Read our reviews of the best tablets for taking notes and drawing to have a quality device at your hand.
There’s no doubt that creative people still love notepads, pencils, pens, and everything else that’s stationery-tastic. However, a tablet with a stylus to take notes and write is a fantastic thing to buy that can be a real asset to your creativity, even if you’re a die-hard paper enthusiast. With this wonderful device, you no longer need to carry a lot of things in your backpack and you can do your works in a more precise way. But what are the best tablets for taking notes and drawing?
The tablets for taking notes and writing have greatly improved in recent years, offering great functionality and excellent usability for any type of use. Whether you’re at school or need to work, take notes during class or at conferences, these tablets are the best way to keep track of what’s happening. Technology offers a lot of solutions; it’s just about choosing the best one for your needs. Which device to use? Let’s see what are the best options.
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How to choose the best tablets with a stylus for drawing and note-taking?
A good tablet to write must be primarily portable. This is the central point, but it is also very important to consider other than mere size and weight. If you are looking for a product that allows you to take notes and do serious work, these are the main features to be evaluated carefully.
Also, see our selection of the top tablets with Windows OS.
Screen size
If you have tried reading a long article or writing an email with your phone, you will surely know that it is torture. Even the best displays and the most responsive keyboards cannot compensate for the size of the display. Most tablets are available in one of three standard sizes: 7 inches, 8 inches or 10 inches. Seven inches, probably, will be too small to read, research or write seriously. It will, however, be a very simple solution to carry around, but it will sacrifice too much in terms of usability. Eight inches may be good for most users, but the best tablets for writing, drawing and taking notes are between 9 and 10 inches.
Stylus pen
Who wants to have the same feeling of paper with all the convenience of a digital device will have to own a
Keyboard (or keyboard connectivity)
It’s useless: digital keyboards are not the same thing. Any writer will tell you that the tactile feedback given by a physical keyboard is too an important part. It’s not just about typing fast, there’s something behind the noise and the feeling of the keys that help you focus and do your job better. Many of the best typing tablets come with a keyboard that can be folded or attached to the body of the device. Among the many features, you can also enjoy an optional addition to connecting an external keyboard. If the tablet cannot be connected to a real keyboard, it probably will not be the most suitable for writing.
Reading functionality
While a pure eReader will probably not be the best for a writer, you’ll definitely need access to a library and a way to read eBooks. Many tablets with iOS and Android offer the ability to access the Kindle application, which is perfect. In addition, you will also need to choose a tablet with a high-quality screen and high contrast to read without problems.
Battery life
The good news here is that tablets generally have much better battery life than laptops even with extreme use, but again, they’re not all the same. For long writing sessions, the battery life of a tablet is essential. Even tablets, unlike laptops, are not as useful when connected to the power supply (a tablet connected to the mains is inconvenient to use). Recharging the tablet while working in a coffee, for example, may not be good defending on the location of the outlet. Today’s tablets guarantee an average of 9 hours of battery life, up to a maximum of 15 hours on a single charge. If you work on the move, it is important to consider this aspect and take the 9 hours of autonomy as a minimum duration from which to choose the product.
What are the best tablets for taking notes, drawing, handwritten notes, etc.
Student, journalist or writer, we understood what it takes to evaluate to choose a good tablet for notes and writing. Let’s go deeper now and see what are the best tablets to take notes and to write currently on the market.
Apple iPad Pro
The iPad Pro is available in the 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch versions. Given the wide range of applications available for iOS, such as the iPad drawing apps, both variants guarantee a good laptop replacement. The 12.9-inch version is almost the same size as a laptop while being thinner and lighter. The Apple pencil is extremely precise and offers the same feeling as an ordinary pen, making it a great option for those who want to write by hand. With the release of iOS 11, simply placing the pencil on the screen you can write a note in the Notes app without even having to unlock the device.
To write, you can turn the iPad Pro into a laptop thanks to the App Smart Cover that fits perfectly to the device for maximum convenience. The only downside is, of course, the price. However, Apple users will appreciate the ease with which the iPad can integrate with other gadgets. If you do not have the necessary budget to purchase the Pro, the iPad Mini 4 has a more reasonable starting price and can be completed with cheaper keyboards and stylus.
