Pick the best note-taking tablet 2023 to experience speed, responsiveness, and paper-like comfort on campus, in business meetings, a research study session, and more.
Using a tablet for taking notes may have met a lot of disdain when first introduced – too much screen time, never replicating the paper-on-pen feel, slow response, etc. But in 2023, the space has nothing but pleasant surprises. Top brands like Apple, Samsung, and Lenovo and specialized names like Kobo have designed tablets ideal for penning down your thoughts, grocery lists, musings, prompts, study notes, and everything but the kitchen sink.
Using tablets for note-taking delivers speed, productivity, and ease of accessing, organizing, and backing up. Plus, they fit into the Internet of Things, letting you work seamlessly at home or office and integrate your screens for overall productivity.
11 Best Note Taking Tablet 2023 for Different Budgets & User Groups
The digital world has numerous options in this category, from luxurious all-purpose tabs to affordable, focused gadgets and E ink devices. You should be able to acquire just the thing, whether you need to pen notes during a class, in a business meeting, while reading books for research or pleasure, etc.
Microsoft Surface Tabs for portable and stylish performance
Microsoft Surface has carved a unique niche in this category, combining mobility with elegant performance. The 10.5″ Microsoft Surface Go 3 is a 2-in-1 convertible with a vivid touchscreen and a complete assortment of kickstands, pens, and covers. It runs on a competent Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB RAM, and a 128GB SSD – a decent configuration for note-taking, listening to audiobooks, or watching Netflix (come on, we all need entertainment after grueling all-day classes).
Surface tabs can be expensive – upwards of $450 – but they bundle attractive features beyond the standard note-writing tablet. For example, you can experience immersive Dolby Audio, long battery backup (11 hours+), and rapid charging.
Evergreen iPads and Premium Samsung Tabs
The Apple iPad remains a crowd-favorite, perfect for the contemporary world with its stylish build, long-lasting battery, and gorgeous Liquid Retina screen. The 5th-Gen iPad Air will cost you approximately $450. In return, it offers a secure user experience with Touch ID, rapid Wi-Fi 6 connectivity for interruption-free online classes, and a capable 12MP camera. This tablet lets you upgrade the storage from 64GB to 256GB; there’s space for documents, movies, books, and other stuff.
iPads excel in this space also because of their commitment to multitasking and productivity. For example, the iPadOS can smoothly run multiple apps simultaneously and enjoys the envy of many processors of its time. These devices have efficient accessibility features, like a built‑in trackpad, an accurate Apple Pencil, and useful apps like Scribble. The visual splendor is also notable, thanks to True Tone technology and a P3 wide color gamut.
The sixth-gen Apple iPad Pro is another superb choice for those with a larger budget. At around $800, this 12.9″ tablet offers the glories of 1000 nits of brightness (up to 1600 nits) and 2TB of storage. The cameras are better (12MP), and the long battery life lets you work freely into the night.
An equally, if not more, premium brand for your digital note-taking needs is Samsung. The 12.4″ Galaxy Tab S9+ Plus will cost you a pretty penny ($999), but it also offers the moon: a Snapdragon 8 processor, a gorgeous AMOLED screen, and an IP68 rating for weatherproof use. It comes with a precise pen, with the Vision Booster feature fine-tuning your writing experience. This tab’s design is a hallmark: sturdy, with an “armor” aluminum frame, and breathtaking, with its super-thin bezel.
Amazon: Kindles & Fire tabs
The Amazon Fire series is brilliant for acquiring a multipurpose, high-performance tab at great prices. We love the Fire Max 11 (around $300) for its persevering all-arounder nature: taking notes, entertaining, gaming, video calling, etc.
It comes with accessories like a keyboard case and a stylus whose battery lasts up to six months. (The tablet can run for 14 hours on one charge.) This tab displays speed and efficiency with 4 GB RAM and up to 1TB of storage (expandable with a microSD). You can also enjoy the Microsoft 365 Personal experience free for three months – perfect for students and professionals alike.
Amazon has endeavored to make its Fire tabs well-suited to modern, chaotic lifestyles. So, you can take assurance from low blue light certification, a tender nod to eye strain affecting more of us daily. Thoughtful provisions like a screen magnifier and Kindle Read Aloud help the tabs adapt to varied user groups. Easy-to-use parental controls render them suitable for kids too. Amazon Kids has extensive content for little ones to enjoy and learn.
Another handy addition to this lineup is the inclusion of pre-programmed shortcut keys and customization options. OneNote can be particularly helpful for changing handwriting into text, marking PDFs, etc.
We recommend the Amazon Kindle Scribe for a wholesome reading and writing experience. You have probably been a Kindle user for some time – that Paperwhite display is stunning for bibliophiles. But the Scribe range adds innovative features to the mix.
The included pen (Basic, although you can also choose Premium) is perfect for journaling and sketching and lets you pick different brushes. These devices have adjustable warm lighting to facilitate work in all environments. So, from writing your ideas to marking PDFs, creating to-do lists, and sharing notebooks with your contacts – you can do it all. The battery lasts a long time (months).
Budget-friendly note-taking tabs
Manufacturers like Lenovo have designed simple writing tabs that work well for those on tighter budgets. The Lenovo Tab P11 is a decent choice for under $300. It has a bright 11.5″ LCD screen, split-screen functionality, and a visually pleasing Reading Mode (mono and grayscale). Lenovo packages a keyboard and pen with the purchase. Above-average battery backup (10 hours) and decent specs (4GB RAM and 128GB of storage) make it a good choice for other pursuits like light gaming.
Consider the Boogie Board Jot if you want a pocket-friendly writing tablet without frills. It costs around $18 but gets the job done. You can pen things down with a stylus or a fingernail – yes, indeed – and erase them in a blink too. With included magnets and stand, it makes a terrific home organization piece.
E ink and drawing tablets for note-taking
Besides the Kindle Scribe, you should also explore offerings by Kobo and BOOX. The Kobo Elipsa 2E costs around $400 but delivers an enthralling user experience powered by Carta E ink. It has 32 GB of storage and several natural options for reading-writing sessions, like lasso tools, folders, highlighting, and customizable lighting.
The BOOX Tab Ultra can be more expensive ($500). It ups the ante with a built-in keyboard that you can attach with pogo pins and a better cloud experience. You can also comfortably navigate through hyperlinks, attachments, etc.
A conventional drawing tablet like the Wacom Cintiq 16 can double up as a note-taking gadget, thanks to its accurate pen 8192 pressure levels) and compatibility with multiple operating systems. Its anti-glare LCD screen with impressive color reproduction is yet another bonus.
FAQs
Which tablet size works the best for note-taking?
As a rule of thumb, a large screen area, preferably with landscape orientation, is better for taking down notes. However, portability and weight are crucial factors. Typically, tabs of 8 to 10 inches work the best. However, you may consider going over 10 inches if you also wish to sketch and draw.
While purchasing, note that the size of the tablet and the screen are usually different. The latter is the active area upon which you can work.
Which factors are the most significant while buying a note-taking tab?
Besides the screen size, you also want to consider the stylus and its accuracy. Pressure and sensitivity levels will decide the control perceived – they are even more crucial for artists. Getting a package deal of stylus, keyboard, and kickstand would be the best bang for your buck.
Another consideration that can get easily overlooked in this product category is the processor. You may use your device only for jotting things down, but a capable processor will prevent stuttering and freezing. You need it even more if you plan to run applications in parallel. Finally, the battery life should be sufficient for your lifestyle. The standard range is 12-14 hours, although E ink devices can offer weeks or months.
