8 Best Android Tablet for Drawing (in 2023) with Stylus support

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Android tablets are known for their customization. Paired with a stylus, they can become a powerful drawing device.

Contrary to traditional drawing tablets such as Wacom Cintiq, where you just get a screen that needs to be connected to a computer in order to work.

With Android tablets, you get a full-fledged drawing device that allows us to draw anywhere you want.

There are a number of good Android tablets available in the market but most of them do not come with a stylus and even if they do, not all of them can provide a good drawing experience.

After closely analyzing a huge number of tablets, we have made a list of some of the most deserving candidates for being the best Android drawing tablets for artists.

Top Recommendations

Here is a quick look at the top recommendation for android drawing devices.

Can you use an Android tablet as a drawing tablet?

Yes! Definitely.

Lack of good drawing apps on Android was the main reason why people did not use to recommend Android tablets in the past. But the situation has completely changed in the last few years.

Nowadays there are plenty of good drawing applications available for Android that are as good as their iPadOS counterparts.

On the other side, Android tablets have also gotten much better – both in terms of features as well as the quality and responsiveness of the stylus.

01. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus – Best Android drawing tablet with stylus

It was not that long ago when Samsung use to play catch up with the leading brands when it comes to tablets.

Last year they managed to close the gap with Tab S7, but this time around – with the Samsung Galaxy tab S8 plus, they are setting the rules and calling the shots.

The Galaxy tab S8 is not just the best Android drawing tablet, but it is the finest tablet overall in the market. As an artist, you will really appreciate everything that it brings to the table.

Display – Specs, and variants

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus comes with a Super AMOLED display which is one of the finest and most color-accurate displays out there with support for HDR10+.

The 120 Hz refresh rate feels great to work on as an artist you will really appreciate the buttery smooth screen transitions and stylus response offered by it.

The tablet is comfortable to use in a bright outdoor environment as it has up to 420 nits of brightness. 

The all-new S Pen with an amazing 2.8ms latency

Samsung S Pen is a very popular stylus amongst artists and is known for its accurate tracking and well-balanced pressure sensitivity.

The new S Pen that comes with Galaxy Tab S8 has gotten even better after Samsung brought down its latency to 2.8ms. Compared to Apple Pencil that has a latency of 9ms.

Its lower latency combined with the faster display refresh rate of 120hz results in a very natural pencil-like drawing experience. Where the lines drawn by the stylus do not lag behind the tip of the stylus.

As an artist, you will definitely notice and appreciate the responsiveness of the stylus. You and you would also like the fact that the stylus is included with the tablet and you don’t need to buy it separately.

The stylus has a felt material at the very tip that helps with a better feel when drawing on the glass screen of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8.

Other than that, the battery life on the tablet is great and so is the power and performance. 

The camera step takes stunning pictures and can be very handy for taking reference images. The S Pen drag and drop compatibility across different apps will also be of great help for art-related work.

All these features come at a very reasonable price. So if you are looking for the best tablet for drawing, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 is a perfect choice.

Buy Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus on Amazon →

 

02. Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite – Most value for money Android Tablet for Artist

If you like the compact form factor and slim design of the above-mentioned Galaxy Tab S7 but don’t want to spend the money that it costs, you are in luck!

Samsung recently introduced the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite. As the name suggests, the “Lite” version is essentially a trimmed-down version of the Galaxy Tab S6.

Meaning you get the same super-thin tablet with minimum bezels around the screen along with the support for the Samsung S Pen, all at a cheaper price making it a great option for artists.

How they have brought down the prices?

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite comes with a mid-range processor that may not be as fast as the non-lite version. But still, it is sufficiently powerful enough to handle day to day tasks.

Other than the processor the Samsung has managed to reduce the price of the tablet by removing all the not-so-important features from the stylus such as wireless charging and air gesture.

The good thing is, you still get the fast and accurate tracking as well as support for pressure and tilt sensitivity.

Other than that the screen is not AMOLED but still displays better and more accurate colors than displays of any other tablet in this price range.

Overall, all the compromises are made in a very thoughtful manner which results in an excellent drawing device will all the features that you need.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is definitely one of the best value for money tablet you can get right now.

