The current tablet market ranges from Apple’s high-end iPads to Amazon’s low-cost Fire series, with dozens of Android slates from different hardware manufacturers in between. (The category of Windows tablets is completely different.) Although the variety of options may seem overwhelming, you can rely on our analysis and recommendations because we have been testing and evaluating tablets since the original iPad launched in 2010.The good news is that regardless of your budget, you can find a high-quality tablet. Several of our Editors’ Choice winners are listed below, including the reasonably priced Amazon Fire HD 10, the midrange Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+, and the remarkably potent Apple iPad Pro. Scroll down below our top choices for our in-depth buying guide, and make sure to click through to our full reviews of each to get all the details.
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Last update on 2025-03-11 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.
Top 5 Best Note-Taking Tablets in 2025
1.Apple iPad Air (5th generation)
- WHY IPAD AIR — Serious performance in a thin and light design. With an immersive 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display and the amazing performance of the M1 chip, iPad Air is a creative and gaming powerhouse. Featuring Touch ID, advanced cameras, superfast Wi-Fi 6, and a USB-C connector.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos. iPad Air comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
Last update on 2025-03-11 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.
Apple’s iPad Air will appeal to Android fans as well. Taking notes is just one of the many functions that the portable tablet offers. We selected this iPad Air model even though it isn’t the most recent one because it is less expensive and has many of the same features as the M2 iPad Air, despite having a slightly slower processor. However, this iPad Air is the best option for taking notes.
Its compatibility with the second-generation Apple Pencil makes taking notes in meetings and classes, as well as virtually watching seminars when necessary, simple. Like all of Apple’s products, you can choose from a variety of five colors and customize the amount of storage to suit your needs.
If Wi-Fi doesn’t seem like enough for classes or commuting, you can also set up your iPad to use cellular data. A cellular data plan guarantees that you can always access the internet for professionals or students who may need to use their tablets frequently while on the go.
It seemed as though Apple had completely forgotten about the iPad Air a few years ago. However, in 2020, the fourth generation iPad Air was released with a brand-new design. Eighteen months later, Apple has updated the iPad Air once more. This year’s update, however, concentrates on performance rather than a total redesign for the fifth-generation Air.
The iPad Air was the last tablet in the lineup to not have Apple’s Center Stage feature for the FaceTime camera after the release of the ninth-generation iPad. Center Stage, a feature of the new iPad Air, keeps you in the frame of FaceTime video calls and third-party apps like Zoom by utilizing the wide-angle camera. It’s a useful feature that iPad Air owners will undoubtedly find convenient as well.
The volume up/down buttons and a place to charge or store a second-generation Apple Pencil are located on the tablet’s right edge.
There is also a nano-SIM card tray on the right side of the iPad Air if you choose the cellular model. However, the Air has eSIM technology, which lets you set up service with your preferred carrier with a few button taps, so you don’t need to use the SIM tray. Only the slower Sub6 standard, not mmWave, is supported by 5G cellular connectivity on the iPad Air. However, do not give up. Similar to the new iPhone SE, the lack of mmWave isn’t a deal breaker because of signal interference problems and a lack of widespread rollout.
Pros
- Battery life
- Performance
Cons
- 64GB base storage makes no sense
2.Boox Note Air 4 C
Last update on 2025-03-11 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.
A color e-ink tablet designed specifically for taking notes is the Boox Note Air 4 C. The screen’s color resolution is 1240 x 930 (150 PPI), and its black and white resolution is 2480 x 1860 (300 PPI), which is the same as the Kindle Scribe. It weighs just under a pound, making it incredibly light.
The greatest features of the best note-taking apps are all integrated into this tablet: audio recording, color coding, dozens of templates to choose from, the ability to attach files and links to notes, and more. Additionally, a strike-through erase feature that makes erasing much simpler, text recognition, and shape perfection are made possible by built-in artificial intelligence.
Additionally, it is a productivity machine thanks to a number of features. You can switch between two different apps, for instance, using the split-screen feature. The BOOXdrop feature, which makes it simple to transfer files from your computer or smartphone to the tablet, is well-liked by verified customers. You can easily annotate Word documents and PDFs in a matter of seconds.
