Buzz
The Galaxy Z Fold3 supports the Spen, but it's too thin to accommodate the pen. So Samsung offers, includes a case for the Spen. I've been using the case and pen duo for a few days now and here are some of my thoughts. Since they come as a pair, I'll share my overall impressions of both items.Galaxy Z Fold3 Spen: Impressive
The feature I use most is the touchless translation command. This means you simply hover the pen over the word you want to translate, and it automatically finds the word and displays the translation right above it. The dictionary source is from Google Translate. Samsung has introduced this feature quite a while ago on the Note series, so it works very smoothly. If you enjoy reading foreign books or news on the Galaxy Z Fold3, the Spen will greatly assist you.
There's no connection between the Spen and Galaxy Z Fold3, so no controlling the camera or anything that requires Bluetooth connectivity, which is only available on the Spen Pro. Frankly, I tried this for a while just to see, but I don't really see the need for these connectivity features. Sure, remote camera shutter is neat, but with Samsung phones, you just raise your hand and it recognizes that you want to take a photo, so it's not really necessary.
The drawing features like PENUP, coloring, smart select, AR... that are on the Note are also available on the Z Fold3. But honestly, I just tried them out; I don't really have a need to use them.
Writing when the Galaxy Z Fold3 is closed. This means the screen is completely off, you press the button and touch the pen to the screen, then the screen will switch to a mode where you can write on it. It can be seen as a quick note-taking feature when the Fold3 is opened and placed on a desk. However, in reality, we often fold the device when placing it on a table, so when we lift the device and unfold it, the screen opens up immediately, so we also use this feature less often.
In general, the Spen on the Galaxy Z Fold3 will be even better than on the Note because the Fold's screen is much larger. And so, the Note's features or Spen features will be better. Except for a couple of things I mentioned above, it's just my usage habits.Galaxy Z Fold3 Spen Case: Not Impressive
Apart from its sleek and stylish appearance, the experience with this case is really not good. And perhaps you won't be able to use it.
When placed on a table with this case, the lid often automatically flips open, slides down about 5mm, and the automatic screen-off feature doesn't work. This leads to battery drain and it looks odd.
When held in hand while not in use or during phone calls, the pen presses against the hand a lot, which is very uncomfortable. Since the Galaxy Z Fold3 is a large phone, even when folded, it's still big, so when holding it, we naturally want to hold it firmly. The firmer we hold it, the more the pen holder presses against the hand, making it uncomfortable. Maybe someone with larger hands won't feel this way.
When opening the device to use the main screen, the case makes it more difficult to open because it's no longer a solid block. The outer flap and the part of the device attached to the flap wobble, causing it to slip when held.
The frame holding the device on the case protrudes above the screen, so when attached, users will have difficulty swiping on the screen from the outer edge. Most cases bring about this inconvenience.
When holding with both hands with the case, it protrudes about 2cm.
When held like a baton, we can grip it securely. This is the most beneficial feature that I see in this case.
