I recently had the opportunity to spend some time with the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+, and I have to say I was impressed with it – so much so that I decided to write an artist’s guide for all the best Samsung tablets for drawing currently available. Let’s have a look!
Top 4 Samsung Tablets for Drawing Compared
Here is a quick summary of the best Samsung tablets for drawing. There are more details on them and Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra below.
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My Pick
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Alternative Pick
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Affordable Pick
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Description: Best Android Standalone Drawing Tablet 12.4 Inch AMOLED WQXGA+ Touchscreen :: 2800 x 1752px :: 8GB RAM :: 256GB SSD Drive :: Super fast Qualcomm SM8450 processor :: Early 2022 model :: Includes incredible Samsung S Pen :: Android 12 |
Description: Best Value Android Standalone Drawing Tablet 11 Inch TFT LCD WQXGA Touchscreen Display :: 2560 x 1600px :: 8GB RAM :: 256GB SSD Drive :: Super fast Qualcomm SM8450 processor :: Early 2022 model :: Includes incredible Samsung S Pen :: Android 12 |
Description: Best Budget Android Tablet for Artists Beautiful 10.4 Inch TFT WUXQA Touchscreen :: 2000 x 1200px :: 4GB RAM :: 128GB Storage :: Exynos 9611 processor & Mali-G72 Graphics :: Great Work Surface for Drawing :: Includes S-Pen :: Android 10 |
Best Android Standalone Drawing Tablet
12.4 Inch AMOLED WQXGA+ Touchscreen :: 2800 x 1752px :: 8GB RAM :: 256GB SSD Drive :: Super fast Qualcomm SM8450 processor :: Early 2022 model :: Includes incredible Samsung S Pen :: Android 12
Best Value Android Standalone Drawing Tablet
11 Inch TFT LCD WQXGA Touchscreen Display :: 2560 x 1600px :: 8GB RAM :: 256GB SSD Drive :: Super fast Qualcomm SM8450 processor :: Early 2022 model :: Includes incredible Samsung S Pen :: Android 12
Best Budget Android Tablet for Artists
Beautiful 10.4 Inch TFT WUXQA Touchscreen :: 2000 x 1200px :: 4GB RAM :: 128GB Storage :: Exynos 9611 processor & Mali-G72 Graphics :: Great Work Surface for Drawing :: Includes S-Pen :: Android 10
Table of Contents
- Overview: Best Samsung Tablet for Drawing in 2023
- What Are the Best Art Apps for Samsung Tablets?
- Are Samsung Android Tablets Good for Drawing?
- Main Criterion for Choosing Samsung Drawing Tablet
- What Exactly Are the 2022 Samsung Models?
- What About the Older Models – Still Worth Considering?
- FAQs – Best Samsung Tablets for Drawing
Overview: Best Samsung Tablet for Drawing in 2023
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Are the New Galaxy S8 tablets a good choice for artists?
All of the new Samsung Galaxy Tabs – the S8 Ultra, S8+, and the S8, have the same specifications and performance in most key areas:
- The same screen technology and the same Gorilla Glass protection
- The same ultra-fast octa-core processor and Adreno dedicated graphics processor
- The same high front and back camera resolution (13MP selfie, 12MP (wide), and 6MP (ultra-wide) back) and 4K video
- The same 5G phone network and wireless protocols
- The same included Samsung S-Pen
- The same excellent 4-speaker stereo sound (tuned by AKG, don’t you know!)
And while they have different battery sizes – bigger as you go up the line – they have similar charge times and excellent battery life. They also enjoy that legendary Samsung premium fit and finish, material quality, durability, reliability, and a smart, highly usable design on all levels.
So yeah, you could say that any of the Samsung Galaxy Tabs is the best for an artist, but let’s look into each of them a little more closely:
Premium Pick: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
Best Premium Android Standalone Drawing Tablet
14.6 Inch Super AMOLED WQXGA+ Touchscreen :: 2960 x 1848px :: 8GB RAM :: 256GB SSD Drive :: Super fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 processor :: GPU: Adreno 730 :: Early 2022 model :: Includes incredible Samsung S Pen :: Android 12 :: Note - Korean International version
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is the ultimate Android drawing tablet for artists who want the largest screen size possible – a big 14.6-inch Super AMOLED screen with excellent resolution, brightness and contrast, and tons of real estate to work on.
