For artists, photographers, vigorous notetakers, productivity diehards, and other creative professionals, a tablet can be a handy second device for getting work done.
Apple’s 2024 11-inch iPad Pro, with its fast M4 processor and impressive OLED display, is the best pro tablet we’ve tested. Apple’s updated Magic Keyboard and Pencil Pro accessories, designed to complement the newest Pro, are also noticeable upgrades to past versions. But if you decide to splurge for the Pro and both accessories, you’ll spend at least $1,400. For those who don’t want to pay iPad Pro prices, we also recommend the M2 iPad Air. You only miss out on a few “pro” features to save hundreds of dollars. The 13-inch iPad Air is $400 less than the comparable Pro model and offers a similar experience.
For those who prefer Android, we recommend the Samsung Galaxy S9 Ultra.
Our pick
The M4 iPad Pro has a faster processor than the current MacBook Air lineup, and a better OLED screen to boot. But coders, web developers, media editors, and anyone who needs to use a lot of external accessories are likely to find iPadOS limiting.
Apple’s iPad Pro (11-inch, M4) includes plenty of upgrades over the last generation — not only to the tablet itself, but to its accessories as well. The iPad Pro has Apple’s new M4 chip, which is very competitive against modern Windows laptops in our testing, as well as a vibrant OLED display. The new Pencil Pro can be squeezed to bring up a helpful tool palette, and the M4-compatible Magic Keyboard case has nicer keys and a better trackpad, and an aluminum top that makes it feel much sturdier and more comfortable to type. Apple has increased the price of the iPad Pro, however, and combined with all the accessories, a bundle for creative pros costs at least $1,400. If you are often comparing documents side-by-side, or plan to mainly use the tablet with the Magic Keyboard as a laptop replacement and want to multitask, the 13-inch iPad Pro might be a better choice than the 11-inch version. The larger Pro and accessories start at $1,775, however, so it’s worth considering how much you need a touchscreen, and whether a MacBook might be a better (and cheaper) option.
All iPads work seamlessly with Macs and iPhones in an Apple-centric home or workplace, and iPadOS is easy to use and simple to update, back up, and restore. It has a huge library of touch-friendly tablet apps, including lots of options for drawing, writing, and editing photos, audio, and video. And the latest version of iPadOS handles keyboards and mice, external storage, file sharing, and web browsing better than previous versions did. But iPadOS and its apps are limiting if you do any kind of coding or web development.
Also great
The Samsung Galaxy S9 Ultra pairs a fantastic display with a fast processor, making this a great tablet for media enthusiasts.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 Ultra has a laptop-sized 14.6-inch display that’s equally great for watching a movie or multitasking during work. The S9 Ultra’s processor is fast enough for any app we tried, and it didn’t slow down when working with and exporting 4K video. It comes with the S Pen, a proprietary stylus that magnetically attaches to the back of the tablet to charge. Tablet apps for specific use cases can be harder to find in the Android app store than they are for the iPad. But the S9 Tab Ultra is more than capable of any office tasks, and it is compatible with most modern productivity software, like Slack and Microsoft Office.
Budget pick
The iPad Air is a slightly less expensive pick for pros who don’t need Face ID or a 120 Hz OLED screen.
Apple’s latest M2 iPad Air (11-inch) allows you to be just as productive as the iPad Pro. It has fewer pro-level features, but many you’d likely never notice unless you compared the two side-by-side. The biggest difference is the display: The iPad Air has an LCD screen instead of the higher-end OLED panel on the iPad Pro. The Air also has a Touch ID fingerprint sensor rather than the Pro’s Face ID facial recognition. Otherwise, they have similar capabilities, and the M2 iPad Air supports the new Pencil Pro.
Apple also now makes a 13-inch version of the iPad Air, which paired with the Pencil Pro could be a fantastic option for those who want a larger digital canvas, and are interested in saving about $400 compared to the iPad Pro.
