6 Best Drawing Tablets That Don’t Need A Computer in 2023 [Standalone Models]

While digitizers aka graphic tablets offer a lot of space to etch out the best possible designs and illustrations, keeping them connected to the computer can be a complex and cluttered process. Besides, they also require you to own a computer and not everyone has one. This is why a lot of us consider getting a drawing tablet that doesn’t require a computer to work.

Standalone drawing tablets are great picks. But only if you get one with the right set of attributes. If you are serious about creative stuff, you should aim for the best-in-class display, responsive stylus, fast processor, a massive chunk of RAM, good enough storage space, extended battery life, ultrafast internet standard, and more as discussed in the drawing tablet buying guide.

But all computer-less drawing tablets, despite accommodating a majority of these traits, aren’t good enough for professionals. Some have subpar stylus pens whereas certain tablets do not have the best screens with underwhelming color palettes and viewing angles. And to top it all, the battery life is often atrocious.

Finding a reliable drawing tablet that doesn’t need a computer to be connected amid these pain points can be a stretch. But then, I have prepared a list of the most competent options around to make selections easier. Also, they have been segregated as per user requirements, skill levels, and also the budget you are willing to spare.

6 Best Drawing Tablets That Don’t Need A Computer in 2023

In the subsequent sections, I shall discuss 6 of the best tablet PCs for drawing at length that offer the best resources to professionals, creatives, art enthusiasts, and even engineering students. Also, I was able to put together this list after testing close to 25 standalone tablets, with apps like Inspire Pro, Assembly, Procreate, and other drawing apps installed on them.

The list comprises premium offerings at the start followed by some mid-range options. Finally, there are a few budget picks to look at that offer the best value for money without burning holes in your pocket.

1. Best Overall: Apple iPad Pro

Did you know that iPad is a highly suitable resource for drawing along with several other things? If not, you’ll be surprised at how this masterpiece can do wonders!

Well, there is nothing even remotely better than the Apple iPad Pro when it comes to illustrations, drawings, and creative artwork. It is the display quality that steals the show and ensures that investing a premium amount on this device makes sense, especially to professional logo and manga creators who rely more on color accuracy.

Also, as a standalone drawing tablet, the iPad Pro 12 outwits the older variants with the M1 chipset ensuring extraordinary performances and quick processing, as compared to the older A12Z bionic processor.

Why is it suited for drawing?

This tablet boasts a 12.9-inch IPS screen, with an overall display resolution of 2048 x 2732 pixels. Coming to the brightness, the peak illuminance of up to 1600 levels is a scene-stealer and is perfectly complemented by sharp viewing angles and 100% P3 color gamut.

Also, the screen exhibits an sRGB color gamut of almost 123%, which brings every illustration and color-intensive design to life. The 4: 3 screen aspect ratio gets the job done and allows you to use the device even as a 2-in-1.

Coming to the 2-in-1 functionality, the iPad Pro works particularly well with the Apple Pencil 2^nd generation, which also boasts a charging time of 12 hours and pressure sensitivity capping of almost 4096.

Connectivity

The iPad lets you connect the stylus via Bluetooth and even allows you to access the fastest possible internet, courtesy of the Wi-Fi 6 support. To top it off, you have a Type-C, Thunderbolt 4 port for charging and ultrafast data transfers. Or you can even pair an external display to work on apps like Illustrator, Inspire Pro, and more.

Design & Hardware

Apple needs no aesthetic introduction. While this iPad weighs 1.50 pounds, its premium, metal-clad chassis is easy to hold and carry around. The dimensions at 11.05 x 8.46 x 0.25 inches ensure that the iPad is sleek and doesn’t take up a lot of space.

What’s impressive though is the M1 processor, which is Apple’s proprietary SoC, boasting better speeds as compared to the latest Bionic chipset. Complementing the processor is 8GB of RAM for handling multiple effects like chalk, spray paint, blurs, and more. Plus, there is 128GB of storage space in play to store images, RAW files, and even relevant drawing apps.