It is also, to be sure, an amazing tablet in every other regard – in addition to a top-notch display, the processing is fast and reliable, and the graphics processor will make any work, from simple creative flow to the most complex graphics and high-resolution video and animation, smooth and lag-free.
Yes, maybe the less expensive S8+ will be the most popular choice for a premium Android tablet for drawing, artwork, photography, and video, all kinds of content creation, and other creative work – offering that ideal balance between a big, big screen and a smaller, lighter frame, that is easier to tote and easier to hold.
But this more expensive S8 Ultra screen is 2.2 inches longer on its diagonal axis and offers about fifty percent more area.
While this isn’t quite as dramatic as it sounds, it does make a difference in how easy it is to see and to work with very high levels of precision and detail.
It is also, by all accounts, a beautiful screen – the same quality as the S8+, but with its larger size, even more impactful. And it comes with the Samsung S-Pen standard and has the same wonderful screen-to-pen interface as the other S8s, making it a truly ideal tool for drawing, painting, photo, and video work, and so much more.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is currently unavailable in most markets, including the US (despite an “official” release in February 2022).
So my link above leads to the official Korean International Version from an independent provider.
Or instead, you can simply go with what would be my first choice anyway – the still big, fast, and powerful all-new Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+.
My Pick: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+
Best Android Standalone Drawing Tablet
12.4 Inch AMOLED WQXGA+ Touchscreen :: 2800 x 1752px :: 8GB RAM :: 256GB SSD Drive :: Super fast Qualcomm SM8450 processor :: Early 2022 model :: Includes incredible Samsung S Pen :: Android 12
The S8+ has a big screen – just a bit smaller than my beloved iPad Pro and very similar in quality to the superb Liquid Retina screen on the Apple.
In comparison, a bigger screen, like on the Ultra above, is nice in some ways, this size is plenty big enough, and the whole package is more usable on many levels.
As with any of the S8 models, the S8+ has a lovely, high-resolution AMOLED touchscreen and an essentially perfect interaction between the screen’s working surface and the best-in-class S-Pen (included), with pressure and tilt sensitivity and amazing control and flow – just enough resistance and just enough glide!
I can’t emphasize how important and how lovely to use the S-Pen is – how great it feels in hand, how controllable and expressive it is to use (with its highly sensitive and accurate tilt control and pressure sensitivity), and how great it feels against the Samsung Tab’s Gorilla Glass surface.
This, in combination with the beauty, resolution, and color accuracy of the screen’s display, makes this a great art tablet for work at any level.
Two inches smaller and two hundred dollars less than the Ultra, and similarly 1.4 inches larger and about two hundred bucks more than the normal S8, the S8+ to me is the ideal balance – a really big screen, which allows you to work easily with incredibly high detail, complexity and precision, and still light, easy to hold tablet that is easier to take with than the ultra, and feels more substantial and stable in hand than the smaller S8.
Ideal pen-to-screen interaction, stunning resolution, and real life, superior color accuracy, saturation, contrast and brightness, processing and graphics processing speed and lag-free, trouble-free operation, a just-right size, and a reasonable price – for me, this is it – the best art tablet currently available on the Android platform, a truly premium product and a top performer on all levels.
And while it’s not cheap, the S8+ is a real value and would serve any artist doing any kind of creative work beautifully. I’m not ready to give up my iPad Pro, but if I were…
Also Great: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8
Best Value Android Standalone Drawing Tablet
11 Inch TFT LCD WQXGA Touchscreen Display :: 2560 x 1600px :: 8GB RAM :: 256GB SSD Drive :: Super fast Qualcomm SM8450 processor :: Early 2022 model :: Includes incredible Samsung S Pen :: Android 12
As nice as the S8+ is, and as happy as I am to proclaim it the best Android tablet you can get for drawing and all kinds of artwork, it’s nice to know that if you have a slightly more restrictive budget, you can do just as well.
And that’s just what the standard S8 offers – essentially the same level of performance in all the important areas, with a smaller – but still quite big and beautiful – screen, and for around two hundred dollars less money.
The S8 has an equally beautiful screen with exceptional resolution, a wide color gamut, and excellent color accuracy, saturation, and vividness.
