The best note-taking tablets of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

2 weeks ago 5

Tablets can do so many different things, but one of their go-to uses is taking notes. These devices make it easier than ever for students or professionals to jot down everything they need while being portable and even powerful enough to replace a heftier laptop.

Also: The best tablets you can buy

Since tablets run the gamut in terms of everything they can do (and all the prices they show up at), if you're looking for a tablet to take notes in classes or meetings, you must consider what else you might want to use it for. For students, you might get a tablet instead of a laptop, while professionals might carry one for commuting purposes since they are much more portable. There are note-taking tablets on the market that fit both of those scenarios.

What is the best note-taking tablet you can buy right now?

ZDNET went hands-on with the following tablets, with our pick for the best note-taking tablet overall being the iPad Air, thanks to its lightweight build and compatibility with the 2nd-gen Apple Pencil. But we also included tablets from Boox, Amazon, and more to take digital notes on.

The best note-taking tablets of 2024

Even Android fans will like Apple's iPad Air. The lightweight tablet can do everything -- including taking notes. While this isn't the latest version of the iPad Air, we chose this one since it costs less and has many of the same features as the M2 iPad Air, albeit a slightly slower processor. But for taking notes, this iPad Air is the way to go.

It's compatible with the Apple Pencil (second generation), making it easy to take notes in class or meetings and watch seminars virtually if needed. Apple's products are largely customizable, and this is no different: you can opt for one of five colors and get more or less storage depending on what you need.

In addition, you can also equip your iPad to use cellular data if Wi-Fi doesn't feel sufficient for classes or commuting. For students or professionals who might need to use their tablets while on the go often, a cellular data plan ensures you can always get online to access.

Review: Apple iPad Air (5th generation)

ZDNET contributor, Jason Cipriani, went hands-on with the iPad Air and was impressed by its 2-in-1 compatibility thanks to the Apple Keyboard and Apple Pencil additions. "It's as powerful as the iPad Pro, but costs hundreds of dollars less -- even when you max out the storage -- with a display that's on par with the 11-inch iPad Pro," he wrote.

Overall, 98% of Best Buy customers who bought the iPad Air would recommend it to others and gave it an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5.

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The Boox Note Air 4 C is a color e-ink tablet that is built for note-taking. The screen has a color 1240 x 930 (150 PPI) resolution and a 2480 x 1860 (300 PPI -- the same as the Kindle Scribe) resolution in black and white. Plus, it's super lightweight at just under a pound.

This tablet has all the best features of the top note-taking apps built right in: there are dozens of templates to use, audio recording, color-coding, inserting links and attachments to notes, and more. Plus, built-in artificial intelligence allows for text recognition, shape perfection, and a strike-through erase feature that makes erasing much easier.

ZDNET writer Maria Diaz went hands-on with the tablet and called it "great for professionals and creatives." "It's not a productivity tablet or one to replace a laptop, but it is perfect for note-takers who like handwriting, journalers, reading enthusiasts, and even designers."

Review: Boox Note Air 4 C

Plus, it has several features that make it a productivity machine. For example, there is a split-screen feature that allows you to switch between two different apps. Verified customers like the BOOXdrop feature, which allows you to easily send files to the tablet from your computer or smartphone to the tablet. It takes mere seconds, and you can annotate PDFs and other Word documents with ease.

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The Kindle Scribe is perhaps the perfect example of part e-reader, part tablet. It has the same functions you've come to know and love in a Kindle, like a 300 ppi glare-free screen, weeks of battery life, and adjustable warm light. It's also compatible with Amazon's Premium Pen, so you can take handwritten notes or underline important quotations within the book you're reading.

Your notes are automatically organized in one place for every book so that you can browse, review, and export them via email. The Kindle Scribe also comes with preset templates to help you create notebooks, journals, and lists, and you can create sticky notes in Microsoft Word and other compatible Word documents.

