference. Example: We looked at how portrait modes work on the Note 9 and iPhone X, and the shots came out very different.

The iPhone X stands out for its sharpness and color saturation, while the Note 9's picture is more faded, paler, hazy. The next nuance is clipping. On the iPhone X, it is sharper and more contrasty. AND similar differences can be found in any shooting mode. What is better is up to everyone to decide for themselves.

The stock camera application seems a bit overloaded, which is often the case with Android smartphones. There is not only manual mode and panorama mode, there are also masks, "selfimoji" and much more. Fortunately, it is quite easy to figure this out, and there is no need - features and add-ons quickly get bored, and classic images are almost always perfectly handled by automation. The application itself selects the necessary mode for shooting (for example, macro or night) and even says when the picture was not successful.

For those who like to tinker with the settings, there is a manual mode where you can calibrate ISO, white balance, aperture (optical), focus, and even the type of exposure metering.

Stylus

Stylus with previous Galaxy versions Note has changed: now it has its own battery and it works with a smartphone via Bluetooth - it can be used as a remote control. The charging station is located inside the smartphone, the charge is replenished in less than a minute.

The presence of a stylus can hardly be called a plus, especially considering that e-pencils have long since passed into the category of additional devices for artists and designers. In ordinary scenarios, it is easy to do without a stylus - it is quite possible that many owners Galaxy Note they simply forget about its existence. But the fact is - it's just a pleasure to use it. The dynamic "feather" takes into account the force of pressing, and you can easily spend several minutes for one stupid drawing in notes. It is pleasant to click the clicker on the end - a real anti-stress toy.

Speaking of functions, here's what you can do with the stylus:

• create quick graphical notes on the locked screen;
• edit screenshots;
• control the camera and take pictures with your participation without a timer;
• control video playback when connecting a smartphone to a monitor or projector;
• draw in thin lines in;
• send animated drawings in messages;
• highlight and translate texts.

The stylus is a great solution for those who are used to constantly sketching, noticing and fixing something. It can also be useful for those who work with text - highlights, copies and translates into other languages.

Safety

There are several ways to unlock your smartphone: using a PIN, fingerprint, face or iris. You can customize each of them and use the one that is more convenient at the moment.

For me, as the owner of the iPhone X, smart unlocking seemed to be the most familiar. This is a mode that combines face and iris identification. The smartphone chooses the preferred method itself, and the system learns to recognize the owner faster and adapt to changes in his appearance. Smart unlocking works confidently and correctly, but is somewhat inferior in terms of the speed of fingerprint identification. But you still have to reach for the fingerprint scope. And the camera is easy to accidentally smudge.

Performance

The modification that is sold in Russia has an eight-core Exynos 9810 processor, operating with four 2.7 GHz cores and four more - 1.8 GHz each. Video card - Mali-G72 MP18. The result, as befits a flagship, is excellent. There is nothing to find fault with - everything flies, does not lag at maximum speed. Test results in Geekbench 4:

And here are the "parrots" in AnTuTu:

Autonomy

Battery capacity Note 9 - 4000 mAh. According to the developers, this will be enough for 11 hours of video viewing on a single charge. It is quite possible - after three hours of active work with a smartphone and running Note 9 according to benchmarks, the charge fell by only 15%. It is more convenient to measure the battery life in days - and one, even an extremely active day, the Note 9 will definitely survive.

With fast charging, the battery is fully charged in a little over two hours. Qi and PMA wireless charging supported.

Interface, control and software

Note 9 runs on Android 8.1 Oreo with the classic Samsung add-on. No complaints - you can get used to everything, everything works quickly and even looks logical. There are many pre-installed Samsung services, Google and Microsoft - some of them are useful and you don't need to delete them. Worst of all, Bixby is the assistant that you have to constantly bump into with the Note 9: it opens by swiping on the left of the main screen, it even has a whole button on the case. You can reassign it, but for me, an adherent of the Jobs sect, this is a real event and dancing with a tambourine. Minus Note 9.

By swiping to the right, the panel is called quick access to applications and contacts, by swiping from above - the control point. The panel that appears when working with the stylus is also convenient - it is immediately clear how it can be used. In general, the interface can be called intuitive. You can just turn on your smartphone and use it.

Differences from Note 8

Samsung again did not show any special changes and bold experiments. Here's a list of what's new:

• the diagonal of the screen has become a couple of millimeters larger;
• the smartphone has become thinner and heavier, but not so that it can be easily noticed;
• increased memory capacity;
• increased battery capacity;
• the operating system is Android 8.1;
• iron has become a little more productive;
• the location of the rear camera and fingerprint has changed;
• the stylus began to work as a remote control.

