As more digital artists explore different fields of artistry, they also carefully choose the tools that allow them to maximize their creative potential—whether for academics, business, or personal projects.
With the rise of innovative gadgets in 2025, several international brands have introduced devices tailored for digital artists. Here are three top tablet options preferred by creatives.
For convenience
Apple released the iPad Pro 11 in 2020, and it remains a popular choice among artists due to its powerful performance and seamless integration with other Apple devices.
Jase Arquiza, an architecture student, shared why he prefers the iPad Pro 11 (4th generation) as his drawing tablet.
“I chose an iPad pro because of the convenience that the ‘Apple ecosystem’ offers, I can work on different projects smoothly between all my devices. This tablet is also incredibly powerful, its processing power is even better than my computer so I can work on large scale projects without experiencing any lag. The brand also has a very loyal customer base because of the quality of the products they offer, and I can attest to that,” Arquiza explained.
One standout feature he noted is Procreate, a professional drawing app exclusive to the Apple Store.
He noted, “It’s an incredibly versatile app for creative works. Aside from that, this tablet comes with a LiDAR sensor which allows you to scan surfaces in high definition and take accurate measurements for your objects that you need to design. This drawing tablet in also has a big battery life since I can work on a project for an entire day and still have enough battery left at the end of it.”
Adding to the list of Ipad lovers, Manila-based illustrator Jethro Olba strongly believes that iPad is more portable which has essentials like the iOS as the main operating system on all his devices. Ever since he started using it, his work productivity has become seamless and flexible.
So far, he has not encountered any lapses during his work because of iPad’s autosave feature.
“Sometimes, the pixel quality gets damaged when I mistakenly set up the wrong canvas size and DPI. So I always make sure to format and prepare the highest-quality canvas size for all of my artworks, making it easier to adjust the resolution than scaling up from low resolution to higher one,” he said. His rate on Ipad Air Pro tablet is 9/10.
For affordability
While Apple products are known for their premium pricing, budget-friendly alternatives exist for students, freelancers, and professionals. One such option is the Xiaomi Redmi Pad, which offers smooth performance, an 8,000mAh battery, a 90Hz refresh rate, and a MediaTek Helio G99 processor for extended use.
Freelance digital artist and graphic designer Erika Marca chose the Xiaomi Redmi Pad as a budget-friendly alternative.
“So as a starter, it’s fine to buy this since it comes in an affordable price although its original pen is not affordable but provides quality on touch pressure,” she explained.
She primarily uses Infinite Painter on the tablet but mentioned a downside.
“Sa when it comes to pen, unlike Ipad that features sideways when drawing, it shades like a pencil. When it comes to Xiaomi, the pressure sensitivity is not fully achieved,” Marca compared two. For those students who want affordable tablets with smooth efficiency and compatibility with other gadgets, this one’s for them. “Like Xiaomi tablet that costs around php 16, 000, it is already considered reasonable price,” she said. Her rate on the Xiaomi Redmi pad is 7/10.
For simplicity
According to Fine Arts student Florian San Juan, Samsung tablets are a good option for artists exploring casual to intermediate digital drawing.
“This tablet works well when creating artwork since the drawing display size is 8 inches.
It’s like a notebook that you can bring to any place such as school, malls, coffee shop, and such. The compatibility is based on the artwork is good when drawing and when transferring the files on the laptop, it works well,” she expressed.
AutoDesk Sketchbook is the software application she uses on her tablet. However, she also explained a downside: “When pixel resolution is high, it crashes sometimes.” Her rate on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is 7/10.
Final thoughts
Overall, every technology company never fails to release products that offer a massive range of features to suit everyone’s needs whether for professional or personal purposes.
To this day, it continues to evolve for the sake of efficiency, compatibility, and creativity.
It’s better to examine the specifications and check on reviews on how these drawing tablets offer stand-out features that can cater to the needs of digital artists. All of these have evolved better than ever for the sake of art.
