Lengthy reside the stylus. Nothing replaces the texture of a pen in hand, manually placing your ideas to paper as an alternative of tapping on a keyboard. To assist the stylus-loving crowd, a wave of E Ink tablets that replicate the texture of paper be a part of mainstays just like the Apple iPad Pro and ReMarkable 2 to supply fans extra selections than ever. And this checklist of prime note-taking choices contains all the pieces from glare-free E Ink shows to good LED or LCD screens for each price range and use case.
Our picks for the best note-taking tablets
ReMarkable
reMarkable 2
Best note-taking tablet overall
A remarkable way to digitise notes
The ReMarkable 2 tablet lets you take notes by hand, and it does so exceptionally well. It is the ultimate minimalist document creation and editing tool, with Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive integration.
- Handwriting feels natural
- Non-reflective display
- Distraction-free interface
- Can’t use in dark
- Stylus and keyboard folio pricey extras
- Unlimited cloud storage, mobile syncing, and other features require monthly subscription
The ReMarkable 2 pill permits you to create as many “digital notebooks” as you’ll be able to retailer on-board (or within the cloud with a ReMarkable Join subscription). This eliminates the necessity for bodily notebooks, whereas nonetheless retaining the texture and expertise of writing with pen and paper.
Writing on the ten.3-inch E Ink show feels pure and responsive, and it does an inexpensive job of deciphering imprecise handwriting to textual content. You may import PDFs and EPUB paperwork to annotate or learn on display, and herald Microsoft Phrase paperwork, too. The pill can hook up with Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive cloud storage. The show lacks a sidelight or backlight, although, which makes it unsuitable to be used in the dead of night.
This pill is skinny, at simply 4.83mm, and lightweight, weighing 400g, making it good for carrying round all day. When paired with its Sort Folio keyboard, this can be a svelte journey companion that was good for writing by hand or annotating paperwork.
Amazon / Pocket-lint
Amazon Kindle Scribe
Greatest note-taking pill/ e-reader duo
Amazon’s staple e-reader took notes
The Amazon Kindle Scribe is greater than merely the most important Kindle e-reader you should purchase. It is also the most effective note-taking pill and e-reader combo round.
- Primary stylus included
- Non-reflective show with sidelights
- Full entry to your Kindle ebook library
- Lengthy battery life
- Lacks number of pen types
- Few specialty note-taking templates
- No bodily keyboard possibility
The Amazon Kindle Scribe delivers a terrific writing expertise paired with a Kindle e-reader. This 10.2-inch E Ink display has a pointy 300ppi decision, which implies the textual content has easy, crisp edges. It additionally has an efficient aspect mild and color temperature changes, so you should utilize the display in any lighting with out straining your eyes.This mannequin goes past the skills of different Kindles due to its stylus assist. Merely navigate to “Notebooks” and click on “Add Pocket book” to select from an array of web page templates. Whereas the choices lack the artistic specialties discovered within the ReMarkable, the Kindle Scribe has extra choices than the competing e-reader/note-taking pill Rakuten Kobo Elipsa 2E. Much more notable is that the Kindle Scribe permits you to select a template upfront, making for simpler organisation earlier than you even begin to write.
Cam Bunton / Pocket-lint
The stylus feels comfy in hand and is easy to make use of on the responsive show. You may as well use the stylus to annotate books and PDFs, however for probably the most half, that is achieved through pop-up containers (versus enhancing instantly on the web page). Just a few eBooks now assist on-page writing, however not the bulk – a minimum of not but, anyway.
The pill’s major worth is that it doubles as a Kindle e-reader, too. It has an internet browser however no apps, and the browser is gradual, with monochromatic, the identical as on books and paperwork. The Amazon Kindle Scribe is your best option for anybody deeply dedicated to Amazon’s Kindle bookstore, together with college students who additionally like to put in writing notes.
Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C
Greatest color note-taking pill
This feature provides a bit of color to your notes
The Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C is an outlier amongst note-taking tablets. It is one of many uncommon tablets with a color E Ink show, and it additionally runs Android apps.
- Color E Ink display enlivens paperwork
- Non-reflective show with aspect lights
- Can manipulate and transfer handwritten components
- Sluggish efficiency
- Colors look washed out and pixilated
- Costly
The Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C stands out for its color E Ink show. The place most electrophoretic shows are monochrome, the Boox Tab Extremely can show colors at 150ppi. Meaning colors look muted and grainy, like a color picture in a newspaper. However the color provides a splash of life that differentiates this note-taking pill from different E Ink opponents. One other notable distinction: This mannequin runs on Android and helps the Google Play Retailer. Meaning you’ll be able to obtain apps from any eBookstore, and use Google apps and companies, too. It has a roomy 10.3-inch glare-free display, and it comes with a stylus that feels good in hand. Creating notes is entrance and middle and straightforward to perform, however that’s about all that’s clear concerning the interface. The stylus is responsive with the included Notepad app and its over 40 templates – and you may add your template by importing a PNG or PDF file. General, nonetheless, the efficiency generally is a bit sluggish, and a few apps and most movies do not look as crisp as they might on different Android tablets.