Pros
- Fast speed with Apple’s M1 chip
- Fully customizable with color, storage, and access
Cons
- Only compatible with iOS
3.Amazon Kindle Scribe
- Kindle Scribe – A Kindle and a notebook, all in one. Redesigned flush-front display with uniform white borders and upgraded Premium Pen, feels like writing on paper.
- Write in books – Start writing on the page and Active Canvas will create space for your notes. Expand the margins to add more notes, or collapse them to see the original page.
- Built-in notebook – Create meeting notes and to-do lists, or journal all in one place. Convert handwritten notes to text and email them to yourself or your contacts.
Last update on 2025-03-11 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.
Perhaps the best example of a hybrid tablet and e-reader is the Kindle Scribe. It features the same features you’ve grown to love and rely on from a Kindle, including an adjustable warm light, weeks of battery life, and a 300 ppi glare-free screen. Additionally, it works with Amazon’s Premium Pen, allowing you to highlight significant quotes in the book you’re reading or take handwritten notes.
You can browse, review, and export your notes via email because they are automatically arranged in one location for each book. In addition to creating sticky notes in Microsoft Word and other compatible Word documents, the Kindle Scribe includes pre-made templates to assist you in creating notebooks, journals, and lists.
Being a tablet for taking notes and a dedicated e-reader, Amazon’s new Kindle Scribe can be regarded as a two-in-one device. It excels at both, and the way it blends these two qualities makes it stand out from the competition.
Turning the Scribe upside down realigns the perspective, and its sleek, light form factor and thick grip make it easy to hold in either your right or left hand.But the most notable feature of the Kindle Scribe is its “Active Canvas,” which lets you jot down notes and write your ideas straight onto the book’s pages. As a frequent note-taker, I can relate to this feature.
You can switch the brush size and shape of the pen that comes with the new Scribe from a pen for margin scribbling to a highlighter if you want to draw attention to specific areas of the text. Because the notes you make with the pan exist on a separate “layer” from the book text, you can edit what you write without affecting the text in the book. This is a really cool design element.
Pros
- Compatible with Microsoft Word
- Impressive battery life
Cons
- Price for higher memory models isn’t cheap
4.Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+
- INNOVATIVE ART POWER: Turn your simple sketches into works of art instantly using Sketch to Image¹ with Galaxy AI.²
- SEARCHING MADE EASY: Quickly search for just about anything you see on your Tab — all without switching apps — using Circle to Search with Google.³
- MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT: Capture your lecture, meeting, or daily notes and let Note Assist⁴ with Galaxy AI² do the hard work of organizing and even summarizing them for you.
Last update on 2025-03-11 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.
Samsung has produced three different Galaxy Tab S slate models in recent generations: the standard, Plus, and Ultra. With the Plus and Ultra still available, Samsung reduces the family to two models this year.
Given their nearly identical dimensions, the S10+ could easily be confused for its predecessor. Similar in size to the Tab S9+ (7.30 by 11.23 by 0.22 inches) and Tab S9 FE+ (7.30 by 11.24 by 0.26 inches), the Tab S10+ measures 7.30 by 11.24 by 0.22 inches (HWD). It is, however, smaller than the 13-inch Apple iPad Pro (8.48 by 11.09 by 0.20 inches) and the Tab S10 Ultra (8.21 by 12.85 by 0.21 inches).
Samsung controls the weight. The Wi-Fi and 5G versions of the Tab S10+ weigh 1.25 and 1.27 pounds, respectively. The iPad Pro weighs 0.98 pounds, the Tab S9 FE+ weighs 1.38 pounds, and the outgoing Tab S9+ weighs 1.28 pounds (Wi-Fi) and 1.30 pounds (5G), which is slightly heavier.
The tablet is expertly made from high-quality components. While still offering a sizable screen for work and play, its rounded corners feel nice against your palms and its compact size makes it portable.Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protects the display, which takes up most of the front. On the upper long edge is a camera that faces forward. The back panel is crossed by antenna lines and displays the camera module, the Samsung logo, and a magnetic charging groove for the S Pen stylus. On the upper left corner are a power button and a volume rocker, both of which have good travel and click. Two speaker grilles and a SIM and microSD card tray are located on the left side, while two more speaker grilles flank the USB-C port (3.2 Gen 1) on the right edge. The bottom edge is lined with pogo-pin connectors, which are positioned in the middle of two accessory attachment points.
