I have been drawing for most of my life. I’m not very good, but it’s relaxing and I’d like to do it more often. What stops me is that I don’t always have the tools readily available in my pocket. or at least i didn’t. However, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 could change all that.
If you think I ran around carrying a pen and paper with me, you don’t know the 21st Century Lance. Decades ago, I scribbled in every margin of every notepad, but for years now I’ve been drawing digitally and almost exclusively on the iPad— the best, which is well-documented. For my money, there’s no better drawing platform than the 13-inch iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, and Procreate. But maybe you see the problem. For drawing anywhere, anytime, iPad Pro is not that practical. I mean, it’s a lightweight device, but it doesn’t fit in your pocket.
I can obviously draw on the iPhone 15 Pro Max with a pocket version of Procreate, but the iPhone doesn’t accept digital stylus input, which means I have to draw with my fingertip, and then there’s the screen size. It’s a bit small for real drawing or sketching.
Enter the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, which I recently reviewed. On the outside is a 6.3-inch screen and quite narrow with a lid. I will not back down from this. On the inside, however, is the flexible 7.6-inch AMOLED display that accepts digital stylus input.
That screen size is almost as big as the iPad mini (8.3 inches), and I’ve done a lot of drawing on that tiny screen (side note, I’m worried we’ll never see another iPad Mini).
While flexible, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 has all the necessary features to make it an effective drawing surface.
- It accepts an S Pen input for the Fold (don’t try a Galaxy S 24 Ultra S Pen on it).
- It has palm rejection, which means you can rest your hand on the screen while drawing.
- Pen input recognizes pressure and tilt.
- It is accurate and responsive.
- It’s stable, but the S Pen doesn’t slide around the screen.
image 1 e 5
By the way, if you’re worried about the crease, it’s not that noticeable and doesn’t get in the way of my drawing. Maybe a better artist would bother.
I’ve already drawn a bit in the Notes app, but I prefer a real drawing app. Google Play’s options have always been a bit more limited than what’s available for iPadOS. There’s no Procreate for Android, which is a lingering disappointment and an exception I don’t understand.
Sketchbook, which is available on iOS and Android, is my choice for the latter platform. It offers many of the same core features as Procreate and includes many media types and layers.
However, the real benefit of the Sketchbook and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 combination is that wherever I am, I can take out my 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 with the Z Fold 6. An official S Pen box for the Fold can 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 that guy on TikTok who just draws people on the train and then shows them the amazing portrait, which is so good that it makes them not angry at the invasion of privacy. Sure, I’m not that good, but at least with this ready-to-go art platform, I can practice enough to get better.
Look, I understand that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 costs $1,899.99 / £1,799 / AU$2,749 almost $2,000 in the US and the artwork isn’t enough for some to make the purchase. But I challenge you to do the same with a standard single-screen smartphone from Apple, Google or Samsung.
Ultimately, I ask you not to judge my art, but the intention behind it. I found a way to get into a relaxing hobby anywhere. Maybe if you’re feeling a little artistic yourself, you can do the same. Also, can you turn your head to the left so I can get a better angle?