Standalone drawing tablets are portable devices that have a built-in operating system and a display. This means you can draw directly onto the screen via stylus, just the way you would draw on paper via pen. These drawing tablets offer another level of ease to not only artists but also designers, students, and other users who write notes on tablets.
The best standalone drawing tablet is recognized for its lightweight, compact size, ease of portability, large display, affordability, advanced stylus, support for various drawing apps, and more. It must also support varied built-in pressure levels to help you achieve the maximum level of accuracy with your strokes.
If you are looking for the best standalone tablet for drawing, this ultimate guide has you covered. It features five of our top picks with detailed reviews and a comprehensive comparison. So, without any further ado, let’s begin exploring everything!
TOP 1: XPPen Magic Drawing Pad
XPPen Magic Drawing Pad is first on the list with its smart design, diverse functionalities, and ease of use. This best standalone drawing tablet with screen helps you draw conveniently on the go without requiring any connection to a PC or other device. It comes with an X3 Pro Pencil, an X-Paper Display, whooping 16k pressure levels, and super portability.
Key Features of XPPen Magic Drawing Pad
Here are some of the impressive features of XPPen Magic Drawing Pad:
- Its chip-powered X3 Pro Pencil uses advanced algorithms to deliver smooth performance.
- EMR technology gives off a natural experience as if you were drawing on paper. That resistance, that stroke—everything is perfectly mimicked.
- No charging or Bluetooth pairing is required for the pen. Just pick it up and begin drawing.
- The 1.65 mm nimble nib ensures exceptional precision for nuanced artwork.
- The X3 Pro Pencil also features a shortcut key to switch between the functioning of the brush and eraser.
- It offers a life-like display with a wide color gamut of 109% sRGB and an incredible 16.77 million colors.
- It is 6.9 mm slim and just 599 g in weight.
- An 8000 mAh battery with 13 hours of battery life is also worth mentioning.
TOP 2: iPad Pro 13”
Next comes a masterpiece product from Apple, the iPad Pro 13’’. What sets this one apart is its unbelievably thin, light, and portable design—it’s one of the thinnest products Apple has ever made. It comes with an OLED screen, 120Hz refresh rate, and Apple Pencil Pro support—indeed, an ideal purchase for pro artists.
Key Features of iPad Pro 13”
- This 13-inch expansive screen offers the perfect blank canvas for drawing.
- Tandem OLED, i.e., two OLED panels sandwiched together, feature 1,000 nits of standard brightness and 1,600 nits of HDR brightness.
- Apple has incorporated a new M4 chip for fast and impressive response time, i.e., up to 4x faster rendering performance than that of M2 and up to 1.5x faster CPU performance than M2.
- Apple Pencil also sets standards with low latency, tilt sensitivity, pixel‑perfect precision, and support for palm rejection.
- It also supports pro connectivity, connecting to storage devices with Thunderbolt and driving high-resolution external displays up to 6K.
- This new Apple creation uses 100 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure. To support sustainability.
- If you are an educator or college student, you can save some bucks with educational pricing.
TOP 3: Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
The Samsung S9 series has been launched with several improvements, including the OLED display, IP68 rating, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, and 60 – 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. So, expect this best standalone drawing tablet for beginners to perform much better than the previous series. Aside from this, it comes with a USB-C to USB-C charging cable, SIM ejection tool, S Pen, and a quick start guide.
Key Features of Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
Let’s now take a comprehensive look at the key aspects of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra!
- It supports an OLED display with better contrast and more vibrant colors. These are actually dynamic AMOLED 2X displays with 60 – 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.
- Its max brightness is 420 nits, and peak brightness is 930 nits for Tab S9 Ultra.
- The tablets in this series use a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor with Adreno 740, delivering exceptional performance.
- Both the tablet and pen have an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.
- It also features a rear 13MP AF + 8MP ultra-wide and a front 12MP + 12MP ultra-wide camera.
- Pen latency is also improved in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, allowing artists to achieve accuracy in their strokes.
TOP 4: Microsoft Surface Pro 9
When talking about Apple and Samsung, how can we forget about the Microsoft Surface Pro 9? This standalone drawing tablet is a versatile Surface 2-in-1 PC – an essential tool for expanding your portfolio and creating brilliant works of art. It has loads of impressive features, including digital pen compatibility, significant storage space, and more.
Key Features of Microsoft Surface Pro 9
Hop on below to explore multiple aspects of Microsoft Surface Pro 9 in-depth!
- The Surface Pro 9 with Intel® 12th Gen offers a battery life of up to 15.5 hours, while the Surface Pro 9 with 5G, powered by the Microsoft SQ® 3, can last up to 19 hours.
- Features virtually edge-to-edge 13” PixelSense™ touchscreen designed specifically for pen and Windows 11.
- Comes with Intel® Evo™ 12th Gen processor, delivering blazing fast performance.
- It has excellent portability with length: 11.3”, width: 8.2”, height: 0.37”.
- Weight 1.94 lb.
- Its Slim Pen supports a wide range of pressure levels to give off those ideal strokes.
- Comes in multiple colors, including Sapphire, Platinum, Forest, Graphite, etc.
TOP 5: Lenovo Tab P12 Pro
Lenovo Tab P12 Pro was released back in 2021. The major update in this version was the replacement of the pentile matrix OLED display with OLED display. A new precision pen is also designed to go with the tablet. Moreover, issues like jelly scroll, image retention, and fuzzy text are also resolved.
Key Features of Lenovo Tab P12 Pro
- It features a flat body with a thickness of 5.6mm and weighs 565g.
- The design includes four speakers, a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, a microSD card slot, and pogo connectors for the optional Lenovo keyboard case and stand.
- The 12.6-inch AMOLED display features brightness up to 400 nits and 2560 x 1600 resolution.
- The refresh rate of the display is 120Hz. So, OS animation will appear smooth.
- Comes with either 6GB RAM and 128GB storage or 8GB RAM with 256GB storage.
- In some regions, the Lenovo Precision Pen 3 might be included with the tablet, while in others, it may need to be purchased separately.
- The pen offers tilt functionality and 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity. It has a single side button with pre-set shortcuts for tasks like taking notes and capturing screenshots.
Best Standalone Drawing Tablets Comparison
By now, you have explored all the standalone drawing tablets in-depth, so let’s look at the comprehensive comparison!
As evident from the above comparison table, the best choice remains the XPPen Magic Drawing Pad. It’s because not only its features are comprehensive and comparable to those of other options, but it’s also affordable. You can get this amazing product for just $424.99 with a compatible X3 Pro Pencil. Its diversity of supported pressure levels and large display are also worth mentioning.
Moreover, its features are quite easy to use, ideal for both beginners and pro designers and artists. So, when planning to get the best standalone drawing tablet, be sure to check out XPPen drawing tablet, i.e., the XPPen Magic Drawing Pad.
Wrapping It Up!
Standalone drawing tablets have revolutionized the digital drawing concept. They give artists the privilege to draw wherever they find inspiration, whether far away from a PC or when on the go. If you are impressed by these features and want to get the best standalone drawing tablet 2024, we hope this article proves helpful.
Though all of these are worth investing in, we recommend getting your hands on the XPPen Magic Drawing Pad, as it comes with a plethora of features at affordable pricing. It’s indeed the best budget standalone drawing tablet. Hope you found this info worth reading. Stay tuned for more!
