11 Best android tablet for drawing in 2023

Finding a good Android tablet for drawing is not easy, especially in a market that is today saturated by a lot of Windows and iOS tablet brands. When drawing, the pen and screen are some of the most important aspects that you need to check to know how good a tablet is for drawing.

However, most guides fail to consider these very crucial factors and concentrate more on the tablet’s speed and processing power. For artists, this roundup guide helps make it easy to choose an art tablet by reviewing them from an artist’s perspective and not only features.

Can you use an Android tablet as a drawing tablet?

The answer is Yes. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ is the best one that you can buy. What makes most Android tablets good for drawing is the fact that unlike traditional tablets, like Wacom or Huion that need to be connected to a computer to use, Android tablets come with an inbuilt screen and computer and you can install software on them without having to connect to a computer.

Most Android tablets come with a quality screen and stylus that can comfortably be used for digital art. A good example is the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra which comes with a large AMOLED screen and Samsung professional-level S Pen.

11 Best Android Tablets For Drawing

1. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ Best Overall
2. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is Best with a large screen
3. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ Best Runners up
4. Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite Best Budget Drawing Tablet
5. Simbans Picasso Tab is the Best Budget alternative
6. Samsung Galaxy Tab A Cheapest Option
7. Samsung Galaxy S6 Tab Great Value Samsung drawing tablet
8. Huawei Mediapad M5 Lite Best Samsung Drawing Tablet Alternative
9. Lenovo Tab M10 Plus Best Drawing Tablet for Beginners
10. M708 UGEE Best Drawing Tablet for Beginners Alternative
11. ASUS ZenPad 10 Best portable Android Drawing Tablet

What is the best Android tablet for drawing?

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ Best Android Drawing Tablet with A stylus

• Screen Size: 12.4-Inch
• Resolution: 2800 x 1752 Pixels
• RAM: 6/8 GB
• Storage: 128/256/512GB
• Large Super AMOLED Screen
• Wide 4K Camera
• Samsung S Pen and Keyboard cover included
• Long battery life

Display and Screen

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ has a large 12.4 inches screen only 0.5 inches smaller than the Apple iPad pro. Most artists choose the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ 12.4 inches, with Super AMOLED technology and very narrow bezels.

If you however prefer a larger screen, you can go for the larger Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra with 14.6 inches which also has a Super AMOLED screen and very narrow bezels.

A great thing they have done is introduce the series as a budget-friendly option of this series with the Galaxy Tab S8 which comes with an 11-inch screen size that is slightly smaller than the others and lacks the Super AMOLED screen but instead has a TFT- LCD screen with narrow bezels.

Narrow Bezels simply mean the edges around the screen that are reduced to ensure the screen is larger. Most traditional LCD screens have a layer among the screen layers that is dedicated to the screen touch function. A super AMOLED screen fuses these layers into one, including the touch function on all layers and no dedicated touch layer.

This makes the screen faster and able to produce high-quality and vivid colors. Just like Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Tab S8, Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ has an aspect ratio of 16:10 pixels that makes for a proportionate image whether landscape or portrait.

2800 x 1752 pixels resolution ensures a clear image and coupled with the Super AMOLED display on S8+ and S8 Ultra creates very clear images and colors.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ comes with a fast 2.8 Latency speed S Pen that is free from lags. The Samsung S Pen is great for both drawing and Note-taking and is an industry-standard for Android tablets. It comes free with most Samsung Tablets including Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Android Tablet with large screen

• Screen: Super AMOLED 14.6 inches
• Resolution: 2960×1848 Pixels 16:10 ratio 
• Processor: SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
• RAM: 8/16 GB
• Storage: 128/256/512 GB
• Camera: 12 MP Rear and Front
• Battery life: 8 hours

Finally, Samsung has come up with a nice Android tablet that can challenge the Apple iPad 12.9-inch tablet. Samsung Galaxy S8 Ultra is the best of its line in the market today. First, it comes with a large 15-inch screen that is good for many professional tasks including animation.

Although it is slightly larger than the iPad, the iPad has better resolution at 2048 x 2732 pixels and over 750 nits of brightness that allows it to easily be used outdoors. Samsung comes with 2960×1848 Pixels 16:10 ratio which is still ok but the 337 nits brightness levels will have problems used outdoors in very bright light.