Outcomes

Samsung Galaxy The Note 9 is a great smartphone and sturdy flagship that's a pleasure to use, with its own flair and character. Again - for those who love to draw and constantly sketch, but do not want to carry a tablet with them everywhere, there are simply no alternatives. For those who don't like drawing, but love to pick the best, the Note 9 is one of the good options.

But the expediency of buying Note 9 for the owners of the previous series phablet is a controversial issue. The changes are hardly dramatic, and the price, even with participation in the trade-in program, comes out decent.

Note 9 price - 69,990 rubles for the version with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of physical memory; 89,990 rubles for a modification with 8 and 512 GB, respectively. The start of sales in stores is tomorrow (August 31), and today you can still pre-order and get a wireless docking station as a gift.

Alas, smartphones with a stylus are an endangered species, because every year the choice becomes less and less. And yet there are several devices on the market that are still equipped with a stylus, which is good news. We have prepared a small list of current models for you.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 64GB

Of course, it is worth starting with the most important novelty in the world of smartphones with a stylus - the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Many users probably remember that the company was forced to withdraw the Galaxy Note 7 from the sale: as soon as it went on sale, the media immediately reported cases of explosions. There were even rumors that Samsung would ditch the Note line altogether, but fortunately this did not happen. Moreover, the demand for the Galaxy Note 8 is huge all over the world, which means that the model turned out to be successful.

Galaxy Note 8 gets a new large 6.3-inch display, Exynos 9 Octa 8895 processor, 6 GB random access memory, waterproof, dual camera (by the way, almost the best on the market), wireless and fast charging etc. In short, in front of us is a typical flagship, in which all the very best is collected. And of course there is a stylus.

• Screen diagonal: 6.3 inches

• Resolution: 2960 × 1440

• Weight: 195g

• Number of SIM-cards: 2

• Processor: Exynos 9 Octa 8895

• Memory capacity: 64 GB

• RAM: 6 GB

• Support for memory cards: yes

• 4G networks support: yes

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 256GB

From now on, the Galaxy Note 8 is sold with 256GB of storage, provided that memory cards are supported. There are no other differences from the 64 GB version.

By the way, it is worth noting that the novelty turned out to be compact thanks to the so-called frameless body: with a screen diagonal of 6.3 inches, the width of the smartphone was only 74.8 mm.

• Screen diagonal: 6.3 inches

• Resolution: 2960 × 1440

• Weight: 195g

• Number of SIM-cards: 2

• Processor: Exynos 9 Octa 8895

• Memory capacity: 256GB

• RAM: 6 GB

• Battery capacity: 3300mAh

• Main camera: dual 12/12 MP

• Support for memory cards: yes

• 4G networks support: yes

LG Stylus 3 M400DY

LG also continues its tradition of producing smartphones with a stylus. New to the LG lineup is the LG Stylus 3 M400DY smartphone. This is by no means a flagship device, but at an affordable price.

Stylus 3 M400DY received a 5.7-inch display, HD-resolution, an 8 MP rear camera, a 3200 mAh battery.

The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek MT6750 processor, the amount of RAM and ROM is 2 and 16 GB, respectively. Android version — 7.0.

• Screen diagonal: 5.7 inches

• Resolution: 1280 × 720

• Weight: 149g

• Number of SIM-cards: 2

• Processor: MediaTek MT6750

• Memory capacity: 16 GB

• RAM: 2 GB

• Battery capacity: 3200mAh

• Main camera: 13 MP

• Support for memory cards: yes

• 4G networks support: yes

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 32GB

And here we have ... Another Samsung. And it is not surprising that the Galaxy Note 5, which was announced back in 2015, is still often found on the market - it has almost no competitors. Well, maybe newest Galaxy Note 8, the cat only costs almost twice as much.

But the Galaxy Note 5 is the same flagship, albeit 2015. It is endowed with a 5.7-inch display with QHD resolution, a processor Samsung Exynos 7420, 32 GB internal and 4 GB RAM. Wireless charging function is supported and the battery capacity is 3000mAh.

Of course on Galaxy background Note 8 this smartphone does not look like something amazing, but even buying a Galaxy Note 5 now, it will be enough for you for several years to come. Unless you change smartphones every year, of course.

• Screen diagonal: 5.7 inches

• Resolution: 2560 × 1440

• Weight: 171g

• Number of SIM-cards: 1

• Memory capacity: 64 GB

• The amount of RAM: 4 GB

• Main camera: 16 MP

• Memory card support: no

• 4G networks support: yes

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Duos 32GB

Almost a complete analogue of the previous model, but there is still a difference, but it lies in the presence of a slot for a second SIM card. Yes, the "regular" version of the Galaxy Note 5 only supports one SIM card.

