Samsung Reveals Galaxy Note 2, Plans U.S. Version

The point is if you bought the phone and had no interest in the stylus, you could use it identically to any other android phone, just with a 5.5" screen. The stylus is there for people who like to be able to use handwriting recognition software, or drawing apps, or for those who just generally prefer it for the precision. For general use it may not be useful, but if you've ever tried to draw a picture with your finger, a stylus offers a huge benefit under certain circumstances.