Tablet Battery Life and other Features

The new iPad Pro is surprisingly dependable, with the rated battery backup fixed at 10 hours. Plus, this product comes with Face ID integrated within, for further securing your designs and illustrations.

Conclusion

To sum it up, the Apple iPad Pro 12 is easily the best iPad for drawing, which outwits other devices on the list, courtesy of the brilliant and vibrant screen and a top-shelf processing setup.

However, if the iPad Pro feels a bit too pricey for your comfort, you can always make do with the Apple iPad Air 2020. This 10.9-inch tablet is extremely fast, sports True Tone display technology, an A14 chipset for intelligent processing performance, and Wi-Fi 6 support for establishing faster internet connections.

Also Check: How to use an iPad as a Drawing Tablet?

2. Best Android Tablet: Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+

If you prefer the Android ecosystem over Apple’s, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ is the perfect Android tablet to draw on. What makes it stand out is the Super AMOLED display that makes the colors pop out more as opposed to the TFT panel on the Tab S7.

Why is it suited for drawing?

There are a lot of factors that make the Tab S7+ one of the best Android tablets for drawing but it is the 12.4-inch that takes precedence. Backed by a resolution of 2800 x 1752 pixels and 210% of the sRGB color gamut, this is arguably the best Android-powered drawing tablet in terms of raw color accuracy. The 16:10 aspect ratio is good enough for most creative illustrations.

The S-pen stylus is nothing short of extraordinary and boasts minimal latency and pressure sensitivity levels of up to 4096. Also, the S-pen needs to be charged and can last for almost 10 hours, once refilled.

Connectivity

The connectivity suite is diverse, to say the least with Samsung making room for Wi-Fi 6 support, a fast Type-C port, and Bluetooth compatibility that even lets you pair the stylus for achieving impeccable creative performances.

Design & Hardware

This tablet weighs 1.3 pounds and measures 11.22 x 7.28 x 0.22 inches, making it even slimmer than the iPad Pro. More than the aesthetic layout, it is the premium build quality that makes the heads roll.

When it comes to processing power, Samsung brings in the fast and productive, Snapdragon 865+ chipset in play. The 8-core processor works in tandem with 6GB RAM and 128GB of storage space; attributes that can speed up image processing and manage storage better than most. And yes, you can always upgrade the storage to 1TB.

Tablet Battery Life & Other Features

This tablet, once charged fully, has the juice to last you for about 15 hours or so, making it one of the best battery life devices. On top of it, there is a neatly placed, nifty fingerprint scanner to make the professional files even more secure.

Conclusion

For Android evangelists, there isn’t a better drawing tablet than the Samsung Tab S7+. Also, as compared to other premium products in the retail space, this tablet exhibits the best possible color gamut, best suited for brighter and more creative designs.

3. Best Windows Tablet: Microsoft Surface Pro 7

If you have been working on a Windows-powered laptop for the better part of your life, the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is expected to sit really well with your expectations. And yes, if you have had the experience of using the older Pro 6, this seems like a good enough upgrade, mostly due to the better battery backup.

Why is it suited for drawing?

First of all, the 12.3-inch PixelSense IPS screen is one of a kind, boasting exceptional viewing angles and sunlight visibility. Secondly, with 102% sRGB color gamut to play around with, the creator in you should hardly twitch about the color accuracy of the designs.

And to top it all, the 3:2 aspect ratio is good enough for comic book and logo designers alike. But that’s not why the Pro 7 is an exceptional tablet for drawing. The most important factor here is the Surface Pen that promises up to 15 hours of battery life and 4096 pressure sensitivity levels to help you with complex designs.

Connectivity

The Surface Pro 7 is replete with ports, with Type-C, Surface Connect, and Type-A ports allowing you to be flexible with the usage. If you rely more on online resources, the Wi-Fi 6 standard can really come in handy.

