Standalone drawing tablet recommendations

Overview

Read this first: Buying a drawing tablet

A standalone drawing tablet might be exactly what you need if you intend to be using the device often in scenarios away from home or away from your desk.

People look for standalone tablets for these kinds of reasons:

  • Can travel with it

  • Can be used on the couch in the bed on a bus etc.

  • Doesn't require the connection to a computer

There are many options depending on what you really need.

Kinds of standalone drawing tablets

There are three kinds of standalone drawing tablets:

  • Mobile computers with pen support - Formally, these are not drawing tablets, but they can work just like one. And often I think they are your best choice for a standalone tablet. These include products such as Apple iPad Pros and Samsung Galaxy S series tablets.

    • Operating system: a mobile OS (iOS, ChromeOS)

    • Scenario: General purpose

    • Pen tech: varies. Apple Pencil, AES, EMR

  • Pen computers - The are true drawing tablets that you can carry around and use without a computer. I don't recommend pen computers.

    • Operating system: currently all run Windows

    • Scenario: Intended for artists

    • Pen tech: EMR

  • 2-in-1 laptops and slate laptops - Formally, these are not drawing tablets. These are really normal laptops that have a form factor that might also serve the needs of a drawing tablet. Examples: Microsoft Surface Pro and Samsung Galaxy Book4 360.

    • Operating system: currently all run Windows

    • Scenario: General purpose

    • Pen tech: varies. MPP, EMR

Mobile computers with pen support

If you're primarily interested in drawing or notetaking I think mobile computers with pen support are your best options.

Apple iPads

My notes on using Apple iPads

  • Apple iPad Air (4th gen and later) ($600)

  • Apple iPad Pro 11 inch (4th gen and later) (starting at $800)

    • Supports Apple Pencil 2

  • Apple iPad pro 12.9 inch 6th gen (starting at $1100)

    • Supports Apple Pencil 2

Samsung Galaxy Tab S series

My notes on Samsung Galaxy Tab devices

Devices from Huion and XP-Pen

Pen computers

Even though as a policy, I do NOT recommend them, for completeness here is a list of SOME pen computers. More here: I don't recommend pen computers.

Examples:

  • Huion Kamvas Studio 16 ($1700)

  • Wacom MobileStudio Pro 13 ($2500)

  • Huion Kamvas Studio 24 ($2400)

  • Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 ($3500)

2-in-1 laptops and slate laptop

These kinds of devices are really for general purpose use. So if what you want is a full operating system where you can use things like Microsoft Office, or the full version of Photoshop, etcetera. Then these suitable choices for a standalone tablet.

Microsoft Surface Pro

Type: Slate laptop

Pen tech: MPP (similar to AES)

My notes on using the Microsoft Surface Pro

Samsung Galaxy Book4 360

Type: 2-in-1 laptop

Pen tech: Wacom EMR (Samsung S Pen)

NOTE: I haven't tried it myself, but this may also be compatible with the Wacom CP-913 pen.

Two editions:

Other resources

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