Tablet with stylus

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Tablets for drawing. Tablets for taking handwritten notes. Samsung tablet with pen. Tablet for note taking. iPad with pen.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8, S8+, S8 Ultra (available in 11”, 12.4”, 14.6”)  

Recommended by > ZDnet, SlashGear, PC Guide, MyNextTablet, and  Creative Bloq 

Features & specs > 

Source: Samsung, GSMArena 

• Stylus pen: Included
• In the box: Galaxy Tab, S Pen, data cable, ejection pin
• Display sizes:
  • Tab S8 → 11” LTPS LCD
  • Tab S8+ →12.4” Super AMOLED
  • Tab S8 Ultra → 14.6” Super AMOLED

• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
• Internal memory (vary from models): 
  • 8GB (RAM) + 128GB
  • 12GB (RAM) + 256GB
  • 16GB (RAM) + 512GB

• Refresh rate: 120Hz 
• Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + Cellular
• Bluetooth v5
• Audio: Four speakers. Dolby Atmos surround sound tuned by AKG.
• Multi-window display: Yes
• Camera: 12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚ (ultrawide)
• Video recording: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
• Color: Graphite, Silver, Pink Gold (vary from models)
• Battery capacity: 
  • Tab S8 → 8,000mAh
  • Tab S8+ → 10,090mAh
  • Tab S8 Ultra → 11,200mAh

• Micro SD card: Up to 1TB
• Dimension:
  • Tab S8 → 9.99″ x 6.51″ x 0.25″ (253.8 x 165.3 x 6.3 mm)
  • Tab S8+ → 11.22″ x 7.28″ x 0.22″ (285 x 185 x 5.7 mm)
  • Tab S8 Ultra → 12.85″ x 8.21″ x 0.22″ (326.4 x 208.6 x 5.5 mm)

• Weight:
  • Tab S8 → 1.10 lb (503 g, Wi-Fi)
  • Tab S8+ → 1.27 lb (567 g, Wi-Fi; 572 g,5G)
  • Tab S8 Ultra → 1.60 lb. (726 g, Wi-Fi; 728 g, 5G)

Pros & cons >

Sources: PCMag, Alomaki.com

Pros

• Agile and responsive performance with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset.
• The S Pen is included for drawing and writing. 
• Supports Dex mode and enables a laptop-like experience, when connected to its keyboard.
• Great sound quality with quad speakers.• Storage capacity can be extended using a microSD card.  

Cons

• Fewer pro-level creative apps, compared with iPadOS.  
• No face recognition option. 
• No S pen slot to properly store the stylus.   

Apple iPad Pro (available in 11” and 12.9”)

Recommended by > Gadget Review, PC Guide, Creative Bloq, ZDNet, and MyNextTablet

Features & specs >

Source: Apple, TechRadar, Specs Tech, Tom’s Guide 

• Apple pencil: Sold separately 
• In the box: iPad Pro, USB-C Charge Cable (1 meter), 20W USB-C Power Adapter
• Display sizes: 11” or 12.9”  Liquid Retina XDR display or Liquid Retina display
• Multi-window display: Yes
• Processor: M2 chip
• Internal memory (capacity): 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
• Refresh rate: 120Hz
• Audio: Four speakers  
• Multi-window display
• Video recording: Up to 4K (vary from models)
• Front and rear cameras: 12MP wide (f/1.8)
• Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + Cellular
• Bluetooth v5.3
• Battery capacity: 
  • iPad Pro 11” (2022) → 28.65-watt-hour (7,538mAh, mAh)
  • iPad Pro 12.9” → 40.88-watt-hour (10758 mAh)

• Color: Silver, Space Gray
• Micro SD card: No
• Dimension:
  • – iPad Pro 11” → 9.74″ x 7.02” x 0.23” (247.6 mm x 178.5 x 5.9 mm)
  • iPad Pro 12.9” → 11.04” x 8.46” x 0.25 (280.6 mm x 214.9 mm x 6.4mm)

• Weight:
  • iPad Pro 11” → Wi-Fi models: 1.03 pounds (466 grams); Wi-Fi + Cellular models: 1.04 pounds (470 grams)
  • iPad Pro 12.9” →Wi-Fi models: 1.5 pounds (682 grams); Wi-Fi + Cellular models: 1.51 pounds (685 grams)

 Pros & cons >

Sources: Tom’s Guide, Techspot, iMore

Pros

• The 12.9-inch XDR display delivers stunning colors and contrast. 
• The M2 processor makes the device more powerful, compared with other tablets. 
• It has excellent battery life of over 10 hours. 
• Supports 5G connectivity for faster internet access. 

Cons

• The Apple Pencil is not included in the inbox and has to be bought separately. 
• Not much different, compared with the iPad Pro 2021, except for the M2 CPU. 
• The iPadOS 16 software and the M2 chip may have some incompatibility issues.

Microsoft Surface Pro 9 

Recommended by > My Tablet Guide and Just Creative 

Features & specs > 

Source: Microsoft 

• Slim Pen: Sold separately 
• In the box: Power supply, Quick Start Guide Safety and warranty documents, SIM Card access tool (5G version)
• Processor: 
  • Wifi version: Core™ i5, i7
  • 5G version: Microsoft SQ® 3 processor

• Graphics:
  • Wifi: Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
  • 5G: Microsoft SQ® 3 Adreno™ 8CX Gen 3

• Multi-window display: Yes
• Memory:
  • Wifi: 8GB, 16GB, 32GB (LPDDR5 RAM)
  • 5G: 8GB or 16GB LPDDR4x RAM

• Storage:
  • Wifi: from 128GB to up to 1TB
  • 5G: from 128GB to up to 512GB

• Screen: 13” PixelSense™ 3:2 Flow Display
• Resolution: 2880 X 1920 (267 PPI)
• Refresh rate: up to 120Hz
• Cover glass: Gorilla® Glass 5
• Audio: Two 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Vision IQ™ support
• Video recording/cameras: Front-facing camera with 1080p full HD video, 10.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p HD and 4k video
• Battery: 
  • Wifi: Up to 15.5 hours
  • 5G: Up to 19 hours

• Size (Length x Width x Height): 11.3”(287 mm) x 8.2” (209 mm) x 0.37” (9.3 mm)
• Weight:
  • Wifi: 1.94 lb (879 g)
  • 5G: 1.95 lb (883 g)

Pros & cons > 

Sources: My Tablet Guide, The Guardian, Tom’s Guide

Pros 

• Multiple choice of color
• Good Intel performance
• Removable SSD
• Slim design

Cons

• Slim Pen 2 and Signature keyboard sold separately
• No USB-A port
• No microSD card slot
• No headphone jack