Best Android tablets for drawing

There are tons of dedicated drawing tablets that artists use for their work, letting you doodle, take notes, or draw digital graphics. But these tablets frequently give you tools for drawing and nothing else. What more casual and amateur artists may want instead is an Android tablet with a stylus that works for drawing, as well as other tasks like streaming, gaming, and homework.

You can check our guide on the best drawing tablets if you don’t need a proper operating system and apps. But different tablet makers have improved their offerings to the point where you can ditch the idea of a traditional drawing tablet in favor of one of the best Android tablets for drawing, instead.

At a glance

Best overall

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra lives up to every bit of its name with some of the most powerful hardware ever packed into an Android tablet. It has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with 12GB or 16GB of RAM, depending on the storage you pick. Our Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra review found this to be one of the fastest Android tablets you can buy. It has a massive 14.6-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, which allows for plenty of space for an 11,200mAh battery that can charge at up to 45W.

There’s not question that this is an expensive tablet, but you end up with a device that can just about replace a laptop in functionality. If you travel a lot, the massive TV-like screen can be great for catching up on YouTube videos or even watching movies. And you’ll have plenty of Wi-Fi speed for high-quality video thanks to Wi-Fi 6E support.

Naturally, an S Pen is included in the box, so you can start drawing just as soon as the tablet is set up. If this tablet sounds like it will be too big for you, the smaller Galaxy Tab S9 is still a great pick with its 11-inch screen and is one of the Best Android Tablets you can get.

Best mid-range

What makes the Galaxy Tab S8 Plus stand out amongst the best Android tablets is its versatility. Since the Galaxy Tab S4, Samsung has continued to include an S Pen in the box, which removes the need for you to try and find a compatible stylus if you just want to get down to business.

Thanks to the 12.4-inch display, the Tab S8 Plus is more portable than the iPad Pro or Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. You’ll still enjoy the same great power under the hood, with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 paired with up to 12GB RAM and even a microSD card slot for great processing power and storage for all your artwork.

The biggest reason why the Tab S8 Plus is our pick if you’re looking at the best Android tablet for drawing is because of the display and price. Samsung is using its beautiful Super AMOLED display, complete with a 120Hz refresh rate and 2800 x 1752 resolution. Plus, the S Pen is the newer version, sporting just 2.8ms of latency, as opposed to the 9ms of latency found with the smaller Tab S8.

In practice, our Galaxy Tab S8 reviewer found that the “S Pen and software felt much more responsive than on the iPad Pro” with its popular Apple Pencil.

Best budget

Amazon has a distinct advantage when it comes to pricing hardware since the company makes up much of the cost of in-app sales, subscriptions, and, of course, lock screen ads. As a result, the Fire Max 11 punches well above its weight with a large 11-inch display running at 2000×1200 resolution.

It comes with 4GB of RAM and a MediaTek MTK8188J SoC, so it’s not going max Genshin Impact, but our Fire Max 11 review notes that it has some of the best performance of any Amazon tablet. The display has a 60Hz refresh rate, which won’t feel quite as smooth under a stylus, but it’s an IPS panel, so it’s bright with vibrant colors.

This bundle includes a Stylus made for the tablet, but you can also use another USI 2.0 stylus if you’ve already invested or want something with different ergonomics. Amazon includes ads on your lock screen, but if you want them removed, you can pay a bit more for the same tablet. You can also choose to remove lock screen ads later by paying the difference if you’re on a budget.

Best E Ink display

The market for E Ink tablets has exploded over the past couple of years, thanks in large part to the Onyx Boox lineup. Our current favorite pick for those who want the best Android tablet for drawing, but prefer an E Ink screen is the Onyx Boox Tab Ultra C.

Much like the other flagship tablets from Onyx, the Tab Ultra C includes the excellent Pen2 Pro in the box, so you won’t have to spend even more just to be able to draw or take notes. In our testing, using the Tab Ultra C with the Pen2 Pro felt almost as good as writing and drawing with pen and paper. Another benefit of this combination is that the Pen2 Pro magnetically attaches to the side, removing the worry about forgetting about where you put it.

While Onyx has its own built-in note-taking application, the fact that this is powered by Android means that you can download any drawing app of your liking. However, we recommend proceeding with caution, as there frankly aren’t very many apps that are optimized for E Ink displays, so your results may vary.

If you’re wondering where the newer Boox Tab Ultra C Pro is on this list, you’re not alone. We’re currently working on our review of the latest offering from Onyx and will be sure to update this guide if it manages to supplant the Tab Ultra.

Best S Pen value

If you don’t want to spend a ton of money but still want access to Samsung’s excellent S Pen features, the Galaxy Tab S9 FE is a good starting point. This tablet has a 10.9-inch display that runs at 90Hz, so it feels reasonably responsive under the stylus. Unlike a lot of other cheap tablets or discounted older models, it was released with Android 13 but has already been updated to Android 14.

You can get this tablet with Wi-Fi 6 only or get a version with 5G that can be activated on just about any carrier. It’s powered by Exynos 1380 SoC from Samsung, which can keep up with everyday tasks like reading, browsing, or drawing just fine, but will struggle with 3D gaming.

One thing to note is that the display uses a TFT LCD panel. This older LCD tech is known for having poor viewing angles and color distortion when viewing from the off-axis. If you are planning on using your tablet for watching movies, it will be worth the extra money for you to upgrade to the proper Galaxy Tab S9 series with AMOLED displays. If you’re looking for something cheap with an S Pen in the box, however, the Galaxy Tab S9 FE still hits the mark.

Best add-on display

We’ve come to our second “cheating” addition to the list, and that’s the Wacom One. This dedicated drawing tablet provides a plug-and-play experience across pretty much any device you can think of. It’s even possible to use with many of the best Android phones, let alone Windows, macOS, Android tablets, and Chromebooks.

With the Wacom One, you get a 13.3-inch display that makes it feel like you’re actually writing or drawing on paper. It’s one of the reasons why many opt for a screen protector with a matte finish on tablets like the Tab S8 or iPad Pro. The pressure-sensitive pen is included in the box and is designed in such a way that you shouldn’t get fatigued as easily as using other stylus options.

It’s easy to understand why the Wacom One is our pick for the best drawing tablet overall, especially since the brand has been making some of the best in that market for years. With support for a multitude of devices across various platforms, the Wacom One may not run Android, but it’s an extremely compelling option if you’re serious about drawing and have other Android devices.

How to choose

These are the best Android tablets for drawing

While the list of best Android tablets for drawing is dominated by Samsung’s tablets, it’s for a good reason. With tablets like the Galaxy Tab S9 Plus and Tab S9 Ultra, you not only have a stylus in the box, but Samsung continues innovating. Having a latency as low as 2.8ms is absolutely incredible, and when paired with the best drawing apps, these tablets are just second to none. These tablets also have some of the best displays out there with AMOLED panels and 120Hz refresh rates.

But the truth is that outside of the stylus-specific features, the gap between Samsung and other Android tablets is slightly getting smaller. The Amazon Fire Max 11, for example, has some incredible hardware for the price. While its Fire OS software won’t be to everyone’s taste, you can still get the side-load Play Store if you want. You can bundle it with a pen, or buy it alone and grab a USI 2.0 stylus down the line.