The new Active Canvas allows you to take notes and scribble your thoughts directly onto the pages of your book. ZDNET editor Kyle Kucharski put the Active Canvas to the test and appreciated the feature as an avid note-taker.

Review: Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024)

"The cool design element here is that the notes you draw with the pan exist on another "layer" than the book text, allowing you to edit what you write without messing with the text in the book," he wrote in his review, adding, "I actually found that I preferred using the sticky notes function, which drops a tiny icon on the text that, when tapped, opens up a floating window with your notes that can then be closed."

There are also useful AI features that can summarize up to 15 pages in a notebook, extracting key takeaways from the text in a neat summary. These features can also transcribe handwritten notes into text, which might benefit those with chicken scratch handwriting.

Kindle Scribe tech specs: Display: 10.2-inch 300 ppi Paperwhite display | Storage: 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB | Weight: 0.96 pounds | Dimensions: 7.7 x 9.0 x 0.22 inches | Battery life: Up to 12 weeks (at 30 minutes per day)

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The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ is part of Samsung's latest tablet series released this year. The Tab S10+ comes with 12GB of memory and 256GB or 512GB of storage, with the option to expand to up to 1TB of storage using microSD.. Inside the Tab S10+ is the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ processor.

Most importantly, the S10+ comes with an S Pen that you can use to write or draw on your favorite apps. New to the S10 lineup are Galaxy AI features that enhance your note-taking even further, like Note Assist, which allows you to transcribe, organize, and even summarize notes.

Review: Samsung Galaxy S10 Ultra

Diaz tested the S10 Ultra model (which has the same display and features but is larger and comes with more storage options), calling it one of the best productivity tablets, even when compared to the reMarkable 2 or iPad Pro.

"These AI tools are enhanced by the included S Pen, Samsung's IP68-rated Bluetooth stylus that offers high-precision sketching and writing," she wrote in her review, adding, "I love using the S Pen to take notes and color on the tablet, but the AI tools, like Sketch-to-Image, are a new, fun way to make the most of this tool."

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ tech specs: Display: 12.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X 2560 x 1600 display | Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ | Storage: 256GB, 512GB (up to 1.5TB with microSD) | Memory: 12GB | Colors: Moonstone gray and platinum silver | Cameras: Rear: 13MP main, 8MP ultrawide, Front: 12MP ultrawide | Weight: 1.27 pounds | Dimensions: 11.24 X 7.3 X 0.22 inches | Connectivity: 5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi Direct Bluetooth v5.3 | Battery life: Up to 16 hours

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With a starting price of $245, the Fire Max 11 brings an 11-inch display, 4GB of memory and 64GB of storage with support for 1TB of microSD card storage. If you're looking for a tablet for work and play, the Fire Max 11 Productivity Bundle costs $370, but comes with a keyboard with touchpad, case, and a stylus that has 4,096 levels of pressure.

Review: Amazon Fire Max 11

Cipriani also went hands-on with the Amazon Fire Max 11 and said that it is "easily the best Fire Tablet Amazon has made yet."

"You can use the pen to write in the search field of the Silk Browser or the search bar on the Fire Max 11's main screen," he wrote. "The handwriting recognition is pretty good, converting my horrible handwriting to text with impressive accuracy." Plus, it has an impressive battery life of up to 14 hours.

Overall, 94% of Best Buy customers would recommend this tablet to others, giving it an average rating of 4.7 out of 5.

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The best note-taking tablet is the iPad Air based on price, ratings, display, features, and more. It's also super lightweight, making it the perfect choice to carry anywhere.

Note-taking Tablet	Price	Display	Pen/Stylus
Apple iPad Air	$559	10.9-inch Retina display	Apple Pencil (2nd generation)
Boox Note Air 4 C	$500	10.3-inch Kaleido 3 display	BOOX Pen Plus
Amazon Kindle Scribe	$400	10.2-inch 300 ppi Paperwhite display	Amazon Premium Pen
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+	$1,000	12.3-inch, Dynamic AMOLED 2X 2960 x 1848 display	S Pen
Amazon Fire Max 11	$329	11-inch 2000 x 1200 display	Amazon Stylus

*Lowest price at the time of writing. Please note that prices may vary based on retailer and available promotions, sales, or discounts.