What is great is that unlike the iPad this tablet comes with a standard S Pen plus is very fairly priced when you consider its powerful features and reliability. Overall it is a powerful tablet that can easily act as an alternative to an iPad tablet. In our next article we will prepare a head-to-head comparison of the 2 so stay tuned.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+

Best Runners up Android drawing Tablet with a stylus

There are few tablets that are good enough to rival the iPad Pro in terms of specs and efficiency. The Samsung Galaxy Tab7 is without a doubt one of those tablets giving the iPad a run for its money.

Fast charging and long battery life of up to 14 hours allow you to effectively use it as a perfect portable drawing tablet. A fully standalone drawing tablet and you can use it without a computer connection.

It’s not just about the screen alone. There are a lot of features essential for your artwork available in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+. To cut it short, this tablet is one of the few that can compete with iPad Pro and maybe win the battle.

You will not go back to your wallet for the stylus pen because it comes equipped with a highly responsive Samsung S7+ Pen that is great and easy to use.

Just like the screen, this tab has a massive resolution of 2800×1752p and an aspect ratio of 16:10. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ comes with a Super AMOLED display, the best for drawing tablets because of the accurate color display. To add to this the 11.22 x 7.28 x 0.22 inches size is perfect.

It is a hard task to find a tablet with a large screen today. Keep in mind that there are so many iPads in the market to rival android tablets.

What we love the most about the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ is its performance. With this android drawing tablet, you can run all your arts programs without a hitch or lag. Another plus is its superb cameras and its fast charge feature. You can also connect this tablet to wireless connections like Wi-Fi.

The price is a little high compared to other drawing tablets but you will not regret your investment in this great device. For a few additional bucks, you will get a tablet book cover and Samsung Keyboard although it is not a must.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite

Best Value for money Drawing Tablet for Beginners

The Samsung S7+ is very good but a little expensive. If you want a great tablet with the same features for notes and drawing, then the Samsung Galaxy S6 Lite is the pick for the best budget android drawing tablet.

The tablet has a sleek slim body with a metallic back, making it very strong and durable. Fast charging and long battery life of up to 14 hours allow you to effectively use it as a perfect portable drawing tablet. A fully standalone drawing tablet and you can use it without a computer connection.

A good fast charging long-life battery allows up to 13 hours making it a good portable tablet for your outdoors and travel drawing.

Just like the S7+ and S6, it comes with a highly accurate and responsive S pen. With a very large 4096 pen pressure. the S Pen is made to mimic a natural feel when drawing or writing.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A

Cheapest Android Tablet For Drawing

If you are on a tight budget but still need a quality device, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A is a great option for you. Although you will have to forgo some top features that come with more expensive Samsung tablets, the tablets match up to other art-focused tablets.

For example, the tablet has a 1280 x 800 Pixels screen resolution similar to the Simbans PicassoTab which is almost twice its price. Unfortunately, the screen is smaller at only 8 inches which might not be the best drawing experience.

Unlike other Samsung tablets, it does not come with the Samsung S pen stylus and you will have to buy it separately.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Tab

Great Value drawing tablet

Samsung Galaxy S6 Tab has all the incredible features that you desire your android drawing tablet to have. This tablet has a super-fast processor, ideal for multitasking and handling detailed artwork.

When it comes to the screen, this tablet has an AMOLED 10.5-inch display great for displaying vivid colors with excellent contrast. Just like the S7, it comes with a pen so no need to spend extra which is another plus for this tablet.

It is however little smaller than the S7, but a 10.5-inch screen is big enough for drawing. It does however make up for this with a better price. A fully standalone drawing tablet and you can use it without a computer connection.

One thing we can’t go without mentioning is its design. Samsung Galaxy S6 Tab has a beautiful metal design and is ultra-thin making it easy to work with it for long hours without getting tired.

What we loved the most about this tab is its battery life and the fast charge feature meaning it takes a short time for the battery to get fully charged. We also love its stylus pen. The pen is flattered on both sides and it is magnetic so you can attach it to the tablet easily.

Simbans Picasso

Cheapest standalone Android drawing tablet

The Simbans Picasso is a relatively cheap and affordable tablet that you can buy but still maintain a professional and great drawing experience.  