Nonetheless, you’re not shopping for this pill for its gaming and leisure skills. The color is useful to degree up paperwork and even ebook highlighting in, say, the Amazon Kindle app. Plus, you get this splash of color on a show that’s straightforward on the eyes, simply observe that color and the broader app compatibility come at a excessive worth.
Kobo Sage
Greatest compact note-taking pill
Compact and succesful
The Rakuten Kobo Sage is a compact e-reader that may additionally function a note-taking pill. It has an 8-inch E Ink display, and it helps the identical stylus as on the bigger Kobo Elipsa 2E.
- Can write instantly on ebook pages
- Non-reflective show with aspect mild and color temperature changes
- Built-in OverDrive entry for studying library books
- Solely accesses Kobo eBookstore
- Stylus prices further
The Rakuten Kobo Sage is extra of a digital notepad than a pocket book. It’s the most important of the Kobo e-readers, with an 8-inch E Ink show and two bodily web page flip buttons that make it handy to carry one-handed.
However the Kobo Sage is greater than an e-reader. Just like the Kobo Sage’s barely bigger sibling, the Kobo Elipsa 2E, its software program helps stylus enter from an non-compulsory pen. The Kobo Sage’s note-taking works the identical as on the Elipsa 2E, in that you simply begin with a clean web page and might change it to one in all a handful of templates. You may as well import PDFs and different paperwork so as to add annotations, and annotate ebook pages instantly.
The Kobo eBookstore doesn’t have the traction or number of Amazon’s Kindle, however it’s a sturdy different. The Kobo Sage, like all Kobo e-readers, makes it particularly easy to entry digital library books through its built-in OverDrive assist. Its versatile note-taking is nice for jotting down ideas all through your day, making this a sensible choice for those who’re not dedicated to Amazon’s ecosystem.
OnePlus/ Pocket-lint
OnePlus Pad
Greatest Android note-taking pill
Outfitted with the proper side ratio
The OnePlus Pad strikes a wonderful stability between worth and efficiency. It has a vibrant color show with an unusual 7:5 side ratio, which makes the pill really feel extra moveable than competing fashions.
- Wonderful show and audio system
- Incredible battery life
- Good efficiency
- Sharp, quick show that is nice for gaming
- Keyboard case and stylus price further
- Lacks charger
The OnePlus Pad is the primary pill from this mobile-focused firm, and it delivers with its compelling mixture of options and efficiency. The pill weighs 553g, making it a bit hefty for one-handed use as a writing pill. Nonetheless, it feels very balanced in hand, presumably owing to the unusually sq. side ratio of the 11.6-inch LCD display.
Textual content seems sharp and hues look vibrant, unsurprising given the show’s 2800 by 2000-pixel decision. The show has a quick 144Hz refresh price, making it a sensible choice for gaming, too.
The pill runs OnePlus’ personal interface, however it’s totally appropriate with Google Play Retailer and Google companies. As a general-use pill, the OnePlus Pad can serve many productiveness and leisure wants.Once you add on the non-compulsory OnePlus Stylo pen, you should utilize the OnePlus Pad for taking notes. The stylus has 4096 ranges of strain sensitivity, and it really works effectively with the OnePlus Notes app. If you may get the stylus on sale, this combo is without doubt one of the most fairly priced choices for an Android pill with a note-taking stylus.
Amazon
Amazon Hearth Max 11
Greatest Amazon powered note-taking pill
A skinny, stylus appropriate Hearth pill
The Amazon Hearth Max 11 is the primary Hearth pill with a competitively skinny, trendy design. It is also the primary Hearth pill that has a stylus possibility, so you’ll be able to handwrite notes and sketch with ease.
- Low price for a pill with pressure-sensitive stylus assist
- Full assist for Amazon companies and Appstore
- Good sound
- Keyboard case and stylus price further
- Cannot run Google Play Retailer apps and Google companies
The skinny Amazon Fire Max 11 pill is Amazon’s first try at a grown-up pill that doesn’t include a plastic, candy-coloured chassis. This pill appears and feels above its worth worth, with an aluminum physique and bolstered cowl glass. The Hearth Max 11 has a 16:9 side ratio show with 2000 x 1200 pixels. Meaning it’s not as sharp as, say, an Apple iPad, however it’s nonetheless sufficient to provide pleasing pictures on the 11-inch LCD.
