When it comes to the best Android tablets, Samsung is one of the very few brands that seem to take this product segment seriously. As a matter of fact, the company has been making tablets for quite some time now and still has a wide range of products across different price points. Among other things, support for the S Pen stylus is what differentiates Samsung's tablets from the competition. As such, the Galaxy Tab series includes tablets that work equally well for media consumption and content creation.
As good as that is, if you're looking for Galaxy tablets that support the S Pen, you'll have a number of great options to choose from. Our top vote goes to the newest Galaxy Tab S11, which includes a gorgeous 11-inch Dynamic AMOLED panel, IP68 certification, and top-of-the-line hardware specifications, complete with a bundled S pen. If you want an even larger visual real estate, you can instead go for the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, which gives you a mammoth 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen, a dual-lens rear camera system, and much more. Of course, there are many other alternatives with S Pen support as well, even if they require you to purchase the stylus separately.
These are the best Galaxy Tablets that support the S Pen
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Best overall
After shaking things up with the Tab S10 series, Samsung's 11-inch flagship tablet returns as the Galaxy Tab S11. You get an ultra-premium experience, along with all of the Galaxy AI and Gemini bells and whistles. Best of all, the Tab S11 introduces a redesigned S Pen that should make for a more comfortable writing and drawing experience.
Best budget
Samsung's tablet lineup seems to be in a bit of flux at the moment, as one might think that the Tab S10 FE would be the best budget choice. However, that's not the case, as the Galaxy Tab S10 Lite is here, picking up the torch after the Tab S6 and the Tab S7 Lite. While it doesn't pack as many features as its more expensive counterparts, you still get a 10.9-inch display, years of software support, and more.
Best Premium
Ever since 'Ultra' was added to Samsung's flagship lineup with the Tab S8 series, it has been the only mainstay. That trend continues thanks to the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, which features a massive 14.6-inch panel, providing you more than enough screen real estate for everything you want to do. You also get dual rear cameras, a big battery, and top-tier hardware specifications.
For the "fans"
When Samsung introduced the Galaxy Tab S10 lineup in 2024, it also added two more tablets to its general portfolio in the Tab S10 FE and FE Plus. The former is a great mid-range option for those wanting an 11-inch tablet, while the latter gives you the same experience, just on a larger 13.1-inch screen. The Tab S10 FE also has a microSD expansion slot and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.
Still great, if you can find one
Now that the Galaxy Tab S11 is here, it replaces the Galaxy Tab S9 as our previous overall favorite. That said, there are still plenty of these still around and can likely be had at a steep discount. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset remains plenty powerful and the Dynamic AMOLED screen for the 11-inch model makes this a great option. The Galaxy Tab S9 was also the first Samsung tablet outside the Active lineup with an IP68 rating, and this extends to the S Pen. You can use it just about anywhere.
Big screen, for less
While the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra continues to be an excellent large-screened tablet, it's no longer the best. The newer Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra takes its place, giving you a better chipset, anti-reflective coating on the screen, and all kinds of Galaxy AI features. This tablet is pretty much unrivalled for what it can do. Simply slap on the optional keyboard case and you have yourself a proper laptop.
Middle sweet spot
The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is for users who find 11-inch tablets too small but the 14.6-inch Ultra too ungainly to hold comfortably. It's also the only model in the series with 5G, so if you want to keep working even when you're away from Wi-Fi, this is what you should take a look at. Among other noteworthy features are MediaTek's Dimensity 9300 Plus SoC, dual rear cameras, and full wireless DeX support.
Best 'Fan Edition'
The Galaxy Tab S9 FE isn't going to win any awards for being the most powerful tablet out there, but it's no slouch either. Samsung also didn't try reinventing the wheel here, as the Tab S9 FE looks just like its non-FE sibling. Instead, the biggest difference comes in the form of the LCD panel (as opposed to OLED,) and there's an Exynos 1380 chipset instead of a Qualcomm SoC. You can start doodling right away with the bundled S Pen.
Everything you need, but bigger
The Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus is essentially a carbon copy of the Galaxy Tab S9 Plus, with a few key differences. Like the Tab S9 FE, it's powered by Samsung's Exynos 1380 silicon, paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage. Samsung also claims the Tab S9 FE Plus will last up to 20 hours on a single charge, making it a long-lasting digital notebook with the included S Pen, or your primary source of entertainment.