As a dedicated pen for Artists, the Simbans Picasso tab comes with a free pen plus a preinstalled screen protective layer so that your screen can not be scratched. Unfortunately, the pen is not pressure-sensitive and must have a battery to run.

It comes with preinstalled Autodesk Sketchbook drawing software but is still compatible with different drawing software too.

A fully standalone drawing tablet with both a screen and a computer so you can use it without a computer. It has a great large enough 10-inch working area and decent battery life. The Simbans is a low-budget drawing tablet and may not be as powerful as other top-of-the-range android drawing tablets like the Samsung S7 or S6 lite. However, a powerful MediaTek Quad-Core Processor makes it easy to use and multitask for heavy projects with ease

 That’s not all. Simbans Picassotab has a high resolution that produces crystal clear images. We love how easy it is to work from anywhere with this tablet, and you can also connect it to Wi-Fi.

Huawei Mediapad M5 Lite

Best Samsung Tablet Alternative

Huawei Media pad M5 Lite is a great alternative if you’re not a Samsung fan or you want to purchase an android tablet on a tight budget. Just like the Samsung Galaxy S6, the Huawei Media pad has superb performance and high resolution (1920×1200) ideal for artwork.

The only downside about this tablet is that you will have to purchase the S pen separately. However, you won’t regret it because the pen has accurate tracking and 2048 pressure sensitivity levels offering you a great drawing experience.

Another thing we noticed is that the pressure pen sensitivity levels might not work with some apps.

The Huawei Media pad tablet also supports fast charging and has superb battery life. To cut it all down, this tablet is great with high-end features coming at an affordable cost.

Graphics Tablet M708 UGEE

The Ugee M708 is a 10 x 6 inches tablet, great for beginners in the field of digital art. The work area allows a wide natural fluid-like movement as you draw. It has a good sensitivity range allowing you to be precise with your art and drawings. 

The Ugee M708 comes in black and white versions. The pen feels spectacular in the hand with a nice comfortable holder that comes with it. 2048 pressure levels ensure you can draw, paint or sign with a natural pencil feel.

Additionally, the one-click toggle erase, makes your drawing experience seamless and efficient.  8 user-defined buttons or controls allow you to customize to your preference, maybe an erase button, zoom, back, or however you want the quick navigation. The pen has a nice holder to place the pen when not in use.

It works with the latest software including Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop or any other drawing software you use.

The one big downside of this tablet is that it is not a standalone drawing tablet and you will need to use it with a computer or a laptop. But for the price, it is a great tablet, to begin with.

How to choose the Best Android tablet for drawing

The first thing you need to check is whether you need a tablet that runs on an Android Operating system and does not need a computer to use or a pen display tablet that is compatible with Android devices.

Screen Size and Resolution

You need 10 inches screen size for optimal experience but 8 inches would work well if you are on a budget. Resolution from 1280 x 800 pixels is recommended for a crisp and clear view.

Speed and Performance

A lagging tablet is annoying and undesirable for digital art. For a fast and good experience, consider the RAM and Processor. You need a minimum of 2 GB RAM to run most digital art applications and a decent processor of 1.8 GHz.

Stylus Pen

You need to check whether the tablet you go for comes with a free stylus or if you have to buy it separately. A good stylus pen needs to be battery-free, with 4096 pressure sensitivity and supports tilt recognition.

Can You Use an Android Tablet for Drawing?

So can you use an Android Tablet for Drawing? Yes. Android drawing tablets are great because they fall in the last category which is also called Standalone Drawing tablets. These tablets are fully portable and can work without a computer connection. If you do not know what is a Standalone Drawing Tablets please check our detailed review.

Best Android Tablet For Drawing

1. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ Best Overall
2. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is Best with a large screen
3. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ Best Runners up
4. Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite Best Budget Drawing Tablet
5. Simbans Picasso Tab is Best Budget alternative
6. Samsung Galaxy Tab A Cheapest Option
7. Samsung Galaxy S6 Tab Great Value Samsung drawing tablet
8. Huawei Mediapad M5 Lite Best Samsung Drawing Tablet Alternative
9. Lenovo Tab M10 Plus Best Drawing Tablet for Beginners
10. M708 UGEE Best Drawing Tablet for Beginners Alternative
11. ASUS ZenPad 10 Best portable Android Drawing Tablet

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