• Screen diagonal: 5.7 inches

• Resolution: 2560 × 1440

• Weight: 171g

• Number of SIM-cards: 2

• Processor: Samsung Exynos 7420

• Memory capacity: 64 GB

• The amount of RAM: 4 GB

• Battery capacity: 3000mAh

• Main camera: 16 MP

• Memory card support: no

• 4G networks support: yes

LG Stylus II K520

You can still find the LG Stylus II K520 on sale in some places, although it is worth trying for that.

In many ways, the model is similar to the Stylus 3 M400DY smartphone, which was described above, but less modern. The device is powered by an ARM Cortex-A53 processor, it has 1.5 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory. The capacity of the battery is 3000 mAh, there is a slot for a memory card, support for 4G and one SIM card, the resolution of the rear camera is 13 MP.

Display diagonal - 5.7 inches, resolution - 1280 × 720 pixels. The model is budgetary, its cost is low.

• Screen diagonal: 5.7 inches

• Resolution: 1280 × 720

• Weight: 145g

• Number of SIM-cards: 1

• Processor: ARM Cortex-A53

• Memory capacity: 16 GB

• RAM: 1.5 GB

• Battery capacity: 3000mAh

• Main camera: 13 MP

• Support for memory cards: yes

• 4G networks support: yes

Since the transition to capacitive screens smartphones with a stylus have become a "rare species", however, in 2016, manufacturers have something to please in this regard. And not only Samsung.

In the days of resistive screens, almost every smartphone had a stylus in the kit since the days of the first Palm Pilots. Then Apple revolutionized the iPhone with a capacitive screen and a finger-friendly interface. It turned out to be so convenient that nowadays everyone modern smartphones use this principle.

In fact, smartphones with stylus are very convenient. The point is different: an accurate stylus for a capacitive screen is a rather expensive "pleasure", since it requires special technical solutions, as in smartphones Samsung Galaxy Note.

For a resistive screen, the stylus was an ordinary "stick" that could be poked at the screen (any solid object was generally suitable for this purpose). Cheap stylus for capacitive displays are inaccurate and inconvenient in fact "rubber bands".

In addition, the stylus, as a rather small accessory, tends to get lost. And the same S-Pen for the Galaxy Note 5 is very expensive, while it still needs to be found on sale. Therefore, the creators of the iPhone, and after it all the other manufacturers, decided to simply save on styluses.

Nevertheless, smartphones with stylus continue to be in demand, which is confirmed by sales Samsung devices the Galaxy Note line. The Galaxy Note 5 recently became the ACSI leader in user satisfaction.

Recently, the Cupertino-based company itself has turned the trend in the opposite direction, releasing a very unexpected accessory. Apple Pencil... So far, it only works with iPad tablets Pro, but some analysts mobile market do not rule out that the iPhone 7 will also support the Apple Pencil.

However, today we are talking about smartphones with a stylus. Currently, they are mainly produced by Samsung in its Galaxy Note line and occupy almost the entire niche. Other manufacturers, due to the relative high cost and low demand, "do not climb" here. Nevertheless, there are alternatives to the "Koreans".

ASUS Fonepad Note 6? (ME560CG)

The device is positioned as a tablet, and this is directly written on the company's website. However, in terms of dimensions and capabilities, the Fonepad Note 6 is a regular 6-inch phablet.

The stylus technology of the ASUS Fonepad Note 6 is magnetic, similar to that used by Samsung in the Note line, but the stylus is not compatible with each other.

The device was announced back in 2013, but it still has a good "quick wits" and can be found on sale. A huge plus is the low price, especially when compared to smartphones with a Samsung Galaxy Note stylus.

LG Stylus 2 (LG Stylus II)

This device was announced earlier this year almost simultaneously with the Galaxy S7. Against the background of the rest of the "wave" of new products, the announcement of LG Stylus 2 passed almost imperceptibly, but it is interesting to us precisely as a smartphone with a stylus.

As for the latter, the LG Stylus 2 has it made without unnecessary "tricks" - like a small thin stick that you can poke at the screen. The manufacturer says that the stylus head is made of a special nano-material, which makes it more accurate and practical than conventional rubber bands.

In general, the LG Stylus 2 is an inexpensive, but powerful enough phablet with a screen diagonal of 5.7 inches and a quad-core processor. All major modern mobile technologies are present, including 4G LTE. In Russia, for some reason, it is quite rare on sale.

This is an improved version of Stylus 2, which was presented in early June 2016 and has not yet reached the shelves at the time of this writing. The screen resolution was increased from HD Ready 720 × 1280 to 1920 × 1080, the processor is an 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 with a frequency of 1.4 GHz, the amount of RAM is 2 (LG K530) or 3 Gb (LG K535), depending on the modification, the built-in storage is 16/64 Gb.