Design & Hardware

The Pro 7 is best used as a 2-in-1, with the tablet alone weighing 1.70 pounds. While this might feel heavier as compared to the likes of iPad Pro and S7+, it is still easy to carry around. Coming to the dimensions, this tablet measures 11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33 inches, which might feel slightly thick to the select users.

Intel’s i3 G-series processor is manufactured keeping the creative users in mind. Complementing the chipset is 4GB of high-speed RAM and 128GB of solid-state drive storage space.

Tablet Battery Life and Other Features

When it comes to autonomy, the Pro 7 offers 10 hours of backup and a bit more on moderate usage. On top of that, you get microSD support for upgrading the storage and Windows Hello integration to secure the work files. Finally, there is Windows 10 as the operating system that ensures you can play around with the entire Adobe CC suite, Paint Tool SAI, and other relevant apps.

Conclusion

For traditional laptop users, the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is one of the better Windows-powered tablets, which trumps other drawing tablets on the list with the 2-in-1 functionality and a dependable stylus pen.

Suggested Read: Surface Pro vs iPad Pro for Art and Design

4. Best with 2K Screen: CHUWI UBook X 12

It’s raining Windows tablets for now. Well, at least when drawing, illustrations and artwork are what you are interested in. In case the Pro 7 from Microsoft seems a tad pricier, the CHUWI UBook X 12 is quite a good investment.

Before getting hold of the UBook X 12, I was using the standard UBook, which actually pales in comparison to the former, with a less vibrant screen on offer.

Why is it suited for drawing?

If you are a professional logo designer or even an engineer responsible for drawing accurate illustrations, the 12-inch IPS screen can be a handy resource. Topping it up is the top-shelf display resolution at 2160 x 1440 pixels. Coming to the color accuracy, the 74% aRGB color gamut leads the way whereas the 3:2 aspect ratio makes viewing easier for the professionals.

This Windows tablet comes with a bundled stylus, i.e., the HiPen H7, which boasts pressure sensitivity levels of up to 4096 and passive charging capabilities.

Connectivity

The UBook X 12 brings in a keyboard as a part of the package, which makes several resourceful ports available, including the Type-A, Type-C, and headphone jack. You also get Wi-Fi AC and BT 5.0 standards to make wireless connections faster and more consistent.

Design & Hardware

The standalone tablet weighs 1.72 pounds and measures 0.27 inches when it comes to thickness. Also, CHUWI flaunts a metal-clad chassis, which is relatively slim, as compared to the likes of the Pro 7.

At the core, UBook X 12 features the reliable Intel N4100 chipset, which doesn’t heat up at all. Plus, there is 8GB RAM to work with followed by 256GB of SSD storage support.

Tablet Battery Life and other Features

CHUWI doesn’t promise the moon when battery backup is concerned and only offers 6 hours at max. However, this bottleneck is compensated a bit by the functional Windows 10 OS and support for storage upgradability.

Conclusion

If you are in the space for an affordable 2-in-1 Windows drawing tablet, CHUWI UBook X 12 is the perfect product to invest in. Plus, it scales beyond other tablets in the market, courtesy of the bundled accessories.

5. Best for Portability: Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is one of the better sub $400 tablets, courtesy of the power-efficient chipset and the bundled stylus. Also, it is quite an upgrade over the likes of Tab 3 Lite, owing to a bigger and brighter screen that is more suitable for professional comic and manga designs, logos, and handcrafted illustrations.

Why is it suited for drawing?

The Tab S6 Lite is one of the more Illustrator-friendly tablets in the market, which is also good enough for other relevant apps like Photoshop and more. What makes it good enough is the 10.4-inch 2K, TFT display, boasting a 98.4% sRGB color palette and a creative-friendly aspect ratio of 5:3.

Most importantly, the Tab S6 Lite responds adequately to the S-Pen that boasts a battery life of up to 10 hours and pressure sensitivity levels of up to 4096.

Connectivity

Coming to the port arrangement, there is a Type-C slot in play followed by the Wi-Fi AC standard and high-speed Bluetooth support.

