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If you want to get your editing work done on the go, then you may be looking for some of the best tablets for photo editing. Tablets feel more intuitive to a lot of photo editors because working with a touchscreen feels more natural. Once you adjust your workflow, it is quite hard to go back.
Of course, when it comes to photo editing on tablets, software matters as much as the hardware. We’ll be going over that aspect shortly later on. A tablet for photo editing should feature a great screen and have little to no compromises over a traditional laptop.
Keeping all of that in mind, we conducted extensive research on figuring out the right products. After careful contemplation, here are our top picks for the best tablet for photo editing.
Best tablet for photo editing: our top picks
01
The best tablet for photo editing
Microsoft Surface Pro 8
02
The Tab S8+ is targeted at creative professionals
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+
03
The best value tablet for photo editing
Apple iPad Air (5th Generation)
Best tablet for photo editing: things to consider
When you think about photo editing, you immediately think of Photoshop. Photoshop started as a simple way to edit photos, but it’s evolved a lot. The type and brush tools allow illustrators and designers to get most of their work done within this application. However, Photoshop on Android and Apple tablets is a different experience.
Think of it this way. This application was not designed for drawing or sketching, Adobe developed Fresco for tablets just for that purpose. Instead, if you want to get the usual photo editing work done on an Android or Apple tablet, it is certainly possible.
If not, then that’s where alternative apps come into play. Lightroom is less flexible but gets the job done for a lot of people. Apps such as Darkroom, Affinity Photo, and Snapseed are also great for this.
Of course, Windows tablets are going to have support for full-fledged desktop apps such as GIMP, a familiar Photoshop, and Luminar. So, you want to pay attention to the app selection when transitioning to any tablet.
A good stylus goes a long way
The best tablet for photo editing should also come with support for a high-quality stylus or pen. Working on a tablet without a digital pen is like taking away a drawing tablet from an artist. It is extremely hard to get work done efficiently, and sometimes it is impossible.
So, for a photo editor, looking for a high-quality pen should be just as important as finding the right tablet. Fortunately, many tablets these days come with a high-quality stylus out of the book. The Galaxy Tab S8+ and Microsoft Surface Pro 8 are great examples of this.
Some tablets do not come with a stylus out of the box. A good example is any iPad. The current iPad lineup does have support for the Apple Pencil, but that is sold separately. That ends up changing the cost of any tablet for photo editing.
Optimizing the workflow
Out of the box, not every tablet is going to be optimized just for photo editing. This is especially true if you already have a good laptop or desktop setup for photo editing. You might have your different accessories, workspaces, or favorite apps that you like to work with.
When buying any tablet for photo editing, make sure that it is compatible with your workflow. Anything that slows you down in any way is something to stay away from, no matter how ‘cool’ the tablet looks to be.
Things you need to look out for are app selection, connectivity (ports), and compatibility between your different devices.
Transferring files
Most people transfer files to their tablet via iCloud, Google Drive, or any other cloud service. While that seems perfectly normal for everyday users, it can end up being a bit of a nightmare for many photo editors.
So, the best tablet for photo editing should also have an easy way to transfer files. Fortunately, most tablets these days come with a USB-C port, which certainly makes things easier. Cloud transfers are still decent, but you may end up compressing the original quality. It can also end up taking a bit more time than what you are comfortable with.
Some Windows tablets also come with Thunderbolt 4 support out of the box. This means you can plug in a fast external drive whenever you need to move files or photos around. It makes file management easier, faster, and more efficient overall.
Best tablet for photo editing: in-depth review
Microsoft Surface Pro 8
13-inch, 2280 x 1920 pixels, 120Hz
128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB SSD
2x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4, Surface connect port, Headphone jack
Pros
- Support for desktop-class apps
- Excellent selection of ports
- Colorful and vibrant display
- Incredible performance
The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is by far the best tablet for photo editing. You get access to all of your usual desktop applications, a familiar working environment, and powerful performance. All of that in a form factor that is appealing to people who move around a lot while working.
Windows on a tablet is not usually a good experience. Fortunately, Windows 11 works quite well on this machine. Many people will find that the experience is mostly the same compared to most laptops. Essentially, you can turn this into a laptop if you buy the type cover separately.
Unfortunately, that type of cover is quite expensive, and you’ll need to get that if you want access to the Slim Pen 2. The keyboard itself feels great, and so does the pen, it’s just a shame you need to buy it separately.
Apart from that, this is an excellent tablet. Performance is great across the board for many photo editing apps, and the tiny bezels on this device give it a modern look. The screen is mostly color accurate and is a joy to work on.