Buy Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite on Amazon →

 

03. Simbans Picasso Tab – Budget tablet that exceeds expectation

If you are looking for a good drawing tablet for your loved ones or yourself that has an excellent drawing performance along with a cheap price tag, the Simbans Picasso Tab is a perfect choice.

Simbans Picasso Tab is specifically made for artists and comes with a 10 inch IPS display with bright and vibrant colors. Unlike many other tablets, the stylus comes free in the box along with a tablet case.

To avoid the screen to be scratched with the pen, the Simbans Picasso tab comes with a pre-applied screen protector.

The tablet supports all the major Android drawing applications, with apps like Autodesk Sketchbook preinstalled on the tablet.

Power and Performance

In terms of power and performance, Simbans Picasso Tab is obviously a budget tablet and may not be as powerful as premium tablets. But still, it is powerful enough to easily handle large drawing files and multiple paint layers and other day-to-day tasks.

The tablet has a decent battery life and comes with a USB-c connector which is very convenient.

Overall, if you do not want to spend a lot and still want a great drawing experience, the Simbans Picasso Tab will meet your expectations.

Buy Simbans Picasso Tab on Amazon →

 

04. Lenovo Tab M10 Plus – Powerful processor premium body sleek design

Lenovo is a well-known brand that makes some of the really good Android tablets that are worth looking into.

Finding a mid-range tablet is quite difficult as you have very limited choices.

You either find older outdated models of Samsung tablets that have last-generation specs and features. Or you find tablets from lesser-known brands with questionable reliability and literally non-existent after purchase support.

The Lenovo Tab M10 is one of the few options in the market that comes from a well-known brand that is specifically made for people looking for a good mid-range tablet.

It has the latest generation features and modern design with a thin form factor and minimal bezels. In terms of power, it rocks a 2.3 GHz octa-core processor which easily slices through your day-to-day tasks.

With that said the tablet is not specifically made for the artist but has all the features you need for drawing and sketching.

Buy Lenovo Tab M10 Plus on Amazon →

 

05. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 – Flagship on discount

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 is for artists who want to play smart and save big.

Whenever a new flagship tablet is launched in the market, the tablet from the last years gets a massive price drop – in spite of still having top-tier performance and features.

This is exactly what happened here. 

After the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8, the Galaxy Tab S7 got a massive discount – making it a great option for artists looking for a top-tier drawing device without necessarily paying the top-tier pricing.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Screen

The Galaxy Tab S7 comes with an 11 inch TFT Screen with 2560 x 1600 resolution and good color accuracy.

As an artist, you will really appreciate the 120Hz refresh rate as it results in smoother animation and transitions and provides a better S Pen experience.

S Pen Stylus for Tab S7

As with all the other Samsung tablets, the Tab S7 comes with a stylus in the box, and you don’t need to buy it separately.

The included stylus is probably the best in that market stating parallel to the likes of Apple Pencil and Microsoft Surface stylus.

It has excellent pressure sensitivity and an amazing 9ms fast response time.

It charges wirelessly and attaches magnetically to the back of the tablet.

Overall, you are getting a lot of value for what you pay as the Galaxy Tab S7 is the best Android tablet in its price range. And as an artist, you will really enjoy drawing on it.

Buy Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 on Amazon →

 

06. Huawei Mediapad M5 Lite – The Samsung alternative

Huawei is popular for pushing design boundaries and coming with a high-end device with a cheaper price tag. The Huawei Mediapad M5 Lite follows the same footprint.

It comes with a super-high resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels on a 10.1-inch screen. The bezels around the screen are very thin for maximum productivity.

The tablet comes with a pre-included pen with 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity. The Pen tracking is very accurate and fast which contributes to a great drawing experience.

(*Note – in some countries the stylus is not included with the pen, so you need to purchase it separately.)

The pen works fine in all the applications but some apps do not support pressure sensitivity.

A separate keyboard accessory is also available which plugs with the device using the connector pins at the bottom. The keyboard accessory has a tablet stand at the back which is very handy.

The tablet supports a quick charge and has a massive battery that lasts a long time. Overall it is a great Samsung alternative that provides equally good features at a far cheaper price.

Buy Huawei Mediapad M5 Lite on Amazon →

 

07. Samsung galaxy tab A with s pen support – The compact Samsung tablet

The top of the line Samsung tablet comes with a hefty price tag which may be a little too much for artists looking for a budget tablet.