Discover more and the price here
Microsoft Surface Pro
The latest version of the 10.6-inch Surface Pro has the same appearance as the previous one, but much longer battery life (13.5 hours) and is both faster and lighter. Writing notes and drawing is simple and pleasant, thanks to multitasking and possibly a cover with integrated keyboard, as well as the Surface Pen Stylus. This makes this tablet similar to iPad Pro. The difference is that it works with Windows 10, which lets you use Windows applications directly on your tablet. You’re getting a tablet that will run full-fat desktop software – so think Creative Cloud apps such as Photoshop CC without any compromise on features or performance. This is a great advantage that allows the Surface Pro to easily play the role of a laptop.
Discover more and the price here
Microsoft Surface Pro 4
If you are looking for a laptop with the body of a tablet, the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is ideal. It is a great addition to your desktop that makes taking notes really fun with the Stylus pen included, but the keyboard is sold separately. Surely, it will be worthwhile to buy one to have a complete Surface experience. The ultra-thin keyboard magnetically attaches to the tablet and acts as a cover if not used. However, it is available in numerous options from Intel Core i5 to i7, while RAM can be from 4GB to 16GB. But to get the mighty, you should be ready to pay a little more.
In addition to its perfectly compact design, it is also very convenient to use.
Discover more and the price here
Samsung Galaxy Tab S3
The Galaxy Tab S3 is a worthy rival of the iPad and one of the best options in the Android world. Its HDR screen is tremendous and has great contrast. It is very thin and its operation is really fluid. It may not be the latest model, the Galaxy Tab S4, but it’s cheaper and works really well. Also, it has 4 speakers and S Pen (free). The keyboard is not included.
If you want an Android mid-range model with the possibility of writing on the tablet, this is possibly the best option you will find.
If you have something more money available, you can always opt for the new model the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4.
Discover more and the price here
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
It has a larger screen than the Galaxy Tab S3 and longer battery life … but it is also more expensive. It comes with the S Pen included and only has a couple of drawbacks: the Samsung Dex interface is a good idea but lacks some development, and the keyboard could be something better.
If you want a high-end Android model with the possibility of writing on the tablet, this is a good option. Also, see our selection of the top S Pen applications here.
Discover more and the price here
Huawei MediaPad M5 Pro
One of the cheapest options to get a tablet with pen included. For less than 500 euros you have all the advantages of this type of tablets. The screen is quite good, has enough power for most tasks and its manufacture is very good (aluminum). You cannot ask for more for this price, especially if we buy it with the most expensive models.
Discover more and the price here
Lenovo Yoga Book
The Lenovo Yoga Book is one of the best tablets to take handwritten notes. Novel design and functionalities really adapted to writing with “pen”. Your keyboard works like a Wacom tablet (you can write on it with a stylus). And, if you prefer to write in a notebook, it comes with a removable magnetic notebook that is placed on the keyboard.
You can write on it and everything appears on the screen. Perfect for old-fashioned writers. It works perfectly. You write with ink on paper with Real Pen (detects 2048 levels of pressure) and the Yoga Book makes a perfect digital copy of your notes.
The device can be used in 4 modes: the creation mode in the flat aperture to take notes and draw, the scan mode to use it as a compact 10.1 “tablet, the playback mode for entertainment and the writing mode to use it as a laptop productively.
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Wacom Cintiq 22HD
If you need your tablet specifically for drawing, this Wacom option is the best. It has a spectacular drawing region of 50x30cm and has a really sensitive styls.
It also has a stand to adjust the angle of the tablet and its Full HD screen has 16 million colors. It is not a cheap tablet, but if you want to draw it is one of the best options. It cannot be used as a normal tablet.
And the new version? Well, it is more expensive but has better features, it is the Wacom DTK-2420-EU Cintiq Pro 24 Pen: it has a creative 4K screen with a pencil of 8192 levels of sensitivity to pressure.
Discover more and the price here
These are the best tablets to take notes. Most of the tablets mentioned here are really great for taking notes while they are available at affordable ranges as well. Many more options are also available in the market. Therefore, you can always look for them if the tablets mentioned above do not fit well.