Super Stylus (smartphone / tablet stylus) – A Marketing Review

How many of you out there have problems using touch screen technology with smartphones and tablets?

How often do you accidentally press the wrong button because of the sensors being confused with a large finger tip?

Do you ever get frustrated when not being able to use the damn phone because your fingers are slightly damp, dirty, or even when it’s cold and you’re wearing gloves?

Let’s face it.  Touch screen technology is pretty slick when everything works properly.  However, when the smartphone or tablet is constantly registering incorrect touches because of things like large or sweaty fingers, then that same technology is annoying as hell.

The other night I saw a TV commercial for something called the Super Stylus.  It claims to be a stylus (a.k.a. pointy selection device) that works with virtually any smartphone or tablet.  Let’s take a closer look and see how the Super Stylus is being presented to the general public.

Super Stylus website — www.GetSuperStylus.com

To view the TV commercial you’ll have to visit the product’s website.  Go ahead and watch it before continuing with the remainder of this marketing review.

Super Stylus TV commercial — The frustration of hitting the wrong buttons.

The Super Stylus TV commercial begins with showing a very common problem for a lot of smartphone & tablet users:  the device registering incorrect hits on the display screen.

I’m one of those people who gets frustrated when the phone doesn’t register my finger correctly.  There have been many times where a slightly sweaty or damp finger cannot view or send text messages, or even perform the simplest task of answering a phone call.  Don’t even get me started on the countless smudges and streaks left behind that require constant cleaning of the damn phone.

Okay, Super Stylus, you’ve got our attention.  Show us your solution to this annoying problem.

Super Stylus TV commercial — The answer is a big fat stylus in the shape of a pen.

The answer, of course, is a stylus for your smartphone and tablet.  Not just any stylus, but here it’s the Super Stylus!

Keep in mind that the concept of using a stylus to control the actions on a screen isn’t anything new.  Back in the mid to late 1990s, hand held personal data assistants (PDAs) were commonly controlled with a stylus.  A small slot on the side of the device held the selection tool.  The styli worked great and even back then had pinpoint accuracy.  Both my dad and brother frequently used Palm Pilots back then, and I had some experience with it as well.

As touch screen technology advanced, the concept of using a stylus with a smartphone or tablet was phased out.  Your fingertip basically became the stylus, and in ideal conditions it worked well.  The problems though are that not everybody has an ideal shape to their fingertips, and the slightest amount of moisture renders the finger useless as a stylus.  I don’t know if others have this problem, but mine also has a hard time registering finger contact when being used in the sunshine.

The stylus itself is making a comeback, and I’ve already seen a few TV commercials advertising certain smartphones being used with a stylus.  But what about the rest of us who use a smartphone or tablet that didn’t come with a stylus?  Is there any hope for us apart from buying yet another expensive device?

Super Stylus TV commercial — It may work like a finger, but try to resist sticking it up your nose.

The Super Stylus TV commercial claims that the stylus works just a like a finger.  Here we see a person using the giant stylus and easily hitting those large buttons on his tablet.  Why people try to be sophisticated and type paragraphs or long documents on those tablets is beyond me.  I’ll stick with my desktop and laptop computers, thank you.

 

Super Stylus TV commercial — Welcome to your (lame) modern family!

Doesn’t the family look all happy now, spending quality time together while each one uses a Super Stylus with his or her smartphone or tablet?

So much for board games, reading magazines, watching TV, or just sitting around and chatting.  Now everybody can easily text with friends, check Facebook status updates, and play video games, all while completely ignoring their fellow family members and surroundings!  That is, until it’s time to recharge those batteries.

Super Stylus TV commercial — A big fat stylus tip to match your big fat finger.

Notice the well rounded tip (if you even want to call it that) of the Super Stylus.  Gee, is the wide and round tip that much more accurate than your fingertip, especially when being used on a smartphone’s small screen?

Perhaps such a large tip is more suitable for the equally large buttons found on tablets rather than the smaller displays common on smartphones.

The TV commercial mentioned that the Super Stylus has a soft rubber tip that’s designed to mimic the feel of a person’s finger.  Just for fun I tried using a rubber eraser at the end of a pencil as a stylus on my smartphone.  No, it didn’t work.

Super Stylus TV commercial — Look ma!  No oily marks on the screen.

Up next we see the difference in screen cleanliness between a nasty, sweaty finger and the Super Stylus pointing device.  At least there aren’t any boogers on the left side.

Super Stylus TV commercial — Must . . . clean . . . this . . . damn . . . screen!

I’m sure this anger and vigorous style of wiping is common for many tablet and smartphone owners.  Just look at how hard he’s rubbing his thing.  He’s liable to rub a hole right in the middle of the screen.

Super Stylus TV commercial — Just how do women use long fingernails with a touch screen?

The Super Stylus TV commercial also claims to answer the problem of women with long fingernails trying to type and press buttons on a touch screen device.  Speaking of that, it’s kind of freaky when you see women with really long fingernails trying to type on a keyboard.  Or better yet, how about when teachers with the same fingernails use the chalkboard (they still use those in the classrooms, right?), and each time their long fingernails come dangerously close to scratching the surface of the board. 