Seeing a growing demand for mid-range tablets, Samsung has come with its new Galaxy Tab A.

The Samsung Galaxy tab A comes at almost half the price of the Samsung Tab s6 but still has almost every feature that you need for writing and drawing. Making it the best tablet for drawing in the budget segment.

Starting off with the display – Tab A comes with an 8 inch HD LCD display with bright and vibrant colors.

One of the biggest selling points of this tablet is the S-pen experience is the same as what you would find on the top-of-the-line Samsung tablets.

S Pen has a near-perfect tracking and fast response rate. The stylus can be used for both drawing as well as writing purposes.

Buy Samsung Galaxy Tab A on Amazon →

 

08. Vankyo MatrixPad P31 – cheapest Android drawing tablet

One of the main reasons why people Like Android tablets are – they provide great features at relatively low prices. But still, tablets like Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 can cost significant mont of money.

If you are looking for the cheapest drawing tablet that has a stylus input then Vankyo MatrixPad P31 is the right tablet for you. Even though it is an entry-level budget tablet, it stills comes with a 10.1-inch FullHD screen.

Apart from the size and resolution what is really impressive about this tablet is its all-screen design with minimal bezels around the screen.

In spite of being an entry-level tablet, the Vankyo MatrixPad P31 still comes with a powerful octa-core processor that can easily handle heavy drawing applications.

Vankyo MatrixPad P31 Stylus

The stylus that comes with the tablet is pre-included in the box and works on a removable battery. Other than the stylus it tablet also comes with a folio keyboard cover and surprisingly that is also included in the box.

Now when it comes to drawing performance, the stylus is not as good as what you would find in a premium drawing tablet. But still, it is sufficient enough for most beginner artists.

Overall it is a great value for money and you get a lot of stuff for what you pay. If you are looking for the cheapest entry levels basic tablet, this is the right choice.

Buy Vankyo MatrixPad P31 on Amazon →

 

Guide – How to find the right Android drawing tablet

One of the most important things to do before getting a tablet is to figure out what features you actually want. Not all the tablets are the same and every single one of them has their own set of features.

Here are some of the key areas you should look at before getting an Android tablet for drawing.

Display size/ Type

10.5 inches is considered an ideal size for a tablet. If you get a bigger tablet you may have to compromise with portability. Similarly, if you go with a smaller screen you will not get enough area to work with.

The tablet screen comes in two types – LCD and AMOLED. LCD screen mainly comes with cheaper tablets, whereas the AMOLED screens come with more expensive tablets.

The AMOLED screens are considered better due to their ability to create perfect black colors which improves the overall quality of colors. AMOLED screens also consume less power, giving better battery backup.

Battery backup

Battery backup is one of the most important features of the tablet. The whole point of getting a tablet is portability. A tablet with poor battery performance really limits its uses – especially outdoor uses.

Fast charging is another feature that plays a big role. Tablets have bigger batteries than smartphones and it can take quite a while to get your device fully juiced up. Fast charging drastically reduces the charging time.

Stylus/ pen

One of the most important things you want in your pen is the consistent-reliable strokes. It is very easy to get too fancy and start comparing the pen-based on pressure sensitivity or tilt support but if they have basic issues like line jitter then you will have a hard time drawing stuff. The S-Pen which comes with Samsung devices is great in terms of consistency of lines.

Next comes the pressure sensitivity which makes the line thicker or thinner based on the pressure you apply. Some pens come with tilt support but that is only supported in few apps.

Many pens come with one or two buttons at the sides which work as a shortcut -mainly uses to switch between pen and eraser and can be very handy.

Last but not least – some stylus is active stylus whereas others are passive stylus. The active stylus has batteries inside which needs to be charged.

The passive stylus does not need to be charged and needs no maintenance. Ideally, you want a passive pen where no charging is required – but the active stylus battery can last weeks on a single charge, so both are equally good.

Processor – A better processor will make your experience better especially in multitasking.

Thickness

Talking about important things, here is something which is not really important but still brands try to make it one. A thin tablet looks cool and feels nice but after a certain point, it starts to affect the device. You don’t really want a lower battery capacity just to make your tablet look thin.

 

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Apple Pencil vs S Pen