While it is the smallest S series, its 11-inch display is still quite large. And with its high levels of brightness and contrast, and that wonderful interaction between the touchscreen’s surface and the S-Pen works wonderfully for both precise and highly detailed work and larger expressive gestures and creative flow.
It shouldn’t go without saying that the S8 also offers the same level of material quality as the S8+ and should be another winner in the Samsung tradition regarding long-term reliability and durability.
If you don’t need the biggest screen but still want the best Android art tablet on the market today, the S8 is a sure bet and a wonderful tablet to work with. I would give serious thought to spending a couple of hundred dollars more for a larger work surface, but on the other hand, the S8 is lighter and smaller, easier to hold, and easier to take with, so it all depends on your priorities.
With the S8 or any of the new Samsung Android tablets, you are getting a premium product, an immensely useful and usable art tool, and a wonderful personal tablet for all your portable computing needs.
Budget Pick: Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
Best Budget Android Tablet for Artists
Beautiful 10.4 Inch TFT WUXQA Touchscreen :: 2000 x 1200px :: 4GB RAM :: 128GB Storage :: Exynos 9611 processor & Mali-G72 Graphics :: Great Work Surface for Drawing :: Includes S-Pen :: Android 10
In the place for a budget Samsung tablet for drawing, I was hesitating among the newest addition to the 8th generation, which is Samsung Galaxy Tab A8, and an older model Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite.
You see, Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 is an inexpensive tablet that comes in just two hundred dollars and yet offers exceptionally high resolution, fast processing and even a high-performance graphics coprocessor, and a premium look and feel that is more like the S8 models than similarly priced opening level products from other manufacturers.
But Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 doesn’t support the brilliant Samsung S-Pen, nor does it support USI digital styluses or other active pens.
This means you will not have pressure sensitivity, tilt support, or even palm rejection when working.
Now you can do a lot of this from your apps, but not having the real expressivity and control of an active stylus when you’re in the creative flow is, I have to say, a pretty big disadvantage.
So much so that, in this case only, I consider instead getting a Samsung Galaxy Tab 6 Lite instead of this – for a very small increase in price (though still a real bargain), you get more memory, slightly better screen resolution, and a noticeably better-looking screen, faster processing, and graphics processing – and it includes the S-Pen with purchase.
That last bit alone is worth more than the price increase and makes the S6 Lite a legitimate and powerful art tool, a great tablet in every regard, and a pretty amazing value.
So, suppose you want the least expensive best Samsung tablet for drawing on the market today that can be considered not just a first-rate personal tablet but also one of the best Android drawing tablets.
In that case, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is the obvious and best choice, and I highly recommend it.
What Are the Best Drawing Apps for Samsung Tablets?
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If you’ve ever wondered why Android tablets – even the superb Samsung Galaxy Tabs – are not always considered as seriously as real digital art tablets, I think it has a lot to do with software.
Yes, Apple and Windows tablets can have a pretty high level of processing, superb control and flow pen-to-screen, and truly professional levels of material quality and durability.
Still, you could say the exact same things about the Samsung Galaxy Tabs – especially the S8 series.
What you can’t say, though, at least not to the same level, is that Android tablets have the best art software available. Sad but true!
We’ve been waiting a long time for Adobe to take Samsung and other of the best Android tablets more seriously and finally make the whole Creative Suite available, but not yet.
There is a new Adobe Creative Cloud app for Android, but it just lets you upload and access your Creative Cloud library and isn’t for actual creative work.
Adobe has made some really great, if more basic, art programs, though, and while they aren’t as advanced as the professional Creative Suite you can use on Apple or Windows, they are surprisingly advanced and usable.
You can see the whole range of Adobe Android software on their Google Play Page, but the two most important and advanced apps are probably:
But many artists on the Android platform are looking beyond Adobe and finding tons of really amazing drawing apps for Android from other developers – some far more advanced and useful, and almost all of them free!
It’s easy to go to Google Play and find many different Android art apps, but here are a few of my favorites – these are presented without description and in no particular order. It is worthwhile (and fun!) to download and try out a few of these to see which feels best for you and your work.
Finally, we should talk about where all the action is really at – online apps! Many new free internet art apps have been introduced in the last few years.
