9 Best Tablets For Photo Editing – How To Choose A Photo Editing Tablet
If you are a photographer or a graphic designer, you must know how important it is to choose the right photo editing tablet for your work.
A photo editing tablet helps you edit photos using advanced photo editing software.
In today’s post, I will round up the best tablets for photo editing so that you can have your pick from the latest and greatest technological marvels that exist to improve the quality of your photos.
Disclaimer: If you buy something using the links in this article, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Know that I only promote stuff that I use and trust for the sake of my readers and the reputation of this site.
Best Tablets For Photo Editing
1. iPad Pro 12.9″ (2021)
The Apple iPad Pro 12.9 is one of the best tablets available on the market among all the photo editing tablets.
There are a few things that make the iPad Pro stand out from its competitors. For starters, it is the first tablet with the Apple M1 chipset, making it 50% faster than the previous generation and with 40% faster graphics.
Weight: 682g
Screen Size: 12.9-inch
Screen Resolution: 2048 x 2732 pixels
OS: iPadOS 14
Internal Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB
Battery Life: 10 hours
Pros:
- Slim body that fits easily in your camera bag
- Fully laminated Liquid Retina Display
- Powerful A12X Bionic chip for an easy and quick rendering of photos
Cons:
- High price point
- No external storage
- Some users complain that the display has blooming
- The Apple Pencil is sold separately
Best Price:
You can buy the Apple iPad Pro 12.9″ from Amazon at $1099
2. Microsoft Surface Pro 7
If you are looking for an Android tablet with decent battery life to edit photos then look no further than the Microsoft Surface Pro 7.
With powerful features and compatibility with most photo editing apps like Adobe Photoshop, the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is the best tablet for photographers.
Weight: 771g
Screen Size: 12.3-inch
Screen Resolution: 2736 x 1824
OS: Windows 10 Home/ Pro
Internal Storage: 128GB-1TB
Battery Life: 10 hours
Pros:
- Powerful laptop/ tablet hybrid model with excellent performance
- Slim model that is not too heavy
- High-quality touchscreen for easy photo editing
Cons:
- Keyboard and Surface pen need to be bought separately
- Expensive compared to other models
Best Price:
You can buy Microsoft Surface Pro 7 from Amazon for $772.99
Recommended Reading:
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3. Google Pixel Slate 12.3″
The Google Pixel Slate 12.3″ comes in third on this list as the most affordable alternative to a desktop computer for mobile photo editing workflow.
The Google Pixel Slate 12.3″ is one of the best photo editing tablets that works great with Adobe Photoshop.
Weight: 722g
Screen Size: 12.3″
Screen Resolution: ‎3000 x 2000
OS: ‎Chrome OS
Internal Storage: 64 GB, 128GB, 256 GB
Battery Life: 10 hours
Pros:
- Stunning 12.3″ Molecular Display with 6 million pixels
- Lightweight design makes it highly portable
- Good battery life
Cons:
- There are some complaints about it not working smoothly in tablet mode
- Android apps sometimes function poorly on this tab
Best Price:
You can buy the Google Pixel Slate 12.3″ from Amazon for $379
4. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ is the best Android tablet for basic photo editing. It has powerful features that make it a worthy laptop replacement.
If you want to buy a good quality Samsung tablet for photo editing, then this one is for you. The beautiful high-resolution screen makes it a pleasurable device to edit your photos with.
Weight: 575g
Screen Size: 12.4-inch
Screen Resolution: 1752 x 2800
OS: Android 10
Internal Storage: 128/256/512GB
Battery Life: 10 hours
Pros:
- Comes with the S Pen stylus included
- Powerful tablet compared to other graphics tablets
- Long battery life
Cons:
- It is an expensive tablet
- Battery life is not as good as it claims to be
Best Price:
You can buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ on Amazon for $759
5. Huawei Media Pad M5
The Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite is the best Android tablet for beginners. Its affordability and lightweight design make it an attractive choice for young graphic designers who want to improve their photo editing skills.
The Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite has a small, handy 10.1-inch screen and weighs just over 450 g.
Weight: 458g
Screen Size: 10.1″
Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1200
OS: EMUI 8.0 (Based on Android 8.0)
Internal Storage:
Battery Life: 11 hours
Pros:
- HUAWEI M-Pen lite Stylus is included
- Very lightweight and portable tablet
- Affordable graphic tablet
Cons:
- The power button and volume rocker are placed awkwardly
- The keyboard is sold separately
Best Price:
You can buy the Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite from Amazon for $290
6. Amazon Fire HD 10
Amazon Fire HD 10 is yet another affordable tablet and the best tablet for photo editing. Weighing just about 500g, this tablet is designed to be one of the best portable graphic tablets there are on the market right now.
With a high-quality build and Photoshop CC compatibility, the Amazon Fire HD 10 is a great investment if you are on a budget.
