Android phones, especially the most expensive models, are pretty capable devices. They have as much RAM as some laptops, and their processors are often as fast as laptop CPUs from a few generations ago.
Their only real limitation is input: at best, you have a single USB-C port.
Thankfully, USB-C is pretty capable. If you find a device that supports Android, you can actually connect a huge range of different devices to them.
If you've ever tried drawing on a regular phone using your finger, you know it isn't a great experience. Even if you're good at it, it doesn't compare to a dedicated graphics tablet, like a Wacom. Most phones will allow you to connect a screen less graphics tablet and use it to draw, and devices that support video over USB-C even allow you to use a drawing tablet with a screen. If you're just trying it out as a hobby, it is a way to get into it without springing for a full PC setup or a larger tablet.
The microphones built into most modern phones are fine, good, even, but they don't handle a candle to studio microphones.
If you want to connect a microphone to your phone, you can attach an audio interface over USB, which functionally allows you to attach a mic with an XLR port to a phone, a guitar, bass, or any number of other instruments.
If you're trying to record sounds outdoors, a podcast or music on the move, or anything else, it is actually a reasonable option. You just need to mix it with the right apps, like FL Studio Mobile or Band lab.
The big downside is power. If your phone is providing phantom power to a microphone (+48V) over USB-C and powering the interface itself, you're going to drain down your battery very quickly.
Many audio interfaces allow you to attach a separate power supply to run phantom power; I'd recommend finding that if you can, it'll do wonders for your recording time.
Tapping on a tiny glass screen is a poor substitute for something with actual keys or buttons. Fortunately, a surprising number of MIDI devices, like a keyboard or pad controller, will work if you connect them to your phone over USB-C.
As with audio interfaces, keep an eye on power draw. Controllers with a ton of LED lighting will be taxing on your battery. If you combine a MIDI controller and an audio interface on the same powered hub, you've effectively created a miniature studio!
It feels like modern phones barely come with enough storage for regular use, especially if you shoot photos in RAW.
If you're any kind of creator that uses their mobile a lot, video and audio recordings can easily use up all the space on your phone. Cloud storage can help alleviate that, but who wants to back up 100GB of 4K video over cellular data? I certainly don't.
High-speed USB-C SSDs allow you to offload your files to external storage, sparing your phone's storage space for your day-to-day needs instead.
Give yourself the gift of limitless storage and lightning-fast speeds.