While they may not always be the last word in sophistication or power, many are quite advanced, intelligently and intuitively laid out, really useful, and often fun.
We should first mention Google Drawing, a part of the Google Drive suite of productivity apps. Drawing is free, and while it looks pretty bare-bones, it is a remarkably powerful vector drawing app, and the interface is so simple that you can learn and start to create it instantly.
But that’s just the beginning, and there is no end. There are so many new drawing, painting, page layout, photo, and video apps available on the internet right now that you can search for hours, days, and weeks (and maybe not get a single drawing done the whole time).
And, as you might expect, some of them are great, and some might need a little work still – but hey, they’re free, right?
So, to close, I will list a few of the art web apps I find to be the best and most useful. Again, these are not in any particular order (in this case, they’re alphabetical), so please check out several of them to see which is best for you!
- Aggie
- AutoDraw
- Kleki
- Pixilart
- Sketchpad from Galactic
- Sketchpad from Sketch.io
- Sketchpad from Sketchpad
- Sumo
Are Samsung Android Tablets Good for Drawing?
With the excellence of the S8+ and other Samsung products and the increasing amount of excellent software for drawing, painting, and other artwork – specifically for the Android and web-based apps – there’s never been a better time to consider getting a Samsung Tab.
So I look into several of them in some depth.
I get into a lot of detail in this article, talking about the various Samsung Galaxy Tab models currently available, with a bit of a description and a discussion about their suitability and usability for artists.
Commercial and fine artists sometimes dismiss the Android operating system and tablets as not so good for drawing, painting, and other creative work, but this is an outdated idea.
These days, with the huge amount of (mostly free) drawing, painting, photography, and other creative apps available for Android, and the amazing range of web-based apps as well (internet drawing software that works equally well for Android or any other operating system), an Android can be as good as any other tablet even for the serious high-level artist.
For a beginner, the intuitive Android operating system and overall ease of use can be ideal.
And not just the overall operation of an Android tablet – the Android art apps also tend to be incredibly simple and obvious.
And the best Android drawing tablet is made by Samsung.
Yeah, other companies, like Huawei, Xiaomi, Lenovo, and even Amazon, make great tablets on the Android platform. But Samsung tablets often offer advanced technology and performance, smooth and reliable operation, premium fit and finish, material quality, and long-term reliability that set them apart.
And when you factor in the awesome Samsung S-Pen, which comes with many of the Galaxy Tabs, and the amazing screens they have, for an artist, there’s no contest!
Main Criterion for Choosing Samsung Drawing Tablet
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When choosing the best Samsung tablets for drawing, the main consideration – even beyond performance, screen size, or other normal parameters – is the inclusion of the fabulous Samsung S-Pen.
Luckily, the whole S8 line comes with the S-Pen, and only the basic A8 doesn’t – and just to be clear, the A8 is a very good and affordable tablet, which can serve an artist well, but isn’t even compatible with the S-Pen, or with any other pressure-sensitive active digital pens.
And the S-Pen raises the game, so we’ll primarily focus on the S8 lineup – the S8 Ultra, the S8+, and the standard S8.
If price were no object, this would be an easy question – get the new S8+ or S8 Ultra with as much RAM and storage as possible, and you’ll be off and running – and really, running at full speed!
Realistically, though, we need to consider price and our own budget, so we will get into all three of these choices in more detail and see which might be better for you and give the A8 serious consideration.
And to be clear, Samsung tablets are all top-notch products, and I can recommend any of the Galaxy Tabs without hesitation – even that humble little A8!
What Exactly Are the 2022 Samsung Models?
I noticed some confusion around which Samsung tablets are current, which have been discontinued, and which are still available.
Although this doesn’t help clarify this muddle, it’s my opinion that, if there’s a choice, it is always best to get the most recent model or iteration of any consumer electronics product.
Unless you are certain that there is some problem with the new product, or it is more expensive and is not in any substantial way improved, the newest model of, in this case, a drawing tablet, will often offer better performance, better and longer compatible with current operating systems and their upgrades, apps, and software, peripheral hardware, and accessories.
And we are, in this case, absolutely certain that the new Galaxy Tab models are, in fact, substantially improved, there are no reported problems, and if anything, they take the Samsung tradition of premium fit and finish, material quality, and reliability and intelligent, usable design to new levels.