If you want the most comfortable editing experience, then this is the best photo editing tablet.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+
12.4-inch, 2800 x 1752 pixels, 120Hz
Pros
- Incredible display
- Samsung DeX works like a charm
- Closer to a laptop than a tablet
- Includes S-Pen in the box
Cons
- Not the best Photoshop experience
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ is by far the best Android tablet out there. It also happens to be one of the best tablets for photo editing. Samsung has packaged this tablet in such a way that makes it highly versatile. You can optimize this tablet to turn it into a photo editing powerhouse.
First off, the tablet itself is quite good. The hardware selection is on point. Android 12 runs well on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, and the 120Hz screen makes it feel more fluid. The screen is vibrant and sharp, which is quite important for photo editing.
The app selection is quite decent on the playstore as well, as you get access to dozens of apps. Unfortunately, Photoshop Express feels like a step backward from the traditional desktop experience. Fortunately, you do have a few alternatives, and Lightroom works well for less demanding edits.
The star of the show is Samsung DeX. This feature turns your traditional Android experience into a ChromeOS-like desktop. You’ll feel right at home with better file management and floating windows.
If you’re comfortable with a bit of tweaking, then this is a great tablet for photo editing.
Apple iPad Air (5th Generation)
Pros
- A truly phenomenal screen
- Unparalleled performance
- Incredible app selection
- Great battery life
The iPad Air (2022) provides an incredible tablet experience for not a lot of money. While the Pro versions are better in some aspects, there’s an argument to be made for it when it comes to the best tablets for photo editing.
First off, the iPad Air is one of the most impressive tablets in terms of hardware alone. The display is incredibly bright and colorful, which is great for what is one of the best tablets for photo editing. Apple recently updated the Air with the M1 chip giving it desktop-like performance.
However, like many other Apple products, the software experience is what makes it so good to use. iPad OS is highly optimized, and any of the iPads from the current lineup fly through it. App selection is also one of the best, as you get Photoshop which is quite close to the desktop version.
A few things are lacking here. You don’t have a microSD card slot or a headphone jack. While it does have a USB-C port, file transfer is slower than other Windows tablets.
Overall, you could say that it is the best tablet for photo editing for those in the Apple ecosystem.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
12.9-inch, 2000 x 1200 pixels, 120Hz
Pros
- Great overall value
- Samsung DeX support
- Premium design for the price
Cons
- Not the best for power users
- Future updates are uncertain
In terms of sheer power or even just hardware specs, no one would think the Tab S6 lite is the best tablet for photo editing. While objectively that may be true, it’s a surprisingly good entry-level tablet if you just want to get started with photo editing.
On the other hand, you could also be someone who just makes casual edits and that does not require a lot of processing power. One of the best things about photo editing is that you don’t need a super-powerful device to get things done on a productive and efficient level.
The display is good, but it could be better. Considering the price, it does perform admirably, but it leaves something to be desired for people who care about a true color-accurate display.
The main thing of interest here is that it is by far the best budget tablet for photo editing. That’s mainly because this tablet recently got an update that gave it the ability to run Samsung DeX. This gives you the same software experience as the newer and more expensive tablets.
For students or beginners, this is the best budget tablet for photo editing.
Apple iPad (9th Generation)
Lightning connector, headphone jack
Pros
- Excellent for students
- Surprisingly good performance
- Phenomenal battery life
Cons
- Dated design
- Low base storage
The entry-level iPad, or the 9th Gen iPad, is an incredible value when it comes to an affordable yet still premium tablet experience. While the design is quite dated and it feels old in 2022, it is surprising just how capable this iPad is.
To start, it has that old design that we have seen for so long on many iPads. It features a home button with TouchID instead of FaceID. It also has thicker bezels, which stick out like a sore thumb these days. While that will bother some folks, things get better from here.
The A13 Bionic inside of this thing is aging incredibly well. It is phenomenal just how well the performance holds up. You won’t notice any slowdown while photo editing, taking notes, drawing, or anything else you can think of. It also handles some casual games.
Apart from that, you get the excellent iPad OS 15 experience for a great price. This means you get the same apps and nearly the same experience as more expensive Apple tablets.
Overall, we think this is one of the best tablets for photo editing at an affordable price.
Final word
When it comes to the best tablets for photo editing, we were surprised with how many great options there were out there. The Surface Pro 8 stands out as the absolute best, as you won’t find any real compromises there. Both the iPad Air and Galaxy Tab S8+ are highly capable as well, thanks to the performance and app support.
As for students, beginners, or those on a budget, it is surprising just how well the Tab S6 Lite and iPad 9th Gen tend to hold up.
This guide, combined with a lot of our other guides on tablets on our site, truly goes to show just how capable tablets are these days. There’s no debate as to whether you can do any real work on a tablet. These best tablets for photo editing truly put that debate to rest.
While there will always be some compromises over traditional laptops, we know many are willing to put up with that in favor of a better form factor. We’re sure this guide will have helped you find the perfect fit.
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