Weight: 500g
Screen Size: 10-inch
Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1200
OS: FireOS
Internal Storage: 32/64GB
Battery Life: 10 hours
Pros:
- Very affordable tablet for simple photo editing work
- High-quality build
- Good battery life
Cons:
- The camera quality is not up to the mark
- Limited apps
Best Price:
You can buy the Amazon Fire HD 10 from Amazon for $99
7. Microsoft Surface Go
The Microsoft Surface Go tablet is a Windows tablet that gives you all the features you need at an affordable price.
If you want to go for one of the best Windows tablets for picture editing, then you should consider the Microsoft Surface Go tablet. Lightweight and with a high-resolution screen, this tablet is sure to give you all the features you’ve hoped for at a very convenient price.
Weight: 522g
Screen Size: 10 inch
Screen Resolution: 1800 x 1200
OS: Windows 10 S
Internal Storage: 128GB
Battery Life: 9 hours
Pros:
- Windows 10 OS
- Affordable graphics tablet
- Photo editing software compatibility
Cons:
- Less powerful than competitors
- Slightly reduced performance
Best Price:
You can buy the Microsoft Surface Go tablet from Amazon for $620
8. Asus 10.1
The Asus 10.1 tablet is one of the best Android tablets for graphic designers. It features a 10.1″ WXGA IPS Display with ASUS TruVivid technology.
The Asus 10.1 tablet also comes with free 100GB of Google Drive storage for 1 year.
Weight: 472g
Screen Size: ‎10.1 Inches
Screen Resolution: 1920×1200
OS: Android 7.0 Nougat
Internal Storage: 16 GB
Battery Life: 10 hours
Pros:
- ASUS Tru2Life, TruVivid, Bluelight Filter, Splendid, and the IPS Display for an enhanced visual experience
- ASUS ZenPad 10 is a 10.1-inch tablet with a 72% screen-to-body ratio
Cons:
- Some customers complain of Wi-Fi connectivity issues
- Battery does not last long
Best Price:
You can buy the Asus 10.1 tablet from Amazon for $300
9. Apple iPad Pro 9.7-inch
The Apple iPad Pro 9.7 inch is an Apple tablet with a Luxury Retina LCD Screen for the ultimate visual experience while editing photos.
The Apple iPad Pro 9.7 is compatible with the Apple Smart Keyboard and the Apple Pencil.
Weight: 437 g
Screen Size: ‎9.7 Inches
Screen Resolution: 2048 x 2732 pixels
OS: iOS
Internal Storage: 128 GB
Battery Life: ‎10 Hours
Pros:
- Liquid Retina display for crisper photos
- iPad Pro Supports Apple Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil
Cons:
- Battery life could be better
Best Price:
You can buy a refurbished iPad Pro 9.7 from Amazon for $310
Photo Editing Tablet Buying Tips
In this section, I will give you some useful buying tips to help you pick the right tablet for your photo editing needs.
Let’s look at the four main criteria that you need to look at before you choose one of the best tablets for photo editing – screen size, battery life, screen resolution, and software compatibility.
Screen Size
You need to choose your screen size depending on your tablet usage.
Do you do most of your Photoshop editing while on the go? Then you might want to consider a smaller screen size that will easily fit into your camera bag.
Or would you rather have a bigger screen that allows you to see your photos clearly and help you edit them in a more detailed way? You can then choose a bigger screen size.
Battery Life
The point of investing in mobile devices is having the freedom to work on them when you are traveling or outdoors.
Make sure that your device’s battery life is long enough so you won’t have to constantly be hooked to the charging point while editing your photos. Battery life of 9 – 10 hours is moderate. If you are planning to work a lot while traveling consider a device with close to 15 hours of battery life.
Screen Resolution
For detailed editing, choose a tablet with a clear screen and a high screen resolution. This will ensure that you are able to see the minute details of your photos and edit with more preciseness.
A good screen resolution has more Pixels Per Inch (PPI), giving you more high-quality, crisp images.
Software Compatibility
An important question you need to ask yourself before you invest in one of the best tablets for photo editing is this:
Is it compatible with your favorite software?
What are the editing programs you use on a daily basis for editing your photos? Check to see if the device is compatible with the software you like to use.
For example, if you are planning to buy an Android tablet, check if the app is available on the Google Play Store before you invest in an android tablet.
Conclusion
So, here’s my list of the best tablets for photo editing.
A mobile device has some advantages over desktop computers, especially if you tend to work while you are traveling around.
However, you will need to consider the features you need before you pick a tablet for photo editing. Also, keep in mind how much you want to spend on your tablet. If you are low on funds, you can pick the best budget tablet to use.
I hope you found this post useful.
What tablet for photo editing would you consider the best and why? Leave a comment below and let me know!
Don’t forget to share this post with your friends who may be looking for a good tablet for photo editing! 🙂