Design & Hardware

What’s important to note is that the Tab S6 Lite from Samsung is surprisingly slim at 9.63 x 6.07 x 0.28 inches. On top of that, it weighs a mere 1.03 pounds, despite featuring a durable form factor.

The hardware setup is led by an Exynos 9611 chipset, which works in tandem with 4GB RAM. You also get access to a 128GB standard storage module for storing the images and illustrations. Also, you can upgrade the same to 1TB, via the microSD slot, if and when needed.

Tablet Battery Life and other Features

This tablet promises and delivers 12 hours of battery backup, which is good enough if you are a globetrotting professional or have a habit of misplacing the charger, more often than not.

Conclusion

Despite being considered a standard, mid-range Android tablet, the Samsung Tab S6 Lite makes for a great portable drawing tablet courtesy of the compact screen size and hugely relevant specs sheet. Also, it’s the value offered for the given price point that makes it stand out among other products on the list.

6. Cheapest Option: Simbans Picasso Tab 10

If you want to give a standalone drawing tablet to kids, helping them hone their creative skills further, the Simbans Picasso Tab 10 is one of the newest and more reliable options to pick. What makes this stand out is the availability of a reliable and accurate active pen, despite being the cheapest standalone drawing tablet on the list.

Why is it suited for drawing?

Kids with a penchant for fun drawing apps like the Sketchbook from Autodesk can revel in the glory of Picasso Tab 10’s 10.1-inch IPS screen. Despite the underwhelming HD+ resolution at 1280 x 800 pixels, the screen still looks bright and adequately color accurate, courtesy of the 45% color gamut and the 16:9 aspect ratio.

The active stylus pen is responsive enough and exhibits a standard pressure sensitivity level of up to 1096. While this might not sound like a lot, it manages to carve out some accurate designs for enthusiasts.

Connectivity

This tablet makes room for two functional ports, including the Type-C port for data transfers and a micro-HDMI slot for connecting an external display to the same. On top of that, you get access to Wi-Fi AC and Bluetooth functionality for establishing faster wireless connections.

Design & Hardware

This is one durable drawing tablet that weighs 1.21 pounds and measures 10.24 x 6.81 x 0.39 inches. Despite being a bit on the thicker side, it still manages to stay light and properly ventilated.

At the core, you have the MTK8168, an octa-core processor, working alongside 4GB of DDR4 RAM. For storing images and illustrations, the 64GB storage space seems more than adequate. However, if it falls short you can always upgrade the same by an additional 128GB.

Tablet Battery Life and other Features

This tablet supports up to 8 hours of maximum battery backup, which might be cut short to 5 hours on heavy usage. Apart from that, you get Palm Rejection functionality on this device followed by the innovative and customizable Android 10 OS.

Conclusion

If budget is one of your main priorities, then the Simbans Picasso Tab 10 is one of the best budget-friendly drawing tablets to purchase. And to top it all, the package comes loaded with a universal adapter, screen protector, drawing glove, and a high-end tablet case.

Frequently Asked Questions

Verdict

Each tablet mentioned in the previous segments is good enough for professional and semi-professional usage. However, if you want better clarity on the use cases, here are the independent drawing tablets to look at.

• If you want an all-round device that can help you draw logos, illustrations, animated blueprints, tattoo designs, and more, there isn’t anything better than the Apple iPad Pro.
• In case you want to experience the Android ecosystem and a much brighter screen for comic book and manga designing, the Samsung Tab S7+ fits the bill.
• If you prefer a high-end laptop-like device with Windows functionality, top-shelf stylus pen, and professional connectivity suite, the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is the perfect pick.
• Finally, if you wish to pay less for more, you can pick the Simbans Picasso Tab 10 for the amateurs and kids alike.

In addition to these targeted picks, you can choose the remaining variants or the alternatives, depending on the needs, pricing, and selective preferences.

Suggested Read: Graphic Tablets vs Drawing Tablets