Selecting the best writing tablet 2023 can be crucial to further your creativity and finding the freedom to conceptualize, write, share, and collaborate.
Lately, the demand for specialized tabs has risen – devices for gaming, design, campus life, and writing. Owning a tablet dedicated to your writing endeavors makes things simpler for aspiring novelists – think of the ease of taking notes during research, working from anywhere, converting handwritten pointers into text, etc. But these handy devices are also helpful for professionals, students, artists, and researchers.
The advent of E-ink (electronic ink) has directly contributed to this development. This low-power display technology helps your screen resemble paper, thus bridging the gap for new adopters of e-readers and easing eye strain.
The lack of glare makes outdoor reading comfortable. Plus, the affordability of tabs using this technology is impressive since they don’t need high-end specifications. Lately, E-ink has diversified into E-ink Carta (high-contrast) and E-ink Kaleido (color friendly).
Top 7 Best Writing Tablets 2023
Several top brands have forayed into this space – from market leaders like Apple and Samsung to newer players like BOOX. Therefore, the price range is also vast: from around $250 to over $1,000. Ask yourself: what am I expecting to do with this writing tab? Will I use it for creative pursuits or adapt it to business, video calling, and more conventional tablet use?
reMarkable writing
The 10.3″ reMarkable 2 has a clear edge in the writing tabs category – no surprises. This $279 tab is about as close as you can get to working on paper notebooks but with the jazz of excellent connectivity, organization, and responsiveness. This lightweight tab (0.99 lbs) works with all sorts of writing material: handwritten, PDFs, e-books, etc.
Performance-wise, this Norwegian tab runs Codex (Linux-based OS for digital paper displays) and gets powered by E-ink Carta technology. It has 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage. The tab lasts for around two weeks on one charge, and the high-friction pen (4096 pressure levels) does not require any charging.
You can import your documents for editing, change handwritten notes into text, mark PDFs, and sync with cloud services like Microsoft OneDrive and DropBox. While the price seems stiff, the company offers a free 100-day trial and a full refund if you return it.
BOOX Writing Tabs for all-round compatibility
BOOX has some fine writing tabs under its umbrella, like the Note Air2 Plus and the Tab Ultra. These ePaper tablets cost around $449.99 to $499.99, which makes them quite an investment. But they deliver a hassle-free writing, note-taking, or sketching experience with speedy octa-core processors, 4 GB RAM, and support for 24 digital formats.
The stylus supports capacitive touch and has high precision to make your experience immersive. The compatibility is top-notch – from PDF and HTML to RTF, PNG, WAV, hyperlinks, and many more.
Another advantage of BOOX tablets is their super battery life – even up to five weeks on standby mode. The newer models have integrated several advancements in the cloud system and the BOOX Assistant. You can even attach an optional keyboard through pogo-pins to simplify your work experience further. These lightweight tabs (less than 1 lb) also have high-res cameras (16MP Rear) for document scanning.
Amazon Kindle Writing tabs
Good news! The Kindle isn’t only for readers; writers and artists can benefit immensely from the Kindle Scribe tabs that support handwritten notes on cherished books, digital notes on PDFs, and even editing docs imported from Microsoft Word with a Microsoft 365 subscription.
For example, the 10.2″ Kindle Scribe has a Basic Pen and has a beautiful Paperwhite display (300 PPI). You may choose a Premium Pen for features like shortcut buttons and erasers. Four brush types are available during sketching; a lasso tool can shift your notes as you please. Once you have completed your work, you can export or e-mail the documents, make journals or lists to send to your contacts – the possibilities are many.
Amazon provides several customization options for lighting (warm and auto), orientation, font, line spacing, margins, etc. The included warranty lasts a year, but you can extend it up to three years.
These tabs can last for weeks (or months) on one charge, your usage determining the backup. For example, steaming on Audible will consume more power than reading.
Tip: You cannot miss a Kindle Unlimited subscription with one of these tabs; the sheer range of reading material is awe-inspiring. Getting a Kindle Scribe means you will have many more avenues to read – a screen reader over Bluetooth audio and text-to-speech, for instance.
Kobo Elipsa tabs for strain-free writing
The Kobo Elipsa range of writing tabs places emphasis on visual comfort while writing. The 10.3″ Kobo Elipsa 2E has a glare-free touchscreen with comfortable lighting, adjustable brightness, and soothing color temperature. The company is committed to reducing blue light emissions, which is significant for writers who spend hours daily staring at screens.
This $399.99 tab includes a stylus – so you can make notes, create folders, highlight, underline, etc. Driven by the Carta E-ink technology, this tablet has 32 GB of space for your documents. Kobo claims you can keep up to 24,000 eBooks!
These tabs are lightweight and run for weeks on one charge. The Kobo Elipsa 2E is slightly heavier than other options at 1.9 lbs.
iPads for writers
You can’t beat a good old iPad, eh? Apple devices like the 12.9” iPad Pro remain highly sought after by different audiences, including readers and writers. This one runs on a powerful M2 chip and has an Apple Pencil to support your creativity.
The liquid Retina screen (XDR) is bright and beautiful, with over 1000 nits brightness to light up your ideas. The True Tone display on iPads with P3-wide color is soothing to your eyes as your work.
Of course, iPads are more than only writing tabs. The pricing (upwards of $965) aligns with this. The investment will get you complete tablets that double up as business devices and entertainment platforms. For example, the 12.9″ iPad Pro has a 12MP camera, Face ID security, and Wi-Fi 6E for consistent connectivity. It is also portable (just 1.5 lbs) and stylish for diverse audiences.
Premium Samsung Galaxy tabs for multitasking
First up: This range will cost you over $1,000. But here’s what a tablet like the Samsung Galaxy S8+ gives you: an engaging 12.4″ AMOLED display, an accurate S Pen, and productivity boosters like Samsung DeX and Microsoft 365. Samsung offers top-end battery life and quick charging.
Samsung tabs truly own the premium game, competing with Apple in the luxurious tablets space. They can be excellent and durable picks for those willing to spend more on performance (Qualcomm Snapdragon). These tabs also provide parental controls to let you share your tablet with the kids.
FAQs
Who can benefit from a writing tablet?
The prime audiences for these tabs include writers, artists, students, and people who need to take extensive notes and work on documents, PDFs, e-books, etc. Think business people, editors, lawyers, researchers – they all can benefit from E-ink tabs. These tablets provide a clean, uncluttered, distraction-free experience for writing and making notes – directly on books and PDFs, annotating, sticky notes, you name it.
You may consider more all-rounder tablets for your writing pursuits, like an iPad or a Samsung Galaxy Tab. E-ink models are the best for those who don’t want intrusive notifications and can do without gaming or multimedia entertainment (i.e., ultra-high processing speeds and other bells and whistles).
What features should you look for in writing tablets?
The imperatives are a responsive, easy-on-the-eyes display, an accurate stylus, and convenient note-taking bonuses like handwritten-to-text, PDF marking, highlighting, sketching, etc. Facilities like a lasso tool, document scanning, and compatibility with multiple formats are vital. Besides, we suggest you aim for good battery backup and ample storage for your e-books, documents, and other files.
Some models also offer features like glare resistance and palm rejection. Cloud syncing will be beneficial for storing and sharing your data. Also, you should check supported apps and applications, like Microsoft 365.
Are writing tabs friendly for left-handed people?
It continues to be a right-handed dominant world in many ways, sadly. But thankfully, writing tabs have matured, and many now offer convenience for lefties. For example, reMarkable allows you to configure a left-handed mode during setup. You can switch between the two modes while working if you share your device with a friend or family member.
