I’ve been drawing for most of my life. I’m not great at it, but it’s relaxing and I’d like to do it more often. What’s stopping me is that I don’t always have the tools handy in my pocket. Or at least, I didn’t. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, however, could change all that.
If you think I carry a pen and paper around with me, you don’t know 21st century Lance. A few decades ago, I used to doodle in every margin of every notebook, but I’ve been drawing digitally for years and almost exclusively on the best iPads, which is well documented. In my opinion, there is no better drawing platform than the 13-inch iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, and Procreate. But maybe you see the problem. For drawing anywhere, anytime, the iPad Pro is not very practical. I mean, it’s a lightweight device, but it’s not pocketable.
I can obviously draw on my iPhone 15 Pro Max with a handheld version of Procreate, but the iPhone doesn’t support digital pen input, which means I have to draw with my fingertips, and then there’s the screen size. It’s a bit small for real drawing or sketching.
This is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, which I recently reviewed. On the outside, there is a 6.3-inch and rather narrow display. I won’t elaborate on that. On the inside, however, is the 7.6-inch flexible AMOLED display that accepts digital pen input.
This screen size is almost as big as the iPad mini (8.3 inches), and I did a lot of drawing on that small screen (note: I fear we’ll never see another iPad Mini).
Although flexible, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 has all the features needed to make it an effective drawing surface.
- It accepts an S Pen for Fold input (don’t try a Galaxy S 24 Ultra S Pen on it).
- It has palm rejection, which means I can rest my hand on the screen while I draw.
- Pen input recognizes pressure and tilt.
- It’s accurate and responsive.
- It’s durable, but the S Pen doesn’t slide across the screen.
By the way, if you’re worried about the crease, it’s not that visible and doesn’t interfere with my drawing. Maybe a better artist would care.
I’ve drawn a bit in the Notes app before, but I prefer a real drawing app. Google Play’s options have always been slightly more limited than those available for iPadOS. There’s no Procreate for Android, which is a long-standing frustration and an exclusion I don’t understand.
Sketchbook, available on iOS and Android, is my go-to tool for the latter platform. It offers many of the same core features as Procreate and includes many different media types and layers.
The real benefit of the Sketchbook and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 combo is that no matter where I am, I can take out the phone, unfold it, and start drawing without feeling like I don’t have enough space to create.
There is a caveat here. Unlike the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, the S Pen doesn’t come bundled with the Z Fold 6. An official S Pen case for the Fold could cost upwards of $70. The good news is that you can find a much cheaper option elsewhere. I found one for $14.
I imagine myself becoming like this guy on TikTok who draws people on the train and then I show them the amazing portrait that is so good that it stops them from getting angry about the intrusion into their privacy. Sure, I’m not as good, but at least with this ready-made artistic platform, I can practice enough to improve.
I understand that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 costs $1,899.99 / £1,799 / AU$2,749, or nearly $2,000 in the US, and that the artistic creation alone isn’t enough to make the purchase for some. But I challenge you to do the same with a standard single-screen smartphone from Apple, Google or Samsung.
Ultimately, I ask that you not judge my art but the intention behind it. I have found a way to access a relaxing hobby anywhere. Maybe if you are feeling a little artistic yourself, you can do the same. Also, could you turn your head to the left so I can get a better angle?