The Hearth Max 11 has a microSD card slot, so you’ll be able to simply increase its 64GB of storage. It additionally has conveniences like a fingerprint reader within the energy button, which make it straightforward to reliably unlock the pill. As with all Amazon tablets, the Hearth Max 11 runs Amazon’s FireOS working system, and it solely works with the Amazon Appstore. Nonetheless, there are many apps for leisure and productiveness, together with the free trial of Microsoft 365.
The interface is easy, making it straightforward to devour and uncover Amazon’s music, movies, and books. You will additionally love having the ability to have a break up display view for 2 apps and the way responsive the USI 2.0-compatible stylus with 4096 strain sensitivity is for writing and sketching on display. This pill is a superb alternative for college kids and professionals who need an reasonably priced note-taking pill and don’t want full Google Play entry.
Apple / Pocket-lint
Apple iPad Professional 11-inch (2022)
Greatest note-taking pill for Apple customers
A solution to hold all of your notes in iCloud
$759 $799 Save $40
The Apple iPad Professional 11-inch (4th technology) packs a robust punch with an Apple M2 processor inside. This pill helps the second-generation Apple Pencil for correct and seamless writing and sketching on display.
- Clean, pressure-sensitive stylus for writing and drawing
- Normal use pill with full iPad app assist
- Sensible, sharp show
- Stylus and keyboard price further
- Heavy to carry one-handed
- Costly
The Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (4th technology) hits the mid-ground of Apple’s pill choices. Whereas different, inexpensive fashions assist Apple Pencil, this mannequin stands out as a result of it strikes a stability between dimension, efficiency, and worth. It weighs simply over a pound, and its display is massive sufficient to deal with all the pieces from drawings and sketches to taking notes.
The iPad has widespread app assist for its Apple Pencil 2 stylus, making the iPad an ideal note-taking alternative for creatives. It additionally works effectively with sharing throughout units; for instance, you can begin one thing in your iPad and share your notes with an iPhone or MacBook.
As a note-taking pill, the iPad Professional is among the many costliest fashions you should purchase. However for the cash, you not solely get a succesful note-taking pill, however you additionally get top-of-the-line all-around tablets in the marketplace. As with different general-use tablets, the Apple Pencil 2 and Magic Keyboard are extra-cost add-ons.
Onyx Boox Tab X
Greatest large-screen note-taking pill
Giant display to show all of the small particulars
The Onyx Boox Tab X has the most important canvas of any E Ink pill. The Tab X has a roomy 13.3-inch monochrome E Ink show that’s straightforward on the eyes. And like different fashions from the corporate, it runs Android and helps Google Play apps.
- Roomy show
- Runs Android apps
- Giant area for writing and drawing
- Show is awkward to hold round
- Costly
- Complicated interface
The one purpose to purchase this pill is for its massive 13.3-inch A4 display. Greater is healthier if you want the area for complicated sketches or taking notes longhand. The display additionally is useful if you wish to learn textual content at a bigger dimension, for instance. As with the Boox Tab Extremely C, the Tab X has a number of interface launchers, so I might select how I most well-liked to entry the pill.
The devoted note-taking app may lack the finesse of others in the marketplace, however its additionally filled with options and capabilities, comparable to inserting audio recordings into your handwritten doc. I actually preferred this latter half; it makes it straightforward to match my notations with the unique content material. Nonetheless, for the reason that pill lacks a digital camera, I additionally could not instantly add and annotate pictures.
Additionally like others tablets in Onyx’s lineup, this mannequin runs Android 11, and it helps Android apps – which implies I might obtain e-readers from competing eBookstores and browse my ebook collections from one gadget. I might additionally obtain different apps, which makes this E Ink pill extra useful than merely an e-reader with a single bookstore on board. It has a big 6300mAh battery, which delivers weeks of use and not using a cost. Even with its massive battery, the Tab X is skinny: It stands simply 6.8mm excessive, and it weighs 560g, which makes it straightforward to throw in your bag alongside a laptop.
Microsoft / Pocket-lint
Microsoft Floor Professional 9 (Wi-Fi)
Greatest 2-in-1 note-taking pill
Commerce off taking each written and typed notes
The Microsoft Floor Professional 9 combines distinctive design factors like a built-in kickstand with a crisp show that helps each contact and stylus enter. And because it’s a Home windows 11 PC operating on a Twelfth-generation Intel Core processor, this pill is a laptop computer alternative, too.