Samsung places the fingerprint sensor beneath the display on the right side of the screen, which is roughly where you would find a sensor if you turned the tablet 90 degrees and acted like it was a huge phone. Regardless of how I held the tablet during testing, the fingerprint reader performed flawlessly. Although it is less secure, Face Unlock can also be accessed through the front-facing camera. In terms of convenience and technology, the under-display sensor is superior to the S9 FE+’s side-mounted fingerprint sensor.
Pros
- Useful AI and productivity features
Excellent performance - High-quality hardware
Cons
- Expensive
5.Amazon Fire Max 11
- BIGGER, BRILLIANT, BEAUTIFUL — Vivid 11“ screen with 2.4 million pixels (2000 x 1200 resolution) lets you see every detail of your favorite movies, TV shows, and games. Certified for low blue light.
- MAX PERFORMANCE — Built with a powerful octa-core processor, 4 GB memory, and Wi-Fi 6 for fast streaming, responsive gaming, and quick multitasking.
- THIN AND LIGHT — Sleek aluminum design is also durable. It has strengthened glass and is 3 times as durable as the iPad 10.9-inch (10th generation) as measured in tumble tests.
Last update on 2025-03-11 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.
The sleek, contemporary design of the Fire Max 11 exudes elegance. The device’s rounded corners and slim profile make it comfortable to hold, and its high-end construction guarantees a sturdy, long-lasting feel that goes above and beyond what one might expect from a slate. The all-gray color scheme of the tablet is muted and straightforward.
The tablet’s primary selling feature is its bright 11-inch display. Sharp details and vibrant colors are guaranteed by the LCD panel’s 213ppi pixel density and 2,000-by-1,200 pixel resolution. In order to optimize screen real estate and offer a captivating visual experience, the bezels are sufficiently small.
The Fire Max 11 weighs 17.3 ounces and measures 10.2 by 6.4 by 0.3 inches (HWD), which is typical for an 11-inch tablet. In contrast, the Lenovo Tab P11 Plus is only slightly larger, measuring 10.4 by 6.5 by 0.3 inches and weighing 17.3 ounces.
The Fire Max 11 is framed by aluminum from Amazon, but it doesn’t appear to be prone to fingerprints. I’ve noticed that fingerprint gunk is a problem with other company devices. The tablet isn’t waterproof, so don’t submerge it in the pool, and Amazon doesn’t provide an IP rating.
The keyboard accessory is guided by a set of pogo pins and holes on the bottom edge of the tablet when viewed in landscape mode. The power button (which also functions as a dependable fingerprint scanner), volume buttons, and a microSD memory card slot are located on the right side. When listening to our test track, “Silent Shout” by The Knife, the stereo speakers on top provide clear highs and a decent bass response. Although this tablet lacks a headphone jack, Bluetooth 5.3 allows wireless headphones to be used with it.
The performance of Wi-Fi keeps up. I tested the Fire Max using a router that supports Wi-Fi 6 to see if the speeds were comparable to those of other devices. Amazon built in support for Wi-Fi 6 (but not Wi-Fi 6E). Despite my maximum 1,200Mbps service, my home internet wasn’t very cooperative on test day, providing only slow speeds. The Fire provided 211Mbps up and 381Mbps down in the same room as the router. I used the slightly more expensive Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Gen 2 as a comparison. It recorded download speeds of 202 Mbps and upload speeds of 171 Mbps in the same location. While neither outcome is particularly noteworthy, the Amazon Fire Max 11 fared somewhat better with my poor connection.
Results leveled off when at the edge of the router’s range, with neither device offering impressive speeds. The Fire Max 11 reached download speeds of 1.3Mbps and upload speeds of 0.7Mbps to the Lenovo’s 1.2Mbps down and 0.6Mbps up. In other words, they were about even and, more important, these results mirror those of other devices I’ve tested at the network’s edge.
Pros
- Stepped-up design
- Big, vibrant display
Cons
- Limited app selection
FAQs on note-taking tablets
Do I need a stylus for a note-taking tablet?
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.
What are the best note-taking apps?
The top note-taking apps enable you to digitize your to-do lists and notes and store them in one location or sync them with the cloud. GoodNotes 5, Evernote, and Notability are our top picks, but Apple’s free Notes app is also a good option.