Ever since Samsung introduced the S Pen with its lineup of Note phones, the accessory has become a favorite for those who like to handwrite their digital notes. But the S Pen is about more than just writing letters; it gives a finer point for precise selection of items on the screen, and in some instances, it can be used to access device shortcuts.
Samsung makes some of the best Android tablets, and these are the Galaxy tablets that support the S Pen.
These Samsung Galaxy Tabs support or bundle an S Pen
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Thin is in
If you want a tablet with a premium build, thin design, and typical fantastic Samsung display but don't want to break the bank, then the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite will fit the bill. Plus, since the S Pen is included, you'll be scribbling away in no time.
A lot left in the tank
Samsung's flagship tablet from 2019 is still a solid pick in 2021. The Galaxy Tab S6 works great as a 2-in-1 device with the included keyboard case. There's not much to miss with this productivity setup with a powerful processor, great battery life, and a fantastic display.
Cream of the (last-gen) crop
The Galaxy Tab S7 brings excellent hardware and a fantastic software experience to fans of Android tablets. The S Pen performs wonderfully thanks to the 120Hz display, so all of your doodles flow effortlessly from the pen tip.
For thrifty Samsung fans
This fan edition tablet launched as an affordable alternative to the Tab S7+, and it still has promised support through Android 14, making it worth buying today if the Tab S8+ costs too much for you. The Galaxy Tab S7 FE comes with an S Pen and gives you 12.4-inches of display space for multitasking.
Almost perfect
The Galaxy Tab S8 is almost the perfect Android tablet. Like others on this list, Samsung includes an S Pen in the box, with a slightly higher latency compared to the S8 Ultra. Nevertheless, if you want a compact flagship tablet, this is the way to go.
The middle child
Samsung's Galaxy Tab S8 Plus is arguably the best Android tablet on the market. It's not over-sized like its Ultra counterpart, while still offering all of the same 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.
The king of kings
Without a doubt, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is the best Android tablet on the market. It features a massive 14.6-inch display, and the included S Pen provides just 2.6ms of latency. It's really the complete flagship package.
Top performer of yester-year
If you need a tablet that can handle any task you need, then the Galaxy Tab S7+ is your kind of tablet. It is packed with the most powerful processor, has a phenomenal display, and makes the best use of all that the S Pen offers. It's been supplanted by the Tab S8+, but it's still a great device.
Rugged and ready
Not only does the Galaxy Tab Active Pro support the S Pen, but it comes with one and has a space to store the pen inside of the rugged enclosure. While this tablet is durable with a MIL-STD-810G rating, it also has great performance and a visible screen in all conditions.
Budget stylus support
Outside of the Tab S and Active series, you won't find too many budget Galaxy Tab A tablets that support S Pens. One is the Galaxy Tab A 10.1, which brings a big screen and big performance, thanks to the Samsung Exynos 7904A processor, at an affordable price. The 128GB of onboard storage, along with the ability to expand it with a microSD card, means that you'll never run out of room for your S Pen creations.
Old standby
Among the popular cheap Android tablets, the Galaxy Tab A 8.0 isn't one you should probably buy these days, simply because of how old it is. But it does support the S Pen, unlike some of the newer budget Samsung Tabs like the A8 (2022) and A7 Lite (2021).
Comfortably durable
If you need a tablet that offers solid performance, can take a beating, and still be comfortable to hold, then the 8-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab Active3 will get the job done. Like the Galaxy Tab Active Pro, the S Pen is included and has a handy slot to keep the pen with you when you need it.
Putting S Pen to screen
While it makes a lot of great tablets, only the best Samsung tablets support the popular S Pen — specifically its flagship Tab S series and its rugged Active series. A few of the older Tab A tablets supported it, but it seems Samsung has decided not to maintain S Pen support with its newest budget Tabs. With those, you'd have to use a non-smart capacitive stylus instead.
If you're looking for an affordable S pen experience, you can either buy an older Tab A 8.0 or 10.1 — though these are several years old at this point — or choose something like the Tab S6 Lite or Tab S7 FE at a mid-range price. But if you upgrade to the latest Tab S8 series, you'll get the lowest possible S Pen latency, meaning you will have almost no lag between S Pen input and what appears on the display.
Otherwise, if you like the S Pen for note-taking but don't necessarily need a Samsung "tablet," its phones and tablet-sized foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy S22 Ultra also support the S Pen, though it uses a specific miniature-sized one designed for mobile.