Best rugged pick
The Galaxy Tab Active 5 is more of a successor to the Tab Active 3 than the Active 4. All three models include an S Pen and are incredibly durable, all thanks to IP68 certification and military-grade toughness. However, the Tab Active 5 sports an 8-inch display that matches up with the Active 3. It's powered by Samsung's Exynos 1380 SoC, along with offering 6GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage. Oh, and it also gets a removable battery. How cool is that?
Best budget alternative
This fan edition tablet launched as an affordable alternative to the Tab S7 Plus, and it still has promised support through Android 14, which is alright if you want something for basic usage. The Galaxy Tab S7 FE comes with an S Pen and gives you a spacious 12.4-inch screen for multitasking. Even so, as our review noted, at least get the version that has 6GB of RAM.
Best previous-gen performance
The Galaxy Tab S8 is now fairly old, but it hasn't lost a step if your primary focus is to use the S Pen. Like others on this list, the tablet is bundled with an S Pen in the box, albeit with a slightly higher latency (6.2ms) compared to the S8 Ultra (2.8ms) because of its LCD display. But this difference is negligible in everyday usage. This model is best to use comfortably on the go with the stylus in one hand.
The middle child
Samsung's Galaxy Tab S9 Plus is not over-sized like its Ultra sibling but still offers all the features you could want. And yes, there's an S Pen in the box here too, so you don't need to go and grab one after the fact. You get most of the same great features as the newer Tab S10 Plus model, but with a Snapdragon SoC instead of a MediaTek chipset. It will be getting four OS upgrades, making it relevant for at least a few more years.
Best premium alternative
Without any doubt, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is a behemoth of a tablet. It features a colossal 14.6-inch AMOLED display, and the included S Pen provides just 2.6ms of latency. It's really the complete flagship package, with the option to jump to 16GB of RAM if you want the best possible Android productivity tablet. It's probably too big for portability but as a desk companion, gives you a laptop-sized touchscreen that'll let you take full advantage of its multitasking software through the S Pen.
Best rugged alternative
Just like the Tab S6 Lite, Samsung refreshed the 2019 Galaxy Tab Active Pro three years later, keeping the same rugged specs while adding a newer processor and the latest Android updates. The Galaxy Tab Active 4 Pro has a Snapdragon 778G processor with up to 6GB of RAM, a 550-nits display ready for the outdoors, and a removable battery. It comes with a case having a built-in S Pen slot so you'll never lose it and can withstand being dropped from 5 feet or harsh weather conditions.
Putting the S Pen to the screen
While the popular South Korean brand makes a lot of great tablets, only the best Samsung tablets support the popular S Pen — specifically its flagship Tab S series and the rugged Active series. A few of the older Tab A tablets supported it, but it seems Samsung has decided not to include S Pen support on the newer budget tablets. With those, you'd have to use a non-smart capacitive stylus instead.
Even if your tablet shipped with an S Pen, you could always pick up a spare, but you'll need to ensure you get the right one for your tablet. Then, there's the S Pen Creators Edition that's also about $100 and comes with a thicker body for a more comfortable grip, and enhanced tilt sensitivity. Both pens work with the Tab S6 series and above.
If you're looking for an affordable S pen experience, the Galaxy Tab S10 Lite or Tab S10 FE are great options. Something else to consider is that there are some pretty good deals on the Galaxy Tab S9 series.
For the lowest possible latency, the latest and greatest Galaxy Tab S11 line-up, as well as the Tab S10 line-up, the Tab S9 series, the Tab S8 Plus and the Ultra, all give you an ultra-quick 2.4ms delay, followed by the Tab S8 at 6.2ms. Every other tablet has a delay of 9ms or higher that still beats many tablets in terms of overall responsiveness, but you'll want the newest available Galaxy Tabs for the best experience.
Specifically with the Galaxy Tab S11, S10, and S9 series, you'll get an IP68 rating for both the tablets and their bundled S Pens. This makes them somewhat rugged, but not as reliable as the Galaxy Tab Active 5 with its miltary-grade toughness.
Otherwise, if you like the S Pen for notetaking but don't necessarily need a Samsung "tablet," its phones and tablet-sized foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy S25 Ultra also support the S Pen — even though they use a miniature-sized stylus designed for smartphones.