The stylus of the LG Stylus 2 Plus is the same as the version without the plus. The price of the smartphone is expected to be around $ 340.

Alcatel One Touch Hero 2

The only, perhaps, modern decent smartphone with a stylus among the competitors of the Galaxy Note line from Samsung. Released at the end of 2014 as an inexpensive competitor to the Galaxy Note 4. Of the stylus capabilities, it is worth noting the automatic letter recognition mode in typed text.

Alas, the choice of smartphones with a stylus is getting smaller. The leader in this category has traditionally been Samsung with its Galaxy model Note, but the Note 7 had problems immediately after the start of sales - some smartphones caught fire and Samsung eventually abandoned the sale of the model completely. Fortunately, there were no such problems with the Note 8. In addition, there is a choice among other brands.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 128GB

At the time of this writing, this is latest model in the Note line.

As before, they differ primarily in the presence of a stylus, which is located inside the body. It even recharges - automatically.

The diagonal of the screen is 6.4 inches with a resolution of 2960 × 1440 pixels. The matrix is ​​gorgeous, and some experts called it the best on the smartphone market. The Exynos 9810 is used as a chipset, the amount of memory is 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of built-in. Battery - 4000 mAh, supports fast and wireless charging. Dual camera double and she got a variable aperture, shoots perfectly.

Some markets offer a version with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 512GB

The same Note 9, only with 512GB of main memory and 8GB of RAM.

LG Q Stylus +

LG is one of the few companies that supports the release of smartphones with a stylus.

LG Q Stylus + received a 6.2-inch display with high resolution, two single cameras, 8-core processor MediaTek MT6750, 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of ROM. Capacity battery is 3300 mAh, there is fast charging.

HUAWEI Mate 20X 128GB

New phablet from HUAWEI, which has a very large 7.2-inch display! In this case, the stylus is not included, but it can be purchased separately.

Installed triple chamber 40/20/8 MP resolution - and apparently the same as in the Mate 20 Pro, which, for a minute, is the best camera phone on the planet at the time of this writing.

Uses the top-end HiSilicon Kirin 980 chip, 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of ROM, powerful battery 5000 mAh.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 64GB

The smartphone received a completely new case with a large 6.3-inch display and a very high resolution of 2960 × 1440 pixels, a powerful platform based on the Exynos 9 Octa 8895 processor and 6 GB of RAM, 64 GB of internal memory. On the back of the body there is a dual rear camera that will allow you to take pictures the highest quality, and also a fingerprint sensor. An iris scanner has also appeared.

In addition to the stylus, we can mention USB Type-C, wireless charging, water resistance, Always On Display.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 256GB

Another Note 8, which, in general, is no different from the Galaxy Note 8 64GB version, with the exception that the volume internal memory here it is already 4 times more.

LG Stylus 3 M400DY

The name Stylus indicates that the smartphone is endowed with a stylus.

This is a fairly large product, with a screen diagonal of 5.7 inches in HD resolution. Of course, for such a large screen, this is far from the highest resolution, but the matrix is ​​traditionally good for LG, so there are hardly any complaints about the display.

The device is based on the MediaTek MT6750 processor. The amount of RAM - 2 GB, built-in - 16 GB, memory cards up to 2 TB are supported.

There are two good cameras, 4G, GPS, battery capacity - 3200 mAh. And all this at a relatively low cost.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 32Gb

If you are ready to pay more for a smartphone with a stylus, we strongly recommend that you get acquainted with the Galaxy Note 5. Yes, even if this is a model of the previous generation, but, believe me, it did not get any worse from this. On the contrary, it is still very powerful flagship with a beautiful screen and, of course, a stylus.

The diagonal of the screen is 5.7 inches, the resolution is very high - 2560 × 1440 pixels. The processor is an 8-core Samsung Exynos 7420, which is "accompanied" by as many as 4 GB of RAM. The built-in memory is 32 GB, while, alas, there is no slot for a memory card.

The body is metal, but the back is covered with tempered glass. There are all kinds of interfaces, including a fingerprint scanner.

It is still possible to find Galaxy Note 5 on sale, but the number of offers is decreasing. Therefore, if you decide to buy, hurry up.

LG G3 Stylus D690

Another device from LG with a stylus. Don't be surprised, the company has been using styluses in some of its devices for a long time.

The diagonal of the screen is 5.5 inches, the resolution is 960 × 540 pixels. By modern standards, the device cannot be called powerful: the MediaTek MT6582 processor, only 1 GB of RAM ... However, the cost is appropriate, besides, the G3 Stylus D690 is not positioned as another powerful flagship.

Worse, there is no 4G support, except 3G. The battery capacity is 3000 mAh, the smartphone can boast of a good autonomy.