So for this roundup of the best Samsung tablets for artists, I concentrate on the new S8 line and the new A8 and, most importantly, let the older S7 and S6 models go.
So no definitive answer – the S8 Ultra, S8+, and S8, and the budget A8, are brand new and not even completely rolled out yet (more on that below, in the S8 Ultra section).
They are in many ways a clear improvement, but it is not clear if the S7, S6 or other older models are considered current products.
What About the Older Models – Still Worth Considering?
Many of the older tablets are still available here and there, and it’s natural to wonder if it makes sense to get one instead – save a little money with more of a budget tablet and still get a Samsung.
This idea is fueled by a few recommendations and other articles stating that there are only small changes and improvements in the new S8 line compared to the older S7 and S6 models.
But to me, it doesn’t feel that way – even though the video specs haven’t changed, the screens look a lot better, the detail is more apparent, and brightness, contrast, and color saturation seem markedly improved. The flow when working is more smooth and wholly free of any snags or lags.
Of course, the old ones were all great in these same areas, so maybe the critics are right – maybe it is a more gradual evolution of products, from excellent to even better.
But if you get an old S7 or S6, just make sure you never compare it side by side with any of the S8 models!
So yeah, I think you can do ok with any of the old Samsung tablets – if you can still buy a new and unused one – as they are still premium products, excellent art tools, and great Android tablets overall.
If you go that way, here are some links that, at the time I wrote this, led to good prices on the older Samsung Galaxy Tab models:
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE – about 130 bucks less than the new S8 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ – about 130 bucks less than the new S8+
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 – about 120 bucks less than the new S8
And since we’re also going to look briefly at the new Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 – their wonderful super-budget choice – we should also offer a link to the somewhat comparable older Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite:
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite – around 80 dollars more than the new A8, but with more internal storage (64GB vs. 32GB) – but more below how these two compare.
For me, the new tablets look better and flow better, have the newest Android operating system, slightly better camera arrays, Gorilla glass screen protection, and more, and are well worth the slight price increase.
FAQs – Best Samsung Tablets for Drawing
The best Samsung tablets for drawing are Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+, Galaxy Tab S8, and budget model Galaxy Tab S6 Lite.
Yes, Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 is good for drawing because it supports the excellent Samsung S Pen. It is less powerful than the Galaxy Tab S8 models, so I recommend it mostly for beginners and hobbyists.
My pick is iPad Pro 12.9″, and I would never change it because of Procreate app, which is exclusive to iPads. However, from my experience of drawing on the Samsung Tab S8+, I feel it’s a great alternative to the iPad if you don’t plan to use Procreate or prefer Android.
I hope my guide helped you to get your new Samsung drawing tablet. They are all truly amazing tablets, and you will have a lot of fun drawing and painting digitally!
Visit my website – Art Side of Life – for more artist guides, tutorials, informational articles, interviews with fascinating artists, and much more!
Other articles in the Drawing Tablets series:
- Best Android Tablet for Drawing
- Best Drawing Tablet for Beginners
- Best Tablet for Drawing and Artists
- Best iPad for Drawing
- Best iPad for Procreate
- Best Standalone Drawing Tablet
- Best Animation Tablet
- Best Tablet for Photoshop
- Best Drawing Tablet with Screen for Artists
- Best Cheap Drawing Tablet with Screen
- Best Tablet with Pen Stylus for Drawing
- Best Large Screen Tablet for Artists
- Best Drawing Tablet for Kids
- 7 Best Digital Notepads & Smart Notebooks
- Best Note Taking Tablet
- Wacom Tablet vs iPad Pro
- Huion vs Wacom – Which Tablet is Better?
- XP Pen vs Huion – Which Tablet is Better?
- Best Drawing Tablet Stand for Artists
- Best iPad Pro Accessories for Artists
- Best Drawing Stylus
Hi, I am Iva (rhymes with “viva”). I am a full-time self-taught artist behind Art Side of Life® and a Top Teacher on Skillshare. I have 15 years of experience in the creative field as a concept designer, illustrator, art director, and now freelance artist, content creator, and art instructor. My goal is to help you get your creative groove on with Procreate and make awesome art through practical classes, tutorials, Procreate brushes, and guides on art tools, supplies and resources. About me »