Choosing a tablet really comes down to what you want to use it for and what you want to spend. Basic tablets tend to be cheaper, so if you don't plan to use them for much other than taking notes, you can look at spending a little less and getting something like an Amazon Fire Tablet.

However, if you want a tablet you can use for school and for everyday things like streaming, photo editing, and more, something like an iPad might be a better choice.

Choose this note-taking tablet...	If you want...
Apple iPad Air	The best overall option. It's as powerful as the iPad Pro but much lighter and less expensive.
Boox Note Air 4 C	A lightweight note-taking tablet. It comes with dozens of templates to choose from and useful note-taking and productivity features.
Amazon Kindle Scribe	A tablet and e-reader in one. You can make notes within the book(s) you are reading, as well as through apps like Microsoft Word.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9	An Android tablet for note-taking. An S Pen is included in the box.
Amazon Fire Max 11	A budget-friendly tablet for under $350. It is compatible with the Amazon Stylus pen, and you can also attach a keyboard to it.

Before you buy a note-taking tablet, you'll want to consider the following:

Display: A tablet's experience is largely based on its display, so pay attention to tablets with HD resolutions and even paper-like displays.
Stylus compatibility: Most people use a stylus when taking notes on a tablet, so consider tablets that either come with a stylus right out of the box or have the option to buy one from the maker separately. It's important to note most universal styluses will also work with these tablets.
Size: Tablets that you will mainly use for note-taking purposes will have different requirements than tablets you need to replace a laptop with. Smaller size tablets are best for note-taking purposes and are lightweight and portable.
Price: Tablets will vary in price from $150 all the way up to $1,000 or more, depending on storage capacity, display quality, processors, and more.

The ZDNET team chose all of the tablets included in this list based on their performance when tested in the real world. When we test tablets, we typically follow the same routine for each one to see which performs best.

Display: We measure the brightness level in different lighting conditions and assess color accuracy.
We also compare the display's performance with what the manufacturer promised, test the screen's responsiveness to touch, and assess the performance of any extra features, like a manufacturer's stylus.
Performance: For real-world performance metrics, our reviewers measure how quickly the tablet reacts to input, assess game performance and frame rates, test how the tablet handles having multiple apps running simultaneously, measure the time it takes to launch apps, and even assess the tablet's temperature during intensive tasks.
Battery life: We test different scenarios for battery life, including measuring how long the battery lasts while streaming, web browsing, using productivity apps, and playing games.

Camera and audio: For cameras, we evaluate features like resolution, aperture, low-light performance, autofocus accuracy, dynamic range, color accuracy, image quality, sharpness, and video quality. For audio, we look at the sound quality and overall listening experience, including audio clarity at different volumes, stereo separation of left and right audio channels, maximum volume level in various environments, and if there is perceived distortion.

For a deeper look into our testing process, check out our comprehensive tablet testing methodology.

Using a stylus is totally up to you, but it can definitely help with functionality. Some tablets come with a stylus, while others will have them sold separately. If you're looking at this from a cost perspective, consider the fact that the stylus will often be an added expense, but you may find it worth it for ease of use, especially if you're the type that likes the feeling of writing out your notes rather than typing them.

The best note-taking apps let you digitize your notes and to-dos while keeping them all in one place or syncing them to a cloud. Our favorites are Notability, Evernote, GoodNotes 5, and even Apple's free Notes app is a worthy choice.

Yes--the Apple Pencil can convert your handwritten notes into text for better legibility. Here's how:

In the Notes or Freeform apps, tap to show the tool palette.
In the tool palette, tap the Handwriting tool (to the left of the pen).
Write with Apple Pencil, and Scribble automatically converts your handwriting into typed text.