- Full Home windows PC in a pill type
- Loads of energy
- Beautiful show
- Costly
- Heavier and thicker than rivals
- Stylus and keyboard price further
The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 packs a Home windows 11 PC right into a high-resolution, freestanding show. The 13.3-inch display carries 2880 x 1920 pixels, making it well-suited for all the pieces from gaming to express content material creation. At almost 2 kilos, this pill has the heft that displays its sturdy elements.
The pill’s specs are modest for a PC, however nonetheless extra highly effective than most different note-taking tablets on this checklist. The baseline configuration priced right here has 8GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD, and an Intel Core i5 processor; increased spec’ed variations with extra RAM and storage and a greater processor are choices, albeit at increased costs. It even has a Thunderbolt 4 port, useful to be used with high-speed storage peripherals. You may run the complete gamut of PC and internet apps and companies simply as you’ll in your laptop computer.
The Floor Professional 9 works with Microsoft’s non-compulsory stylus for handwriting notes and drawing in skilled functions. The stylus is a superb addition to note-taking apps like Microsoft OneNote and complicated artistic apps like Corel Paint or Adobe Illustrator.
At one time, you wanted to spend prime greenback to get a pill that supported a stylus. However now you’ve gotten a variety of selections.
Your first consideration is the rationale you desire a note-taking pill. If the one factor you intend to do together with your gadget is write notes, and you don’t need the distractions that include apps and eBooks, then the ReMarkable 2 is the highest note-taking choose partially as a result of it’s laser-focused on one job – utilizing a stylus to put in writing digital notes – and it does this job very effectively. It has a slew of helpful templates, starting from a clean web page to storyboards and varied music writing templates. The range and vary of templates are an actual plus since they make it straightforward to get began on artistic {and professional} initiatives.
ReMarkable
reMarkable 2
Greatest note-taking pill total
A outstanding solution to digitize notes
The ReMarkable 2 pill permits you to take notes by hand, and it does so exceptionally effectively. It’s the final minimalist doc creation and enhancing instrument, with Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive integration.
- Handwriting feels pure
- Non-reflective show
- Distraction-free interface
- Cannot use in darkish
- Stylus and keyboard folio dear extras
- Limitless cloud storage, cell syncing, and different options require month-to-month subscription
If you’d like a multipurpose pill, that opens the enjoying subject additional. Your subsequent determination will likely be between a glare-free, electrophoretic E Ink show, and the inherently glary, LCD/LED shows of full-blown tablets. E Ink shows are largely monochromatic and are typically related to e-readers, though Onyx breaks that mould on each counts with its Android-based E Ink tablets (together with some that assist the still-rare color E Ink). Since, by design, E Ink is simpler on the eyes, and it replicates the texture of paper, these tablets are terrific selections for taking notes.
The broader pill class – populated by the likes of Amazon, Apple, OnePlus, Samsung, and extra – depends on backlit show panel applied sciences. These shows have good color screens, however in addition they use a reflective cowl glass layer, which causes glare in some lighting conditions, and so they emit blue mild which is tougher in your eyes. These tablets run app-driven working techniques like Amazon’s Hearth OS, Google’s Android, and Apple’s iPadOS. Their software program makes these note-taking tablets your best option if you’d like a do-it-all gadget, from gaming to leisure to writing notes, too. Many tablets are dear, however the Amazon Hearth Max 11 is the least costly note-taking pill with a stylus possibility.
The ultimate consideration is keyboard and stylus choices. Many of those tablets do not include a stylus. For those who do not embrace the stylus, the price can differ dramatically, from $35 for the Amazon Hearth Max 11 to $129 for the Apple Pencil 2. Some stylus fashions assist larger levels of strain sensitivity, vital for those who plan to sketch pictures in your pill. Lastly, a few of these tablets not solely work with a keyboard however have a keyboard folio accent that provides to the pill’s versatility.
How did I select these greatest note-taking tablets?
Each myself and the Pocket-lint workforce has hands-on expertise testing and utilizing these note-taking tablets for work and productiveness use. As we examined, we thought-about use case together with show high quality, writing really feel, pill reflection, and pill software program. Moreover, we examined to see how different elements, comparable to battery life and ports, performed into the general aesthetic and sensible expertise.
Is getting a note-taking pill for college price it?
There are lots of advantages to handwriting over at all times typing out notes, together with improved reminiscence and absorbing the educational materials with the eliminated distraction hurdle from having a number of browsers open. In truth, analysis from a 2021 study from Johns Hopkins University even suggests that there is a constructive relationship between handwriting notes and studying expertise.
Trending Merchandise