Yes, a stylus can certainly help women with long fingernails use the touch screen technology associated with smartphones and tablets.  It’s one of several valid selling features in the Super Stylus TV commercial.

Super Stylus TV commercial — It’s large enough to require a purse (or a European ‘carry all’ for men).

Here we actually see a flaw of the Super Stylus pointing device.  While the stylus itself is shaped like a large pen, we see that it’s not small enough to fit in your pocket.  Guys, you’d better find some other sort of way to carry the Super Stylus if you want to use it with your smartphone.

I wonder how many women are going to dig through their purse each time they want to use their Super Stylus?  You know that it’s going to roll around and get lost in the bottom of the purse with the rest of the pens and assorted items.

Super Stylus TV commercial — The famous speed test against a finger.

The speed of the stylus is going to depend on the person’s ability to actually hit the buttons on the display screen.  Any button for that matter.  My own crappy smartphone commonly registers the wrong buttons being hit, but it quickly recognizes the fact that the screen was touched.

Take note that the “speed test” here in the Super Stylus TV commercial isn’t necessarily talking about the quickness of a finger versus a stylus, but rather the overall accuracy of the stylus versus the finger.  You’ll see the finger constantly hitting the wrong buttons and being forced to correct the mistakes.  The stylus, on the other hand, just keeps typing away with its better accuracy (as expected).

While using a stylus may be a little bit slower than just pointing and touching with your finger, the accuracy of such a device will make using the tablet or smartphone a faster experience, whether you’re browsing Internet pages or typing text messages.

 

Super Stylus TV commercial — Using the pen-like stylus as a, well, uh, pen.

If you have the right software on your device, the Super Stylus can act just like a pen, no different than scribbling on a blank piece of paper.  Only this version is electronic and your advancement in technology will make you the center of attention in your small group of friends.  They’ll be “oohing” and “ahhing” as you can write with a pen-like item on a tablet’s screen while they’re stuck using Magic Markers and Post-it Notes.

So yes, instead of using a finger to show off your sloppy handwriting on a tablet (do they even have that kind of software for small smartphone screens?), you can instead use a stylus that looks like a fancy pen.

Super Stylus TV commercial — It’s even compatible with your car’s GPS.

In this shocking display of versatility, the Super Stylus is apparently compatible with the touch screen GPS instead of your car.  At least you know that ordering the stylus through the www.GetSuperStylus.com official website is going to be a hell of a lot cheaper than trying to order such a product through the car’s dealership.

Super Stylus TV commercial — It even works when wearing gloves!

The colder temperatures may challenge the smartphone’s ability to operate correctly, but at least you can wear gloves and still be able to press buttons with the aid of a stylus.

Super Stylus TV commercial — A completely flawless way of attaching a large stylus to a smartphone.

Here we see an answer to the classic question:  Is there a way to keep the Super Stylus with the phone when not being used?

According to the Super Stylus TV commercial, yes, you can attach a little holder to the back of your phone or tablet.  Just keep in mind that most phones are very snug in their carrying cases, and there’s usually no room for add-ons like a Super Stylus.  You’ll have to create a way to attach the large stylus to the phone’s carrying case or something else entirely.

Super Stylus TV commercial — Look out!  It’s the promotion!

At the end of the TV commercial we’re hit with the product’s promotion.  The current offer is for two Super Styli pens and two holders.  But if we act now, they’ll two in two more pens and holders, giving you a total of FOUR Super Styli pen-like items and FOUR holding devices.

Ordering the Super Stylus promotion comes to a grand total of $25.90 ($10 + $7.95 P&H + $7.95 (process and handling for the “free” items)) for the four styli and holders.  The company offers a 30-day money back guarantee, but that does NOT include the $15.90 you’re paying in processing and handling fees for those incredibly lightweight items.

WARNING – Be careful if you enter your credit card company and press the “Order Now” button.  Many of these as-seen-on-TV company websites do NOT give you a final confirmation screen before accepting your CC number.

FINAL THOUGHTS

It’s not very often that we see an as-seen-on-TV product that actually has a variety of selling features.  Not only does it have the selling features, but they’re even discussed (some only briefly) in the TV commercial.

It’s a little bit surprising that the product’s website doesn’t go into a whole lot of detail about the problems with touch screen technology and the benefits of using a stylus.  Educating the customer is a key step in earning their business.

As far as the Super Stylus, I’m surprised that it isn’t offered in any smaller sizes.  Not everybody needs to wrap their big fingers around a fat pen-like device to point at the screen.  Smaller styli with better tips would not only be more accurate, but it would also be easier to carry in one’s pocket or phone case.

I like the concept of using a stylus with smartphones and tablets.  I’ve been in favor of it since the first day my phone began registering incorrect hits from my finger.  It’s just a little bit surprising that more smartphones haven’t been offering versions of the phone with a stylus.

The Super Stylus looks like an interesting way for people to use a stylus with their smartphones and tablets.  I just wonder about its accuracy with that wide tip.

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All of the Super Stylus commercial images were screenshots of a TV commercial currently available on the product’s website.  For more product information, please visit the company’s website at www.GetSuperStylus.com.

Super Stylus is a registered trademark.

RellimZone.com is not affiliated with Super Stylus.